USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 3 - Japanese Breakfast

 

March 28, 2026

For the last ten years or so, Larry has requested we only stay in hotels that serve breakfast. (We became spoiled when we started staying at Hampton Inns with their breakfast buffet included. Domestically, they became our hotels of choice.)

We have stayed at the Hotel Universal Port each time we return to Japan, and we always opt to add the breakfast buffet. It’s Larry’s kind of meal. Lots of small tastes of a bunch of different foods. And the best part is the cappuccino machine!

Since they moved our room to the top floor (ocean view, not park view), we discovered we also got some great perks.

I need to thank the Room Support clerk, Setsuko Washio, who made it all happen and for going far out of her way to make sure we were satisfied. She kept checking in with us to be sure we were enjoying our stay.

And she gave us a sweet card and 25th anniversary sticker from the hotel.

Being on the top floor meant we got special blue ticket for breakfast. Like fast-passes or lightning lanes, they allowed us to bypass the regular (LONG) lines at the entrance and get seated first.

Then, we were escorted to a special, separate dining area. I always request to be seated where we could see the children in the main area. I love watching their enthusiasm as they anticipate a day in the park. The last time, we saw more kids in Harry Potter robes and Mario hats. Fewer were in costume this time, but their excitement was no less palpable.

Not only did we have reserved seating, but each day we received a special “treat” with our meal.

The plates were side plates, and the tiny cups were the size of egg cups, but the fruit was fresh as was the tiny mint leaf, and the fork was about the size of a cocktail fork. Fresh strawberries are expensive, so this was truly a lovely surprise. (They looked exactly the same every day.)

The other perk of being on the top floor was coupons for free drinks in a couple of the hotel lounges. Since we don’t drink, we thought we wouldn’t use them, but several of our Japanese kids came to visit us, and we went there to eat with them. They enjoyed the free drinks!

We always started breakfast with a cup of cappuccino to wake up.

Then we picked up a tray and added one of the smaller serving trays for our food. (They are half the length of the tray and fit across the width. They are sort of like egg cartons with six shallow indentations. They only hold a small amount in each one. So, you can try many options.

There are numerous food stations featuring Japanese, Chinese, American, and other specialties. There is also a kid’s station with special minion-themed dishes for them to eat from. Their section has (among other things) a choice of cereals and toppings—including soft serve ice cream. Larry started a bit of a trend by finishing his meal each day with it. He noticed several other adults followed suit. (He’s a trend-setter.)

My favorite area was the yogurt and smoothie bar. It always had plain yogurt and usually plain yogurt with chia seeds. (I might start keeping it on hand at home since it was good.) They provided small bowls (the same size as the coffee cups) for the yogurt and featured chunks of apple, pineapple, and other fruit. One day, they had fresh raspberries and Japanese blueberries (much smaller than ours, but tasty). Then there were toppings: passion fruit and mixed fruit. Yummy.

The smoothies were usually banana and mango, a berry mix, and green juice. We went for the fruit.

Many items were cooked fresh on the spot. Fried chunks of fish were being cooked at all times, and when a batch was finished, they beat on a drum as notification. Fresh Japanese “omelets” (hard cooked scrambled eggs spread thin and cooked in sheets, then rolled and cut into small bite-sized slices) were announced with a bell.

Larry usually selected the undercooked scrambled eggs. I preferred to choose a whole egg, formed in a perfect circle, which just fit into one of the indents in the serving tray. They made them over-easy, over-hard, and sunny-side-up.

I also liked the fried potato wedges. Larry usually got the tiny patty of shredded potato, sort-of-like McDonald’s mini-hashbrown patties. (I tried them once, but they were cold.)

He always tried a variety of the Asian choices, most of which I didn’t recognize. I pretty much stuck to western foods, and not much of any of them.

Many choices were provided, including undercooked bacon and unsmoked sausage. The undercooked scrambled eggs are in the red container, and the potato wedges are in the yellow one. The rest of the eggs, etc. are around the corner.

They provided a selection of breads and sweet rolls, too. Tiny croissants, small fruit-filled pastries, and bread for toasting were featured. A couple of days, they had miniature waffles, about the size of a quarter of a Belgian waffle, with one edge dipped in icing. Of course, we tried these.

We had to guard against eating too much, but everything was delicious!

We always finished our meals with a final cup of cappuccino while we watched the people enjoying themselves.

On the first morning, as I got my cappuccino, I spotted a little guy in a highchair. He had his stuffed purple paradactyl with him. He was ignoring his breakfast while he “flew” it around the table and placed it on his head. He made me smile.

Another day, a tiny boy, also in a highchair, smiled and giggled and flirted with me. I waved, and he laughed.

And Minion Bob greeted us as we left.

It was altogether a lovely way to start each day.