Cafe Takatori: It's considered to be comfort food for the Japanese

Area:  about a 5min walk northeast of Nagoya station
Restaurant:  Cafe Takatori カフェ　タカトリ
Map and Info:  http://nagoya.xtone.jp/archives/cafe-takatori.html

Hours:  7:30am-6pm


I try not to visit and post about the kissatens, or Japanese-style coffee houses (usually older establishments) because they are often filled with chain-smoking businessmen which is not necessarily a bad thing, but the main reason is because they all serve up the same food, with a standard flavor.  The menu almost always includes curry rice, kara-age, hamburger patties, pork katsu, mix sandwiches, omelette rice, etc.  However, upon searching for a place to enjoy my next lunch on the internet, I came across Cafe Takatori.  It was described as a modern decor, but old-fashioned taste kissaten.  It did have an old-fashioned flare with the 40's or 50's piano music running in the background.  Apparently it's been around for quite sometime, and they are known for their Italian Spaghetti dish (750円, includes a salad).

I'm still intrigued by what makes this Japanese take on Italian pasta so popular.  I tried it at another cafe, but wasn't too impressed, so I ventured here to get a taste of perhaps the “real thing”. Napolitan is usually what it's called.  This one, served on a hot plate with egg poured around the noodles, was not any different than other Napolitans I've tried.  Perhaps I've figured out why the Japanese love it so much.  The plain ketchup flavoring avoids all the herbs in Italian cooking that are never used in Japanese dishes.  In addition, the noodles are soft and actually reminiscent of yaki soba. Like yaki soba, they even had delicious burnt parts where the noodles have sat on the grill for a bit.  So while it's called Italian, I would call it ketchup flavored yaki soba.  When I think of it this way, it tastes better in my mind.  The butter used to oil the hot plate is a nice touch to the egg and ketchup combo.  

Coffee is 380円, but if ordered after a meal, it's 80円 cheaper.  And since it was ‘oyatsu’ time (snack time), it came with a light-as-air mini cake and Japanese rice crackers (arare). 

Cafe de Campagne: Melted butter and sweet red bean paste...Nagoya is great!

Area:  About 600m from Kamejima Station 亀島駅 (Higashiyama line), or 10min Northeast from the east exit of Nagoya station
Restaurant:  Cafe de Campagne カフェドカンパーニュ
Map and Info: http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230101/23031922/dtlmap/

Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-10pm, Sat 7am-5pm, closed Sundays and holidays


It's not often that I get out for breakfast since I like to lounge around in my PJ's while drinking my morning coffee, but once in a while, I'll have the urge to have a morning set in a Japanese cafe.

Today was one of those days and I found myself at Cafe de Campagne.  Despite the French name, there's nothing French about this cafe.  It's basically an old kissaten (Japanese style coffee house) with tables that give a diner feel.  But the wire rack on the counter area gives it an open-kitchen, modern essence (not entirely sure this was the shop's intent though).  

The "morning" (370円) includes a drink, half a slice of thick, buttered toast with a choice of jam or sweet red bean paste topping, a hard boiled egg, and a mini dessert cup of the day.  The coffee was a bit on the 'sitting-around-for a long time' side, but wasn't undrinkable. The mini dessert was a coffee jelly on top of a milk pudding.  It wasn't overly sweet so it balanced out the sweetness of the bean paste toast and the bitterness of the coffee jelly.  Let me say that sweet red bean paste and melted butter is a match made in heaven!  Kids growing up in Nagoya and aichi area seem to have grown up eating this, so it's become a Nagoya specialty.

All this for the price of one coffee; this is what makes morning great. 

Cafe Zileri: Kissaten masked by decor

Area:  about 100m from Kokusai Center Station (国際センター駅）, B1 of Dai Tokai Building 大東海ビル, Exit 12 of Unimall

Restaurant: Cafe Zileri カフェ　ジレリ

Map and Info: http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230101/23046135/dtlmap/

Hours:  8am-5pm, closed weekends and holidays

From the outside it looks like a promising modern cafe, but upon entering, there is the air of a typical kissaten.  Filled with businessmen, and a menu that includes pork katsu, omuraisu and sandwiches, the decor fooled me.  With antique-looking coffee grinders sitting on back lit  bookshelves, and grey brick work, the cafe does have a nice atmosphere.  

Today's lunch special was a Korean-style chicken thigh donburi (750円).  It was slightly spicy with the red chili paste sauce, and way too salty.  The vegetable consomme soup was also a bit on the salty side.  The accompanying gobo and carrot salad was the kind you can find in air-vacuumed bags at the convenience stores.  The coffee was definitely old and reheated.  The only reason I would come here again is if I want a quiet place to sit and have a late lunch.  The instrumental music softly playing oldies such as New York, New York makes for a peaceful lunch break.  

Rakeru: Is it worth going back for their OmuRaisu?

Area:  Spiral Towers B1, just in front of Meitetsu department store at Nagoya station

Restaurant:  Rakeru ラケル

Website: http://www.rakeru.co.jp/index.shtml

Map: http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230101/23029652/

Hours:  Weekdays  11am-9:30pm, Weekends 10:30am-10pm

This restaurant was started in Tokyo many years ago as a yoshoku or restaurant meant to mimic western flavours, but geared for the Japanese tastebuds.  That seems to be the reason for the specialty here: omuraisu (ketchup flavored rice covered in an omelette).  Another one of their signature items is a bun served warm with a melting brick of butter placed inside.  Sounds great, and it is, if you like the typical slightly sweet buns commonly found here.

