[Yokkaichi Gourmet] Delicious food can be found in old folk houses! Introducing 3 cafes and Japanese food restaurants run in old folk houses in YokkaichiCity!

Interview/article production/Mie Travel Ambassador Mariko

▼Table of contents

• Hand roasted coffee Asagi ☕️
• Cool retro sales shed
• Check the drink menu on the blackboard
• After you finish your order, let's move to the cafe space!
• Authentic coffee made with the owner's passion
• kosanji Natsume🍙🍵
• A modern chic space near the entrance
• There is a Japanese-style room with a calm atmosphere in the back.
• There are 3 types of menu at “Hiruge”
• The set meal ends with Japanese tea and sweets.
• A wide variety of sweets and teas are also available.
• Old house food Ayameya 🍱
• The scenery that shines outside
• A relaxing atmosphere typical of an old folk house
• All the dishes are full of volume!
• We also recommend Tonteki（PorkSteak）, a Yokkaichi specialty.
• Approved by Yokkaichi Tonteki（PorkSteak）Association
• Baked pudding is recommended for dessert
• Days with an 8 on them are soba days!
• There are various other events

(Introduction order is in order of interview date)

Hand roasted coffee Asagi☕️

``Hand Roasted Coffee Asagi'' is located on a street corner about 5 minutes walk from Kintetsu Tomita Station towards the mountain side. It is also within walking distance of the cherry blossom trees along the Jushi River, one of Yokkaichi's most famous cherry blossom viewing spots.

This shop, which takes pride in its home-roasted coffee and is housed in an old house that was built over 55 years ago, has a unique structure in which the sales space and cafe space are in separate buildings.

First, let's head to the sales shed (smaller building) to place an order ♪

Cool retro sales shed

When you go to the sales hut, you will be greeted by the friendly owner at the counter. This building was originally used to store agricultural equipment.

During the cold months, there is a stove in front of the hut, so you can stay warm while waiting.

The store name ``Asagi'' is not the owner's last name, but comes from the color of Asagi, one of Japan's traditional colors.

Asagi-iro is a pale indigo color with a hint of green, and was often used as the lining of common people's kimonos during the Edo period.

In addition, the name Asagi seems to have the meaning of ``modest'', and ``I want the store to be a place where many people can easily come and visit,'' and ``I hope that the owner himself and the coffee will be popular among people.'' The name was chosen with the hope that it would be a modest supporting role that enriches people's lives.

Check the drink menu on the blackboard

First, look at the blackboard and choose your drink menu. There is a wide variety of coffee by region, and the menu is available at the counter.

Brownies and shortbread (cookies) are also on sale. These sweets are said to be made at a cafe run by the owner's family.

Drinks and baked goods can also be taken out. If you order takeout, drinks will be discounted by 70 yen.

We also have pudding, but you can't take it out. Come eat in and enjoy!

After you finish your order, let's move to the cafe space!

After paying and receiving your order, head to the cafe space.

When you rattle open the door and step inside, it feels like you're visiting someone else's home, which makes you a little excited♪

If you wish to use the cafe space, please order one drink per person. (Excluding accompanying children under elementary school age)

The renovated cafe space is very bright and open. There are 13 seats available.

You can see that this is a place for everyone to relax, with people having work meetings in the salon-like seats and others relaxing on the sofa seats.

The counter seats by the window on the right side as you enter are equipped with electrical outlets, so people working on computers will be noticeable. There is no doubt that you will be able to work more easily here! Wi-Fi is also available for free.

Authentic coffee made with the owner's passion

This time I ordered:

✔︎Today 's freshly baked Kamado coffee 470 yen (tax included)

✔︎Coffee caramel pudding 220 yen (tax included) *Pudding is not available for takeout

Freshly roasted kamado coffee is coffee brewed with freshly roasted beans. You can enjoy various brands that change daily.

The brand of the day was "Costa Rica Gamboa Black Honey." It had a clean taste without any unpleasant taste, and it was very delicious with just the right amount of acidity!

