Shokupan Leeds: Japanese cafe in Wellington Street launches first evening menu to cater for 'post-work munch'

Shokupan, in Wellington Street, has scrapped its breakfast offering in favour of evening opening hours on Thursday and Friday. The cafe was opened in December last year by husband and wife Alan and Alison Tang – who quit their jobs to pursue their dream of cooking Japanese cuisine.

Shokupan serves its namesake dish, unique sandwiches made with Japanese milk bread, as well as rice bowls, coffee and Japanese-inspired cakes. The owners have seen business ramp up and it’s become a popular lunchtime choice for workers in the city’s business district, with an impressive five-star rating on Google reviews.

And Alan and Alison hope they can now cater for the after-work crowd with the new menu, plus the option to bring your own booze.

In an Instagram post, the pair said: “We will be offering an extended menu with new items (and initially BYOB). There will also be a change to our starting hours as we will no longer be running breakfast. But we are excited to extend into the evening for you lot to enjoy a post-work munch and catch up with friends.”

The cafe’s previous opening hours were 7.30am to 3pm on Monday to Friday. It’s now open 11am to 3pm on Monday to Wednesday, and 11pm to 8.30pm on Thursday and Friday.

Shokupan has been highlighting the new menu items on its Instagram page, including karaage Japanese fried chicken, cinnamon toast and okonomiyaki bites. Some items on the lunch menu can also be served during the evenings.