How a Small Onigiri Food Stall Opened Cafe / Bar in One Year - KAIHO̅ Japanese Café/Bar
Day 11 of highlighting small businesses. KAIHO̅ started as a food stall near Spitalfields and is now a Japanese café/bar by the canal. Neat like Japan, with high ceilings, rare LPs, rice burgers, and onigiri from classic salmon to truffle salmon.
10 September 2025· 4 min read
I remember when I first visited Zen Musubi. It was a small food stall next to Spitalfields market. I mean it was not inside the market, instead it was across the street near Brick Lane. But even with not being on the prime location, they were able to get some hype.
Within a year, popular demand brought them into a bigger space where they now serve everything from classic salmon onigiri to Japanese-French truffle salmon onigiri. Now the space is a cafe / bar.
It’s a growth story that shows how quality and care can quickly build a loyal following.