In fact, in the morning before the store opens, the owner splits the firewood himself and roasts the coffee beans using a homemade stove! Freshly roasted kamado coffee uses these freshly roasted beans.

One of the popular menu items, the coffee caramel pudding, has just the right texture, neither too soft nor too hard.

The caramel sauce contains drip coffee and has a very rich and deep flavor. The moment you put it in your mouth, the flavor of the caramel sauce spreads out. The pudding is made by the owner.

I also purchased the following items.

✔︎Fluffy Mocha x Mocha Ole 650 yen (tax included)

​✔︎Shortbread (plain) 160 yen (tax included) *Shortbread also comes in cocoa flavor 170 yen (tax included)

✔︎Bitter chocolate and nut brownie 220 yen (tax included)

Fluffy Mocha x Mocha Ole (Fuwa Mocha Ole) has a mellow sweetness. This fluffy mocha ole is made by adding foamed chocolate milk to drip coffee. Fluffy mocha ole will be available until the end of April.

The shortbread was crispy and the brownie had just the right amount of chewiness, which was also delicious. Coffee and baked goods really go well together. Apparently some people buy shortbread and brownies in bulk.

We also sell coffee beans

Hand Roasted Coffee Asagi also sells roasted coffee beans and drip bags. It's nice to be able to enjoy authentic coffee at home. The packaging is also nice.

We also have an online shop. Please check our homepage and SNS for details and latest information such as menu!

store information

Hand roasted coffee Asagi

〇Address 29-1 Tomita Sakae-cho, Yokkaichi YokkaichiCity Mie Prefecture

〇公式URL   http://asagi-roast.com/index.html 

Click here for Instagram

〇No phone

〇Business hours 13:00-21:00

〇Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays

〇Access by public transportation

・Approximately 5 minutes walk from Tomita Station on Kintetsu and Sangi Railways

・About 10 minutes walk from JR Tomita Station

*Please note that Kintetsu and Sangi Railway Tomita Stations are in the same location, but JR Tomita Station is in a different location.

〇Access by car

・About 10 minutes by car from Higashi-Meihan Expressway "Yokkaichi Higashi IC"

・About 10 minutes by car from Isewangan Expressway "Mie Asahi IC"

〇Parking lot: 4 spaces available on the premises

*Contents and prices may change depending on the situation. Please check the homepage and SNS for details.

kosanji Natsume🍙🍵

Kosanji Natsume is a shop that prides itself on rice balls and tea, located in a residential area near JR Yokkaichi Station.

This shop was created by a group of staff who thought, ``I want to open a rice ball shop!'' and ``I want to convey the charm of tea!''

The front of the building is made of brick, so at first glance it doesn't look like an old folk house, but it was originally a glass shop and was also used as a private house.

A modern chic space near the entrance

The interior of the store on the entrance side has been renovated into a modern chic space, with a counter seat for 4 people and 2 table seats for 2 people, making it a very stylish space.

There is a Japanese-style room with a calm atmosphere in the back.

When you take off your shoes and go inside, you will find a Japanese-style room that retains the atmosphere of an old folk house. There are two tables for 2 and 4 people.

The space is decorated with quaint boxes that were used in the past, creating a retro atmosphere. What you can see in the back of the photo is a machine for roasting hojicha.

There are 3 types of menu at “Hiruge”

At kosanji Natsume, the hours are divided into ``Hiruge'' during lunch time and ``Tea and Sweets'' during tea time.

There are three types of Hiruge's menu, and this time I ordered:

✔︎Natsume set meal 1,650 yen (tax included)

A set meal that includes 2 rice balls, a main dish, 2 small side dishes, soup, pickles, tea, and sweets. You can choose 2 out of 10 types of rice balls and 1 out of 2 types of main dishes. There are some standard types, but the contents of each one change depending on the season.

For the main dish, I chose the standard black tea braised pork. The meat is very soft and has a deep flavor. Apparently they use Japanese black tea to cook this braised braised dish. The soup is a miso soup with turnip, seri, and temari fu made with Shinshu miso. Dishes made with seasonal ingredients are so delicious that you can feel the goodness of Japanese cuisine!

