Address - Sun Heights Nakano, 2-7-10 Arai, Nakano-ku,Tokyo 165 Map - See site Telephone - 3385-8993

Strictly speaking, KGF his isn't a restaurant, but I can't let you go on living without knowing about Kyle's small universe.

Kyle Sexton, his numerous family and his small bakery used to be my close neighbors in the bad old days when I lived in Nakano. Often, at around three in the afternoon I would go to get some cookies and some cherry pie, because I knew they would be hot out of the oven.

Kyle's warm and kind smile would always be there to greet me. He himself is at least as nice and interesting as his shop: originally from Pennsylvania, he is a gentle man and his face has exactly the same beautiful and warm chocolate color of his brownies. KGF hasn't made him rich, but many are the times I left his shop with more than I had paid. At home, opened my box, I would often find an extra brownie or a piece of zucchini bread he had given to me for free.

Now, it's no secret that I don't think much of food in the US, but I do like its traditional, pre-fast food cuisine, including stuff like carrot cake, and positively love brownies and cherry pie. Kyle's shop, opened on a shoestring so many years ago and still as small as it was then, incarnates all that is best in traditional US cuisine (Note: recently I have heard the word America used to mean US that I refuse to use it in that sense).

Take a look at the food photos in his site. It's good, honest, simple, homey food the way Mom used to make it: apple pies, cherry pies and brownies, but also banana bread, cheesecake, pecan pies, gingerbread and more, usually all still warm and always fresh. Kyle will cater to parties, make Birthday cakes and even deliver, if you order enough stuff.
And who knows, one of these days he might ever realize his old dream of opening a soul food restaurant, the first in Tokyo.

December 2004