When I search for where to go for a meal, a plethora of restaurant information comes up.
There are countless restaurants, from cozy places with only counter seats to large restaurants that can accommodate many people.
With so many restaurants, how many can you think of that are run by registered dietitians? Surprisingly few, I would say.
This is understandable, as most job placements for registered dietitians are in hospitals and welfare facilities, with few in cafes.
I visited "Happy supply cafe spica," run by someone who has learned about food and obtained the national qualification of registered dietitian.
A cafe unified in vitamin color orange
spica is located about a 10-minute walk from Kojima Station.
There is a parking lot at the store, making it convenient whether you come by train or car.
The interior is bright and healthy, with white and vitamin color orange.
Not only the chairs but also the water pitchers and cooking utensils are orange. Colors have a mysterious power, don't they? Perhaps due to the power of vitamin colors, I felt like eating a lot.
spica's menu
spica can be used both as a lunch spot and a cafe.
Let me introduce both the lunch menu and the cafe menu.
Lunches you want to eat every day made by a registered dietitian
The lunch menu consists simply of "Happy Lunch" and "spica bowl."
Happy Lunch is a daily changing lunch, and spica bowl is a weekly changing rice bowl.
If you choose "W Lunch," you can enjoy both the main dish of Happy Lunch and the spica bowl at once, which is a great deal!
You might think that the W Lunch would come in mini sizes for the main dish and rice bowl, but the sizes remain the same. That's a nice service.
| Lunch Menu | Price |
|---|---|
| Happy Lunch | 1,050 yen |
| spica bowl | 1,050 yen |
| W Lunch | 1,500 yen |
All prices in the article include tax.
You can add drinks and sweets for an additional charge. There is also a kids' menu, which is great for families with children.
The lunch menu is published weekly on the official blog of spica, summarizing one week at a time.
Abundant sweets and drinks
The cafe offers a wide variety of sweets and drinks. Please choose your cake from the showcase.
All cakes are priced uniformly at 480 yen.
▼ From the top, clockwise, are white peach almond cake, tea chiffon cake, and cocoa cookie cheese tart.
The drink selection is extensive, including not only tea and coffee but also juices like orange and cocoa. A wide range of genres is available.
It seems that the variety increased because they wanted everyone to be able to drink what they want and make everyone happy.
Gentle seasoning that makes you want to eat every day
Now, let me introduce the lunch menu that caught my attention.
The Happy Lunch during my visit was "Sweet and sour pork with tomatoes."
It comes with two small dishes and soup, along with white rice. In the background of the photo is a drink and dessert that can be added for an extra charge.
Drinks can be added for 200 yen, and desserts for 200 yen.
The spica bowl was "Asian tuna rice bowl."
The small dishes and soup are the same as those in the Happy Lunch.
Should I choose the sweet and sour pork or the Asian tuna rice bowl?
Ah, if you're unsure, you can solve the problem by choosing the W Lunch, where you can eat both.
I took a bite of the sweet and sour pork with tomatoes.
The sweetness of the sautéed tomatoes and the sourness of the sweet and sour sauce make it refreshing.
This dish seems to provide stamina during the hot summer. It gives you energy.
The Asian tuna rice bowl has toppings on white rice.
Although it doesn't contain meat, it has plenty of tuna, and the sweet chili sauce enhances the satisfaction.
Thanks to the sweet chili sauce, it has an Asian taste.
The small dish contains shimeji mushrooms, bean sprouts, and green peppers, packed with vegetables. It seems to be a dish called salt chapchae. It had a gentle seasoning with a hint of salt.
Not just the small dishes, but spica overall has a mild seasoning. The flavors of the ingredients are well utilized, and it is not overwhelming.
You will want to eat it again tomorrow, such is the gentle flavor.
The other small dish is a salad of potatoes and carrots.
The carrots are refreshing with a hint of vinegar. I could also taste the basil.
Abundant sweets
I had a hearty lunch, but there's always room for dessert.
The types of cakes may change, but they are available year-round. Please choose from the showcase.
In summer, limited-time parfaits also appear.
Other uses besides eating in the store
spica offers various services beyond dining in the store.
Takeout
The lunch menu is also available for takeout, which is convenient.
It is available for Happy Lunch, spica bowl, and W Lunch.
▼ The photo in the foreground is the takeout of Happy Lunch, and the one in the back is the takeout of spica bowl.
Sale of Small Items
Right next to the entrance is a booth selling small items.
It is unique to the area to find accessories made from tatami edging, a specialty of Kojima.
Gallery
It can also be used as a gallery.
There are hooks on the wall behind the sofa seats, allowing for photos and paintings to be hung.
Anyone, whether professional or amateur, can usually use it for 2,500 yen for two weeks.
Tea and Cake Classes
It is said that tea and cake classes are held inside the store.
If enough people gather, individual classes can be held, so if you're interested, why not inquire?
From here, we spoke with the owner of spica, Kawanishi Eriko, about the motivation and thoughts behind starting the store.
Data on Happy supply cafe spica
| Name | Happy supply cafe spica |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-70 Kojimaekimae, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, Marugen Building 1st Floor |
| Contact | 086-697-5886 |
| Parking | Available 3 cars |
| Business Hours | 10:00 AM - 6:30 PM (Last Order 6:00 PM) |
| Regular Holidays | Thursday Closed on the 3rd Wednesday |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Reservation Availability | Yes |
| Seating | 20 seats total ・Counter: 5 seats ・5 tables: 15 seats |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Toilet | Western-style toilet |
| Childcare | ・Stroller access is possible, but there are steps ・Children's utensils available ・Children's chairs available ・Kids' menu available |
| Website | Happy supply cafe spica |