In addition to the set meals,

・ Ochazuke set meal with your choice of jujube 1,750yen (tax included)

・We have a meat-wrapped rice ball set meal for 1,850 yen (tax included).

For the onigiri, I chose salmon sesame oil and ginger shigure.

Salmon Sesame Oil Salmon is a dish made by adding sesame oil to salmon that is grilled in-house. Since it was coarsely flaked, I was able to fully enjoy the taste of the salmon.

Ginger Shigure is a sweet and spicy tsukudani-style boiled clam and ginger that goes well with rice balls. The texture of the rice was also perfect!

When making onigiri, the key is to tie it rather than squeeze it, and to adjust the amount of salt. The rice used is Tsukiakari from Mie Prefecture.

There are a wide variety of them, including ones with cream cheese and monthly limited edition rice balls.

The set meal ends with Japanese tea and sweets.

The last tea sweets were jujube butter and bite-sized tea sweets. Natsume butter is an original kosanji Natsume sweet that contains dates, fermented butter, and walnuts. And the utensils are tasteful and nice.

Choose one of today's sencha, roasted tea, or Japanese black tea. I personally recommend Japanese black tea! This Japanese black tea is a variety called ``Yabukita'' and is characterized by its easy-drinking, non-astringent taste.

As the name suggests, Japanese black tea is a domestic black tea made using Japanese tea leaves. When we think of black tea, we tend to think of it as something made in a foreign country, but black tea is also produced in Japan and has become more common in recent years.

Both green tea and black tea are made from tea leaves picked from the same tea tree (tea tree), and when they are fermented, they become black tea.

Kosanji Natsume uses Japanese black tea from Yokkaichi's Hasama Cooperative Tea Association, and you can also purchase the tea leaves.

I have been a big fan of Hasama's Japanese black tea for several years, and I bought two types of tea, ``Yabukita'' and ``Benifuki'', to take home! The tea leaves in the photo are from Benifuki, a variety originally made for black tea. Personally, I think it's as delicious as black tea from famous brands overseas.

Click here for the Hasama Cooperative Tea Association website↓

https://kyoukan.biz/

A wide variety of sweets and teas are also available.

Kosanji Natsume also has a wide variety of tea and sweets. seasonal,

✔︎I received the Winter Taste Three Kinds of Sweet Potato Set for 750 yen (tax included).

From the left in the photo: ``melt-in-your-mouth smooth baked sweet potato brûlée'', ``moist and rich baked sweet potato tart'', and ``sticky sweet potato yokan made with Naruto Kintoki''.

The surface of the brûlée is crispy and the inside is soft. Also, the sweet potato in both the tart and the yokan was moist and rich. It was a nice set where you could enjoy various types together.

* Winter taste three kinds of sweet potato set is available until the end of March.

The tea recommended by the shop staff and that you should try together with the three kinds of sweet potato set is:

✔︎ Deep-roasted roasted green tea from Shiga Prefecture, 700 yen (tax included).

The tea comes with a bite of sweets, as well as a Yokkaichi Banko-Yaki teapot and hot water. The staff will brew the first brew for you. The first brew is fragrant, and the second and subsequent brews have a refreshing taste.

If you look closely, you can see that the lid of the teapot is slightly ajar, but this is to prevent the tea leaves from becoming too steamy so that the second brew will be delicious.

When I brew my own tea in this way, I feel as if I am having a conversation with myself. Even if you don't normally make tea in a teapot, an opportunity like this might increase your interest in tea.

and,

✔︎ Basque kabusetea with Kabusecha from Mizusawa 580 yen (tax included)

✔︎ I also received the Natsume Dorayaki Roasted Tea Coffee Bean Paste for 500 yen (tax included)!

kabusetea is a high-quality green tea grown in the Suizawa district in the western part of YokkaichiCity.

The Basque kabusetea with Kabusecha had such a rich tea flavor that you could mistake it for matcha, and the cheese taste was just as strong!

