“Aroma Cafe Felicita” (Aroma Cafe Felicita; hereafter, “Felicita”), located in Fujito, Kurashiki City, is about a 20-minute drive from JR Kurashiki Station.
At first glance, it looks like a stylish cafe in a great location, but when I first visited three years ago on a friend’s recommendation, I experienced a “sense of fulfillment that goes far beyond what you’d expect from a stylish cafe.” Since then, I’ve taken friends and acquaintances there as a special place to visit.
Felicita celebrated its eighth anniversary in 2023. When I saw the announcement on Felicita’s Instagram, I was a little surprised: “It’s been there for eight years!” Even though it isn’t far from my home, I hadn’t known about the cafe until a friend introduced it to me.
My friends have always said, “I had no idea there was a place like this here!”
Here, I’ll introduce why visiting Felicita, still a place “known only to those in the know,” left me feeling so fulfilled, along with what the cafe is like today.
The information presented was current when this article was published in February 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What Makes Felicita Special
I’ll give an overview of Felicita’s location, share my impressions of its menu, and finally introduce the chef’s thoughts about Felicita.
Location: By the Kurashiki River
Although it’s somewhat outside the city center, it isn’t particularly difficult to get to. Still, it’s tucked one street away from the main road, so you might pass by without noticing it if you don’t know it’s there.
It sits by the river, and time flows as leisurely inside as the river itself. The atmosphere also feels a little different from the bustle of central Kurashiki.
I looked at a map and learned that the river flowing in front of the cafe is the Kurashiki River. Until then, I had only thought of “the Kurashiki River in the Bikan Historical Area,” so it was only now that I properly recognized the Kurashiki River as a river that flows through the area.
There are large windows inside, offering views of the scenery outside. But on a sunny day, when the water sparkles beautifully, or when the wisteria on the trellis in front of the cafe is in bloom, I also recommend the terrace seats, which offer an even better view.
Most customers seem to be groups of female friends, but the atmosphere is also comfortable for visiting alone. If you’d like to spend some quiet, relaxing time, weekday mornings are your best bet.
I visited on a weekday, but by around lunchtime the cafe was soon full. Meals are available only until they sell out, so if you’re concerned, I recommend making a reservation.
There is also a special space on the second floor for larger groups, such as those with children (reservations required for groups of three or more; please inquire).
Menu: More Than Just Delicious Food
What impressed me most on my first visit was the “menu.” This is what I meant at the beginning by a “sense of fulfillment that goes far beyond what you’d expect from a stylish cafe.”
Colorful, Carefully Prepared Dishes
It’s not as if there are no other stylish cafes or cafes with delicious menus. I’m no gourmet, but I’ve been to my fair share of cafes. Still, to be honest, I had never come across a cafe where I was so impressed that I thought, “The food is ‘exceptionally’ delicious!”—even if the cafe was stylish or its sweets looked photogenic.
On my first visit, when the food I’d ordered arrived, its vivid colors immediately excited me, but I didn’t understand its true value until I started eating.
After eating for a while, my first reaction came out without thinking: “Isn’t this menu prepared with incredible care!?” But I couldn’t immediately put into words what made me feel that way.
What is this feeling that comes “before deliciousness”...?
I can come up with reasons after the fact.
The vegetables are plentiful and easy to eat. The seasoning is just right—not too strong, yet with a subtlety you wouldn’t find in an ordinary home (at least, I couldn’t make it myself). The thoughtfully chosen side dishes, with attention to detail, keep the one-plate meal interesting to the very last bite...
But I don’t have much vocabulary for describing food, so I don’t think I’ve managed to convey it well.
To put it more simply, perhaps it’s “a meal out that leaves you full without any guilt.” If anything, it makes you feel like you’ve done something good for your body by eating... There are lots of vegetables, but you never get tired of eating them. There are so many ingredients that I find myself counting them as I eat, every time.
The sweets are just as carefully made. I was also impressed by the delicacy of the “parfait” I had there before (the name on Felicita’s menu for a parfait). At a glance, the portion looked like what you might call “an elegant serving,” yet I was amazed that eating it gave me not just satisfaction but a sense of “fulfillment.”
As with the food, the menu seems to change depending on the season and ingredient availability, but there’s always something new to discover each time I visit, which is another thing I look forward to.
The menu changes regularly. As of January 2024, parfaits are temporarily unavailable.
The Chef’s Philosophy: Food She’d Serve Her Family
Felicita’s chef, Matsumoto Mayumi, joined the team as an opening staff member in 2015 and was involved from the cafe’s launch.
She was working at a beauty salon run by Felicita’s owner, Kuan Co., Ltd., when the owner mentioned opening a cafe, which sparked her interest. She had no prior experience working in food service, but she was a registered dietitian and had hoped to be involved in something related to food someday.