There are a variety of lunch plates to choose from (and thankfully can be ordered late afternoon).  I regret it now, but since I'm not the biggest fan of omuraisu I went for the doria (baked rice dish) and quiche plate (1134円).  The soup was a milky corn soup that smelled like dessert and was sweet enough to maybe even pass as one.  The accompanying baked potato was extremely dry and could have used some of that butter from the bun.  The salad was standard with a white French dressing.  The one strand of watercress laid on top gave it a nice punch and could have used more.  The quiche had a nice flakey crust and the lardons (tiny pieces of pork fat) gave it a slight bacon flavor.  It's too bad the mountain of ketchup on top imparted it's acidy artificial flavor on it.  The Doris's rice was curry flavor (reminiscent of Lipton's instant rice) topped with tomato-based meat sauce and cheese.  There's so little meat sauce that I almost didn't even notice it.  

I'm interested in trying their omuraisu in hopes that it might change my feelings about this Japanese household staple.  I'll post if I do try it! 

Tsuki no Usagi: Step back in time at this cafe

Area:  a 5-min walk northeast of Kokusai Center station 国際センター駅, in the historical sightseeing area

Restaurant: Tsuki no Usagi 月のうさぎ

Map and info:  http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230101/23051612/dtlmap/

Hours:  10am-10:30pm (LO 10pm), Closed Tues and 3rd Mon of the month (Morning 10am-11am, Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm, limited to 20 people)

This is a relatively new cafe in the historical district near Kokusai International Center.  Just being in this area makes it enjoyable to visit.  Its menu, particularly the daily lunch special is definitely geared towards women's tastes.  For under 1000円, it comes with the main, plus a variety of obento-like dishes, miso soup and 5-grain rice.  Today's main was sesame crusted fried chicken.  Although it's called the main, it only came with 2 pieces, which is enough when the meat is hard and dry.  The sesame coating is a nice idea though so I give it points for creativity.  On this plate were also macaroni salad (with ham, dressed with minimal mayonnaise), korean style sesame oil bean sprouts, umani (Japanese stewed vegetables), eggplant (fried and seasoned with dashi) and tamago-yaki.  What stood out most was the curry fried dumpling.  Like a samosa, but less spicy, it's filling was enjoyable.  The cream filled, baked shiitake mushroom was also a delight.  The salad in the glass was also a new, but tasty flavour for me; mizuna with abura-age that tasted like BBQ, swimming in a mild dashi and sprinkled with a nice accent of sesame seeds

The Jazz music and oldies playing in the background, with the yukata wearing waitresses, this cafe tries to recreate an old Japanese cafe.  Although I can't comment on the cafes of those times, I felt as if I took a step back in time.  It's not usual for me to say this, but take a trip to the restroom if you can; so spacious and nicely decorated, it feels like a royal restroom!

Taverna Guida: Please don't take my plate away yet

Area:  About a 10-min. walk southeast of Nagoya Station

Restaurant:  Taverna Guida タヴェルナグイダ

Map and info: http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230101/23004505/

Hours:  Lunch 11am-2pm (Weekdays only), Dinner 5:30-11:30 (LO 10:30pm)

This quite stylish bar/restaurant is possibly owned by an Italian living in Japan, so that may a good sign in terms of authenticity.  Having said that, one of the pasta lunch options was a gobo (burdock root, common in Japanese cooking) and nanohana (Japanese broccolini) cream sauce pasta (900円, includes appetizer and drink).  The up-sizing of the pasta and panini is free for those of you with a big appetite.

The appetizer, pork with tonnato sauce and a focaccia ham panini was perhaps more authentic than the pasta.  Tonnato, I've learned, is a tuna flavoured sauce usually served cold on meat.  It almost tasted like caesar salad dressing, but went nicely with the pork medallions.  The panini was a bit dry, but had a tea biscuit-like texture and buttery flavour.  The salad was dressed with an overly sour vinegrette.  Finally, the main al dente pasta, was nice and light on the cream, but it's too bad the heavily salted ingredients did not match with that.  

Filled with mostly women excitedly chatting away, and Italian folk music playing in the background, this restaurant's atmosphere is not quiet.  The waiter kept eyeing my plate and tried to take it away before I was finished, so it was a bit difficult to slowly enjoy my meal.  However, it would be a great place to meet with friends or come with a date.  

Kobekan Cafe: A Bit of elegance for the salarymen

Area: about 400m west of Fushimi station 伏見駅

Restaurant:  Kobekan cafe 神戸間カフェ

Website and Map:  http://www.kobekangroup.com/shop/resturangel/index.html

Hours:  Cafe and Lunch 7am-4pm, Dinner  5-12pm

The venue looks very modern and elegant from the outside, being a place where weddings are held.  But the cafe area, although fitted with huge chandeliers is surprisingly filled with mainly salarymen taking their coffee breaks.  And where there are salarymen, you can count on there being a curry lunch, omelette rice, a mixed sandwich, etc.

The croissant sandwich lunch, I've noticed on their sign sitting out front, is often sold-out.  It usually features slightly different flavours than the norm, such as basil or tandoori. Because it's so popular I wanted to try it, but unfortunately today too, it had been crossed off the lunch list.

So, instead, I went for the mix sandwich and drink set (750円).  For only 120円, I was able to add a good sized salad with a good variety of veggies and sesame dressing.  One sandwich was a tomato, ham, and cucumber combination while the other was an omlette and cucumber one.  Both were slathered with mayo and the mustard punch was a nice touch.  The bread was not toasted, but the slightly runny egg made it have a sticky, surprisingly enjoyable chewy texture.  I again have to mention that I was glad to see they included at least some of the crusts (cut away from the sandwich, it offers haters of crusts the option to leave it, and lovers to enjoy it!).
The blend coffee was not too bitter and was fresh, definitely not reheated.