Do you know the Higashimachi area of Kurashiki’s Bikan Historical Area?
A little removed from the main area, it has a relaxed atmosphere.
In Higashimachi, there is a gallery cafe in a renovated rice storehouse.
Loved by locals and tourists alike, it reopened in April 2022.
We visited “atelier&salon Hashimaya,” whose name and menu have changed.
The information provided was current when this article was published in August 2022. Please note that it may differ from current information.
The reopened Hashimaya
“atelier&salon Hashimaya” (hereafter, Hashimaya) is in “Oku Kurashiki.”
Oku Kurashiki refers to Higashimachi as a place name, an area where history and everyday life are in harmony.
As you head from the main area toward Higashimachi, you’ll feel its local character.
Unlike the main area, the Higashimachi area also has homes, offering glimpses of people’s everyday lives.
This area may be characterized by its many shops selling items needed for daily life, such as tatami mats, furniture, and carpets, rather than souvenirs.
A landmark on the way to Hashimaya is Hashimaya Kimono Shop, founded in 1869.
A large noren (traditional shop curtain) bearing the words “Gofuku Hashimaya” hangs at the entrance.
A narrow, long alley runs beside the kimono shop.
Follow this alley to the back to reach Hashimaya.
There are signs reading “Yume Kukan Hashimaya” at both the entrance and the far end of the alley.
Yume Kukan (Salon) Hashimaya was the shop’s former name.
Hashimaya is a shop in a renovated rice storehouse belonging to the Kusudo family residence, designated a Kurashiki City Important Cultural Property.
Yume Kukan Hashimaya was run by Keiko Kusudo, wife of the fifth-generation head of the Kusudo family.
It was taken over by Mayumi Kusudo, wife of the sixth-generation head, and became “atelier&salon Hashimaya” in April 2022.
Not only the name but also the menu has changed.
The new Hashimaya serves lunches, sweets, and drinks made with homemade fermented seasonings.
Mayumi Kusudo also runs the bar “Salon de Ric’s” in the Bikan Historical Area.
The new Hashimaya therefore serves original non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails), among other drinks.
Its cocktails include spice sangria made with white koji amazake and homemade fermented seasonings.
Seating includes counter seats, a long table, and tables for two or four, making it suitable for a variety of occasions.
Menu featuring homemade fermented seasonings
Hashimaya’s menu is broadly divided into two categories: lunch and sweets.
| Lunch menu | Price (tax included) |
|---|---|
| Scandinavian-style open sandwich: smorrebrod | ¥1,500 |
| Smorrebrod with sake-lees raisin butter and banana | ¥1,500 |
| Japanese-style hamburger steak | ¥1,700 |
| Japanese-style spice curry with charred miso | ¥1,700 |
| Hamburger steak curry | ¥2,200 |
You can also make it a lunch set for an additional charge.
- Additional ¥300: sweets set
- Additional ¥500: includes coffee
- Additional ¥900: mini parfait set
| Dessert menu | Price (tax included) |
|---|---|
| Matcha chiffon cake with rice flour and soy milk | ¥700 |
| Scone | ¥750 |
| Basque cheesecake with shio koji | ¥900 |
| Drinkable coffee jelly | ¥950 |
| Parfait with rice-flour matcha chiffon cake | ¥1,300 |
Seasonal sweets and drinks are also available.
Here are three food items that caught the writer’s attention.
Scandinavian-style open sandwich: smorrebrod
Miso butter and sake-lees raisin butter soak deliciously into the bread.
The saltiness of the miso brings out the sweetness of the sake-lees raisin butter.
Apparently, “smorre” means butter and “bro” means bread; it is a traditional Danish dish.
The bread is made with natural yeast.
It is served with plenty of vegetables and pickles.
The white sauce on the vegetables is fermented soy milk mayonnaise.
It tasted lighter than mayonnaise, and closer to French dressing.
There is also a carrot and apple amazake dressing to add to the salad as you like.
The eggs were the most impressive part.
It may not be obvious from their appearance, but they are marinated in barley shio koji.
Unlike the simple taste of salt, they had a deep, rich umami flavor.
They were also cooked just the way the writer loves them: soft-boiled.
I was so captivated that I wanted to eat them every day. I wish they sold them!
Japanese-style spice curry with charred miso
Fermented foods in curry, too?
That’s right—Hashimaya uses fermented foods in its curry as well.
The roux is simmered slowly and contains spices, but the charred miso and koji give it a mild finish.
The rice is enzyme-fermented brown rice.
Enzyme-fermented brown rice is aged rice with a chewy texture, high nutritional value, and improved digestibility.
Lunch comes with the soup of the day made with shio koji, white koji amazake, and a vegetable dish made with koji.
White koji amazake is rich in essential amino acids and vitamins, making it highly nutritious, and is apparently easily absorbed by the body.
It’s non-alcoholic, so even those who drove here can enjoy it with peace of mind.
Salt Koji Basque Cheesecake
A defining feature of Basque cheesecake is its blackened exterior.
At first glance, the cake may look like a failure, but the char gives it a deep flavor.
It is said to have originated in Spain’s Basque Country.
Hashimaya’s Basque cheesecake is made with salt koji and domestically produced cream cheese.
It’s surprising that the surface is black, yet it doesn’t taste burnt.
The cake had a moist, rich texture.
What surprised me was that the lightly sweetened whipped cream was served with sansho.
Don’t you wonder whether whipped cream and sansho go together?
Sansho’s distinctive aroma and tingling flavor don’t overpower the cake; instead, they add a lovely accent.
Products for Sale in the Shop
You can buy fermented foods at the shop.
On the day of my visit, products from a collaboration event were also on display.
Pickles
Hashimaya’s homemade pickles.
There are three main varieties: Japanese-style, Western-style, and fruit.
The Japanese-style pickles are seasoned with Japanese spices such as Rausu kelp, sansho, and ginger.
The Western-style pickles use herbs such as cardamom, thyme, and bay leaves.
The elegant packaging makes them seem like a lovely gift, don’t you think?
I promptly bought some peach pickles, a local Okayama specialty, and a Japanese-style mix with assorted vegetables as gifts for acquaintances outside the prefecture.
Fermented Seasonings
Fermented seasonings such as miso are also available for purchase.
They’re the same products used in the shop.
You can also buy the white koji essential to Hashimaya’s menu.
▼ You can make homemade hishio using “Hishio no Koji (Hana),” on the second shelf from the top. Hishio is a fermented seasoning that also appears in the Man’yoshu.
Collaboration Event Goods
Goods from the first event held after the reopening were on sale.
It was a collaboration event with Hanayuki, a shop selling tea ceremony utensils in Chayamachi, Kurashiki City.
▼ A tea ceremony set called the Happo Tea Box, for enjoying matcha anywhere
During the event, Hashimaya will use the Happo Tea Box to serve original matcha drinks.
Food That Makes Your Body Happy
Hashimaya serves lunches, sweets, and drinks made with fermented foods.
It’s wonderful to enjoy delicious food and improve your health from the inside out.
We spoke with owner Kusudo Mayumi and shop manager Yamamoto Asami about Hashimaya.
atelier&salon Hashimaya Information
| Name | atelier&salon Hashimaya |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-20 Higashimachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-451-1040 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 11:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Tuesday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 29 seats: 5 counter seats, 10 long-table seats, 6 side-table seats, 8 seats on the second floor |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Website | Atelier & Salon Hashimaya Official Instagram |
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Friday, July 8, 2022–Sunday, September 11