I asked Matsumoto if she had any idea why Felicita’s food feels so carefully prepared, beyond simply being delicious...
“I suppose it’s because I make it with the thought, ‘I want to serve this to my family.’ So hearing you say that makes me happy—it tells me that feeling comes across!
The name ‘Felicita’ means ‘happiness’ in Italian, and our concept is ‘eating is living.’ Above all, the owner is very conscious of how to make people happy, and I share that sentiment. Both the owner and I have worked with the belief that we want our customers to be happy through Felicita’s food and to feel truly happy from the heart.
At the beginning, the two of us worked side by side, asking ourselves, ‘What kind of food makes people happy?’ We went through a process of trial and error, and over several years built the foundation for what we have today,” Matsumoto told me.
Creating Menus That Are Good for Your Body
Until now, I’d strongly associated Felicita with chicken dishes, but the meal I had on the day of the interview featured pork from the Rokuhaku Kurobuta brand.
“The owner met someone who raises Rokuhaku Kurobuta pork and began sourcing it from them. The pigs are raised in the great outdoors without feed containing antibiotics. That producer also wants to leave something good for the next generation through food. It’s delicious, nutritious, safe, and reassuring meat.
Sometimes, meeting producers who share the owner’s values leads to new menu items.”
Since October 2023, the cafe has also been putting serious effort into baking. The treats are available for takeout, so they’re perfect for enjoying at home or giving as a souvenir.
“We’re also developing menu items using rice flour, such as crepes and cookies. We want to offer healthy, gentler-on-the-body options that are gluten-free and can accommodate allergies. We’re not eliminating all wheat; it’s simply another choice.
What you eat affects your skin and bowel movements, and the gut, which absorbs food, is connected to the brain. Above all, I want to make food that helps people feel better.”
A place that brings people together
Felicita made it through the COVID-19 pandemic without closing temporarily or shutting down, and celebrated its eighth anniversary in 2023.
“During the pandemic, we started offering takeout and opened a fried chicken shop at another new location. We weathered it by taking on new ventures.
Restaurants depend on the customers who come through their doors, so I’m truly grateful that we’ve been able to keep going.
Over the years, customers have started telling us, ‘I want to bring someone special here’ and ‘I’ll bring my friends next time, too.’ It makes me happy that Felicita has become a place that brings people together.
Now that we’ve reached our eighth anniversary, we’re exploring what more we can do for our customers.”
Enjoy a meal, soothe your heart, and feel refreshed
Recently, the cafe has apparently been welcoming more young customers thanks to posts by Instagram influencers. Even without advertising or a prominent location, it seems that one connection leads to another, spreading the word through the owner’s heartfelt approach. We asked about Felicita’s future.
“We want to put more effort into the cafe’s branding, something we haven’t focused on much until now. We need a consistent message to clearly convey what Felicita stands for.
We’ve also gained more staff who are working hard alongside us, so I want this to be a place where everyone enjoys their work. I want it to be a place where people feel, for some reason, that they’ve found happiness by coming to Felicita. I hope they’ll enjoy a meal, soothe their hearts, and leave feeling refreshed.
I want people to feel welcome coming on their own, and I also want this to be a place where they can celebrate special occasions with someone dear to them. I hope to make this a cafe that can spread happiness through food and bring people together.”
From the Writer
The care I sensed in Felicita’s cooking came from the chef’s desire to “make food for my family to eat”...
Through the interview, I discovered that I had somehow received that feeling (that love) through the food, almost as if by telepathy! This miraculous experience gave me goosebumps.
Chef Matsumoto apparently worries about the health of her daughter, a student who lives far away, and sends her homemade side dishes and bento meals frozen. That doesn’t mean she forbids fast food or sweets; she simply takes things as they come. She keeps doing it because she feels reassured if her daughter can have at least one proper meal a day.
Hearing that made me even more certain that Matsumoto’s belief in and care for food are genuine. That’s why I could feel it in her cooking.
This interview reminded me once again of the power of heartfelt intentions. I hope you’ll experience that feeling for yourself through a meal at Felicita.
Aroma Cafe Felicita details
| Name | Aroma Cafe Felicita |
|---|---|
| Address | 23-1 Fujitocho Amagi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086ｰ428-8833 |
| Parking | Available |
| Hours | Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Saturdays only, 6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Monday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted Check the website to make a reservation. Tap here to access the direct cafe reservation page |
| Seating | First floor: 10–12 seats Number of tables: 5 Number of counter seats: 1 Terrace seating available Private room on the second floor: 4 |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Child-friendly amenities | Children’s chairs |
| Accessibility | Ramp |
| Website | Aroma Cafe Felicita |
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