The dorayaki has a strong coffee flavor in the red bean paste, and it also contains roasted green tea, giving it a rich and elegant sweetness. It feels like dorayaki for adults. The roasted tea used is from the Hasama Kyodo Tea Association.

In addition to dorayaki, there are also kabusetea cream filling and marron cheese, both of which are made to go well with tea.

There are various other menu items as well. Menu details can be found on Instagram.

store information

kosanji Natsume

〇Address 2-8 Nakamachi, Yokkaichi City, Mie YokkaichiCity

〇Official URL https://kosanji.jp/

Click here for Instagram

〇Telephone 059-344-3832

〇Business hours 11:00-17:00

*Hiruge time is 11:00-15:00 (LO 14:00), tea and sweets time is 14:30-17:00 (1 drink per person)

〇Regular holidays Irregular holidays

*We may be open only for business hours or open at night for events. Please check Instagram for details.​

*Contents and prices may change depending on the situation.

〇Access by public transportation

・About 10 minutes walk from JR Yokkaichi Station

・About 18 minutes walk from Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station

*Please note that JR Yokkaichi Station and Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station are not located in the same location.

〇Parking lot: 4 spaces on the left side of the store, 2 spaces across from it

Old house food Ayameya 🍱

Kominka Gohan Ayameya is a hidden Japanese restaurant that opened in April 2023. It is located in a residential area about 7 minutes walk south from JR Minami Yokkaichi Station.

The store is located in a fine old house built 70 years ago, and the large curtain at the entrance with an irises on it is impressive. It is said that the Ayameya couple named it because they like the iris flowers that grow straight upwards.

The scenery that shines outside

When you take off your shoes and enter, you can see the magnificent Ryugumon gate of Kannonji Temple next door from the veranda. Colorful hand towels are displayed in the garden, and they look as if they complement Ryugumon. I'm happy to see performances like this. Decorations may change depending on the season✨

A relaxing atmosphere typical of an old folk house

There are five tables in the spacious tatami room, and two private rooms separated by sliding doors across the hallway. The private rooms have chairs, so even people with disabilities can sit comfortably, so I think they are often used by older people.

When you are inside Ayameya, you can feel safe and relaxed, just like when you went to your grandparents' house.

There is also a children's space behind the tatami seats, so you can feel safe even if you are bringing small children with you. There is also a children's menu.

The tatami room can accommodate large parties, but the restaurant is run by a couple, so please contact the restaurant for details.

There are also counter seats, so you can casually enjoy your meal even if you are alone. You can also sit on the veranda.

All the dishes are full of volume!

Ayameya's cooking is handled by the owner, who has experience as a chef in various genres. This time I ordered:

✔︎Shrimp Tendon 1,350 yen (tax included)

Ayameya's shrimp tempura bowl is topped with not only large shrimp but also vegetable tempura such as eggplant and pumpkin. The batter was crispy and the flavor of the ingredients inside stood out. There are various toppings, so you can enjoy the deliciousness until the end without getting bored. The miso soup, small bowl, and chawanmushi were also delicious!

We also recommend Tonteki（PorkSteak）, a Yokkaichi specialty.

If you have come all the way to Yokkaichi, why not try Tonteki（PorkSteak）? Tonteki（PorkSteak）is a Yokkaichi stamina dish that consists of sautéed pork mixed with a slightly sweet and spicy sauce and garlic, and served with shredded cabbage.

This time, Tonteki（PorkSteak）that I received was

✔︎Tonteki Tonteki（PorkSteak）200g 1,450 yen (tax included).

It has the flavor of lean pork and just the right texture, and is soft and easy to eat. During the making process, it is baked in an oven so it does not become hard.

Tonteki（PorkSteak）has garlic and a dark sauce on it, so you might think it's very heavy, but this sauce has a refreshing acidity and is refreshing. Although the portion was large, even I, who eat relatively little, ate it all!

Ayameya's Tonteki（PorkSteak）also comes in 150g 150g 1,250 yen, 300g 1,900 yen, and a night-only Ayameya Tonteki（PorkSteak）1,900 yen (all prices include tax).

