Visit cafe sweets in Yokkaichi! I went to “Nekomachi Bunko” and “Veji Cube Cafe” ♪

Yokkaichi is an area known for having many fashionable cafes in the prefecture. We have selected two cafes in the town to enjoy photogenic lunch and sweets. First of all, I was drawn to the name and went to Nekomachi Bunko. It is located about 5 minutes by car from Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station.
This store was opened by the director of Koma Animal Hospital because he wanted to open a cafe next to the animal hospital. The exterior has a natural atmosphere with green curtains stretched over well-maintained flower beds. When you enter the entrance, you will see the entrance to ``Koma Animal Hospital'' on the left, and the entrance to the cafe ``Nekomachi Bunko'' in front.

The interior has a calm atmosphere with wooden tables and chairs. The edgy illustrations are an accent to the space.

At the back of the store, there is a cafe space surrounded by books. A wide range of lineups, from picture books to specialized books. The atmosphere makes you feel like you're at a "select bookstore," and you'll be hooked on choosing books! You cannot borrow any books, but you are free to read any book.

I ordered the shop's popular menu, ``Assorted Sweets'' (1,166 yen/tax included).
When I saw the colorful plates, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!"
The gateau chocolate made with matcha from Kyoto was drizzled with brown sugar syrup, and I was surprised at how well it went together. Cheesecake, brûlée, and gateau chocolat are standard and will not change throughout the year, but the contents of other desserts will change.
When the restaurant first opened, the food was served in a different container than the one used today, but when they changed to this container and came up with some creative ideas for decoration, it became a huge hit as information spread mainly through SNS.

This is the "Seasonal Fruit and Rare Cheesecake" (788 yen/tax included), which is available only 6 times a day.
This menu is also Instagram-worthy! ! You can also feel the sense in how they are arranged. The materials change depending on the season, so we recommend enjoying the ``differences'' each season.

A popular item on the lunch menu is the "Tongue Stew Lunch" (1,706 yen/tax included).The slow-cooked beef tongue stew is topped with a special demi-glace sauce. The homemade pickles are also delicious with just the right amount of sourness!

Another selling point of ``Cafe Nekomachi Bunko'' is that they also have a wide variety of menus for pets.
On the day of our interview, we saw customers with their dogs ordering pet-friendly menu items and spending some relaxing time together.

The store's recommended pet menu is the ``Berry 4 Pancakes'' (410 yen/tax included).
I'm happy that they take care of your pet's health, don't use salt, and keep the sugar content to a minimum!

Your pet will be delighted to see the delicious pancakes right in front of them!
I liked it so much that I ate it all up in no time.

In addition, inside the store, you can taste ``Hitomi Wine'' made at a winery in the mountains of Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture. The owner fell in love with this wine at first sight because of its ease of drinking, and it is made using only domestic grapes. With a refreshing taste, it's perfect for wine beginners! Please try it once♪

[Nekomachi Bunko]
Address: 1-2-37 Nakagawara YokkaichiCity
TEL: 080-4538-2280
Business hours: (Sunday/Monday) 11:00-16:00
(Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) 11:00-16:00, 18:00-22:00 (LO 21:30)
home page: https://nekomachibunko.wixsite.com/diva
Closed: Thursday
Access: About 5 minutes walk from Kintetsu “Nakagawara” station

The next place I visited was the Veggie Cube Cafe. It takes about 5 minutes by car from Nekomachi Bunko.
The concrete building is stylishly decorated with unique miscellaneous goods.

The manager's favorite car is on display in the store's parking lot!
Seeing a vintage convertible car increases the excitement before entering the store.

The white-based interior of the store is decorated with a lot of antique miscellaneous goods, and you'll be fascinated by each one.
The number board on the counter is also cool!

A nice feature for customers is that the tables and chairs are spaced out with plenty of space between each other. You can also have conversations with couples and friends without hesitation.

There are also counter seats, so it's a comfortable atmosphere even if you're alone. It might be a good idea to come in the evening and relax at the counter.

Now, let's introduce the menu you're interested in! First up is the popular lunch menu.
There are two types: "Daily Lunch (1,100 yen/tax included)" and "Veggie Q Brunch (1,350 yen/tax included)".
On the day of our interview, the ``Daily Lunch'' consisted of fresh tuna sashimi, an appetizer salad made from pesticide-free vegetables, tempura, rice, and miso soup. It also comes with a drink and dessert, so it's a truly luxurious menu!
The ``Veggie Q Brunch'' includes sashimi, soy milk gratin, salad, okara croquettes, soy milk sesame tofu, and more, and also comes with a drink and dessert. You can enjoy it at this price, so it's no wonder it's so popular.
*The photo is “Veggie Q Brunch”

The pasta looks good too! The skill of the chef, who was a former Japanese chef, can be seen in the ingenuity that goes into each dish.
The photo shows "Japanese-style pasta with smoked salmon and fresh yuba" (1,000 yen/tax included).

When I saw the stylishly decorated desserts, my excitement was at its peak! The store manager's handwritten letters and illustrations are also very cute. We are also particular about offering ``additive-free sweets,'' such as not using any baking powder. If you reserve this sweets for a party or anniversary, it's sure to be a wonderful surprise.
Assorted desserts: 3 pieces 900 yen/tax included, 2 pieces 700 yen/tax included, 1 piece 500 yen/tax included
*Photo shows 3 dessert platters

The drink menu is also diverse! Our soy milk arrangement drinks and soy milk smoothies made with 100% domestically produced soybeans and domestically produced natural water are very popular, especially among women. Arranged drinks include cappuccino and matcha, and you can choose between cool and hot. Also, soy milk smoothies come in a variety of flavors, including banana soybean flour and blueberry.
*Photo left: Soy milk arrangement drink (soy milk pineapple) 600 yen/tax included
*Photo right: Soy milk tomato 600 yen/tax included

Store manager Tenpaku says, ``I don't want the store to decide the image of the store, but rather the customers themselves should decide based on their own sensibilities.'' In addition to the standard menu items, they are constantly creating new menus according to the season. I felt that the manager's kind personality contributed to the warm atmosphere of this store.

[Veggie Cube Cafe]
Address: 1-3-7 Tokiwa, YokkaichiCity
TEL: 059-351-0326
Business hours: Lunch: 11:00-16:00 (LO 15:00)
Dinner: 18:00-26:00 (LO25:30)
Regular holidays: Irregular holidays
Access: About 8 minutes walk from Kintetsu “Nakagawara” station

*Information as of March 2019. Prices and other information may have changed, so please check with your contact information before making your trip.