[Ukiha] Cream soda and curry are must-try! A cafe where you can stay overnight (Yoshii-cho) that is the talk of the town and is the second store after Tokyo
Hello. I'm ayu.latte, a writer who loves traveling, delicious food, and cafes.
Cafes are so important to me that when I plan a trip, I always choose a cafe before deciding on my destination.
This time, I would like to introduce you to some wonderful coffee shops with attached accommodation facilities that I feel are definitely worth visiting, even if you are traveling from far away.
"Traveling Cafe Ukiha" (Ukiha City), a cafe with a lodging facility, opened on Shirakabe Street.
"Traveling Cafe Ukiha" opened on September 7, 2023 in Yoshii-cho, Ukiha City.
The shop was founded by Tsunekawa, a cream soda craftsman, and Tamaki, a spice curry specialist, who traveled around Japan to discover the ingredients, culture, and charms of different regions. They aim to provide a "good time" for guests through food, drink, and lodging. The first Tabisuru Kissa store is in Koenji, Tokyo, and the store in Ukiha is the second.
When they were considering whether to open a second store in Tokyo or to take on a new challenge by opening a new store in Fukuoka, they came across a wonderful property in Ukiha City.
So when they researched Ukiha city, they found that it had great food and sightseeing spots, and that it had good access to other cities and prefectures, so they felt it was a good place to start a trip. They also felt that Ukiha was a good fit for their "Traveling Cafe" activities, so they decided to open a shop there.
Inside the 100-year-old building, there are large pieces of furniture, including an antique piano and trousseau. A former girl's school teacher had lived here until six years ago, and these items were kindly provided for use.
Apparently other items such as the lighting and the cafe's table set were also found at antique shops, which shows just how much attention to detail went into them.
The renovation has been carried out to preserve the atmosphere of the original building as much as possible, while also aiming to make the space more comfortable for its use.
Reservations are given priority for use of the cafe! Reservations are accepted on the website from noon the day before.
Reservations are required for the cafe, and can be made by accessing their website from noon the day before.
The name of the seat you choose is also wonderful! This is the "Western-style seat where the moon falls."
As the name suggests, the seats have a crescent moon falling from the ceiling, creating a very charming atmosphere.
This is a Western-style seating area facing tasteful fittings. It is the largest table in the restaurant and can accommodate up to five people.
These are "Japanese-style seats warmed by natural light and a kotatsu" and "Japanese-style seats where you can view the autumn leaves from a kotatsu." Both are only available in the winter.
Outside of winter, they use low tables and wooden tables, so it's a rare seat. The fact that you can relax at a kotatsu is quite novel for a cafe, and I found it appealing.
This time, we chose the newest, light-filled Western-style seating, where you can enjoy the veranda.
Each table has a "travel notebook."
This is something they've been doing since before the Tokyo store opened, when they were holding traveling cafe events all over the country.
If you look inside, you'll find comments from customers such as "It was delicious," "I want to come again," and "It took hours to get here," as well as lots of wonderful illustrations. It's full of international flavor, with English and Korean characters!
It's great that there is a tool that is not only useful for store owners, but that customers can enjoy together as well.
A beautiful cream soda made by a cream soda craftsman to "express the color of the sky"
One of the managers is a "cream soda craftsman," so you can enjoy cream sodas that express the skyscapes he has encountered all over Japan. This time, I tried two of the five types of cream soda available.
From the left, "Akane Sky" and "Night Sky" (900 yen each). First, I took a photo with the light coming from behind me. "Akane Sky" has a beautiful gradation. I thought "Night Sky" was dark blue, but...
When I changed the shooting direction and took a photo with the courtyard in the background, I realized that it was actually a gradient.
When viewed through the sunlight, the "Scarlet Sky" looked even more transparent and beautiful, and the "Night Sky" looked completely different. I congratulated myself for ordering these two dishes (laughs).
"Akane Sora" was apparently inspired by the sunsets of Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. The gradation from pink to deep blue is truly beautiful! It was also fun to slowly melt the ice cream and watch it change to a pale light blue color.
"Night Sky" is a drink that expresses the deepening night sky with a gradation from dark purple to ultramarine. It uses flower syrup, and has a moist taste with a moderate sweetness. It's simply beautiful!
Furthermore, "Night Sky" changes even further when bright light shines into the glass. The gradation is so vivid that it's hard to imagine it from the initial dark blue! This image has not been color-edited in any way. People were exclaiming "Amazing!" throughout the video, as the changes were so drastic.
A limited edition cream soda is available each month. When I visited, the "December Cream Soda" was available, a green cream soda made with elderflower and topped with strawberries in Christmas colors.
Sweets so pretty you'll almost feel bad eating them
There are three types of sweets, two of which I tried this time.
First up is the "Night Sky Rare Cheesecake" (650 yen). This rich and bouncy rare cheesecake is topped with blue jelly to represent the night sky and gold leaf to represent stars.
It looks even more beautiful when held up to the light, and you'll almost feel bad eating it ♡ It's not too sweet, so you can eat it all in one go.
Next up is the winter-only menu item "Moist and Rich Gateau Chocolat" (650 yen), available until the end of February. As the name suggests, it is very moist and rich. You can really taste the chocolate.
It was served with berry sauce and whipped cream, which went well with the chocolate, and I enjoyed the change in flavor.
We also recommend coming here for lunch! The carefully made curry is a must
Not only the sweets and drinks, but also the delicious food is worth checking out.
The standard menu item, "Traveling Cafe Chicken Curry" (1,000 yen), is packed with special attention to detail.
It is made with plenty of garlic, ginger, and about 15 kinds of spices, and features a refreshing tomato acidity. It is very mellow because it uses a lot of butter. Even those who don't like spicy food can enjoy it.
It's so delicious you won't be able to stop eating it!
There is also a monthly changing menu for curry, and in December they have "Christmas Butter Chicken Curry" (1,200 yen). It uses spinach paste, cherry tomatoes, and a fragrant foamy sauce. The monthly changing curry uses a lot of local vegetables.
You can also get a two-item set of the standard chicken curry and the monthly curry (1,300 yen in December, varies by month).
The "Old-Fashioned Neapolitan" (900 yen) is a surprisingly large portion!
The ingredients are peppers, onions, and sausages, reminiscent of the Neapolitan pasta you'd find in an old-fashioned coffee shop, and the sauce is of course homemade. I finished it in no time!
They also have pilaf, salads, soups and more.
Limited to one group per day! Accommodation facility where you can experience life in the Taisho period
The second floor of "Tabi Suru Kissa Ukiha" is a lodging facility. It is limited to one group per day, and can accommodate a maximum of eight people.
Another attractive feature is that you can enjoy a different view of the white-walled townscape from the second floor windows.
The room is equipped with a "cream soda making experience set" and "Traveling Cafe's instant chicken curry (including rice pack)" for a late-night snack.
It's a place where you can enjoy not only the food and drinks, but also the space and time. Please come and visit us. (Text by ayu.latte)
<Click on the store name for more details about the store ↓>
■ Traveling Cafe Ukiha
Address: 1410-10 Yoshiicho, Ukiha City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Business hours: [Coffee shop] 11:00-15:00, [Accommodation] Check-in 16:00-20:00, Check-out 10:00
Closed: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
*This article is current as of the time of publication. *Prices in the text include tax.
※Text and images:ayu.latte
*Photo: Traveling Cafe Ukiha
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