Approved by Yokkaichi Tonteki（PorkSteak）Association

Tonteki（PorkSteak）dishes can be found outside of Yokkaichi, but ``Yokkaichi Tonteki（PorkSteak）'' consists of several things, such as thickly-sliced sautéed pork, dark-flavored sauce and garlic, and the main garnish is shredded cabbage. There is a definition.

Tonteki（PorkSteak）Tonteki（PorkSteak）which uses a thick, glove-shaped piece of meat, is called ``large tonteki,'' but you can also use chopped or trimmed meat.

Yokkaichi Tonteki（PorkSteak）can be eaten at Chinese restaurants and Japanese restaurants, and the taste and appearance will vary depending on the restaurant.

Ayameya's Tonteki（PorkSteak）is officially recognized by the Yokkaichi Tonteki（PorkSteak）Association. This time, I ate Tonteki（PorkSteak）from this restaurant for the first time and became a fan.

Baked pudding is recommended for dessert

At the end of the meal,

✔︎ I received the Ayameya Yaki Pudding for 400 yen (tax included).

The top of the pudding is caramelized, giving it a candy-like crunchy texture and sweetness. Try breaking it up with the tip of a spoon. It sounds delicious and good.

And the inside has a fluffy and airy texture. The eggs used are Daichi no Megumi from Suzuka, and are slowly steamed. This crunchy and fluffy texture was really delicious!

This baked pudding is designed to be easy to eat even after a meal. The amount and taste are enough to satisfy you even if you don't eat it after a meal!

Days with an 8 on them are soba days!

The 8th, 18th, and 28th of every month are soba and udon days instead of the regular menu. (Puds and other sweets can be ordered). The other day, I had a chance to visit on Soba Day and received a warm soba set.

✔︎ 1,000 yen (tax included) with soba or udon, tempura, and small bowl

You can choose from hot or cold versions of both soba and udon, and there are also sets that include tempura bowl or conger eel bowl.

Also popular is the 60-minute all-you-can-eat Yaoyorozu soba, or 1,800 yen (tax included) that comes with udon, tempura, and a small side dish. This menu includes all-you-can-eat cold soba or udon.

As of February 8, the all-you-can-eat record is 8 cups (for women)! Actually, when I was at this restaurant, the person who set this record was sitting across from me. When I saw the many bowls of rice on the table, I couldn't understand what was going on (lol). If you are confident about breaking records, please give it a try.

There are various other events

We want our customers to have fun! So, in addition to the menu introduced earlier, Ayameya also holds an irregular ``Tuna and Salmon Festival'' where you can enjoy Tekkaju and Salmonju, and on Sunday mornings, it is open with a morning menu. Please check Instagram for details.

In addition, painting and hula dancing classes are held at this old folk house. It seems that many people gather in this old folk house and provide it with the hope that people will connect with each other.

basic information

Old house food Ayameya

〇Address: 1076 Rokuromi, Yokkaichi City YokkaichiCity

〇Telephone 059-327-7299

  *When setting up your car navigation system, please search by address as a phone number search will not lead you to the correct address.

〇Instagram Old folk house meal Ayameya

〇Business hours: Lunch 11:00-14:00, Dinner 17:30-20:00

*On Sundays, we are open for breakfast from 7:00 to 10:00, regular menu from 11:00 to 14:00, and closed at night.

〇Closed on Fridays

〇Access by public transportation

・Approximately 7 minutes walk from JR Minami Yokkaichi Station

〇Parking lot: 12 spaces available next to the store

*The area around the store is a residential area and the roads are narrow. The road south of the store is particularly narrow, so if you are coming by car, please refer to the map in the photo and come from the direction of JR Minami Yokkaichi Station.

*Contents and prices may change depending on the situation. Please check Instagram for details on the menu and the latest information.

How was it?

This time, we introduced shops in YokkaichiCity that are housed in different types of old folk houses. I was able to reconfirm that old folk houses are attractive places where people gather and eat carefully selected delicious food.

When you come to YokkaichiCity, please stop by the old folk house gourmet restaurants we introduced this time!