A café with impressive white walls and a blue door, "I NEED CAFE," located in Nishida, Kurashiki City.
The owner, Junko Shimizu, opened the café with the desire to create a stylish and exciting place in Okayama Prefecture. Inside the café, you can enjoy gluten-free sweets made with rice flour.
We covered I NEED CAFE, which opened in August 2023.
A charming interior filled with cuteness
The shop is a single house with impressive white walls.
The muted blue door and windows serve as accents, creating a charming exterior that catches the eye.
Upon entering the café, you are greeted by a cozy space filled with round lighting and carefully selected furniture. It feels like you've come to a secret shop just for yourself.
Gluten-free sweets and drinks
At the café, you can order gluten-free sweets and drinks, as well as food items like curry and toast. The products, made with carefully selected ingredients, all look delicious and tempting.
During our visit, we ordered the popular strawberry cream soda and plain muffin.
Perfect balance of sweetness! Strawberry cream soda
The strawberry cream soda comes with a straw already inserted. By placing ice cream on top of the ice, it is fixed with the straw, which helps prevent the ice cream from melting too quickly. It's nice to see such consideration to keep the cream soda intact.
The two-layer contrast is beautiful, and just looking at it is mesmerizing.
The refreshing soda is poured over homemade strawberry sauce. The fizzy sensation is pleasant, and the sweetness is just right.
The strawberry ice cream contains pieces of strawberry, adding a nice tartness as an accent.
Gluten-free sweets, rice flour muffin
The plain muffin made with rice flour is topped with cream and cherries, and the batter is not overly sweet.
I was surprised to find it slightly warm when I took a bite. They reheat it for each order because they want customers to enjoy it deliciously.
The sweetness is just right, and the flavor is not monotonous. The mushroom-shaped plump form is also one of the reasons for its popularity.
In addition to plain, there are flavored muffins like chocolate chip & banana, blueberry & cream cheese, and matcha & white chocolate. Since they are sweeter without toppings, each offers a different taste experience.
The menu, filled with the owner's thoughts, is healthy yet cute and delicious.
We spoke with Junko Shimizu, the owner who opened the café, about the story behind its birth and her commitment to the products.
A dream realized by a shop owner who loves cute things
Please tell us about the journey to opening the café.
Shimizu (no honorifics)
Before entering the food industry, I lived in Osaka and returned to Okayama in 2019.
At that time, I thought it would be nice to have more stylish and exciting places in Okayama that people would want to visit.
I didn't have a strong desire to open a café. When I casually entered "Uno-machi Coffee Shop" in Tamano City, I was surprised by how stylish the space was.
By chance, I started working at "Uno-machi Coffee Shop," and I was entrusted with not only customer service but also training new staff and cooking, which gradually made me dream of having my own shop.
After gaining experience and confidence, I opened "I NEED CAFE" in 2023, four and a half years later.
Pursuing not just "cute" but also "delicious"
What were your thoughts when creating the shop?
Shimizu
The name "I NEED CAFE" was chosen with the hope that it could become one of the many things people need.
I would be happy if it could be a place that people think of first when they want to eat something cute and delicious or when they want to dress up and go out somewhere.
My experience in Korea seven years ago (2017) greatly influenced the creation of the shop. In Korean cafés, there are many items that are both cute in appearance and delicious in taste, and I was shocked by the high level of quality.
I wanted to create something that does not compromise on both appearance and taste.
All the sweets look delicious. Can you tell us about a product that you are particularly attached to?
Shimizu
The product I am most attached to is the cheesecake.
I decided to make it without using fresh cream, but I struggled to achieve the desired taste and texture.
The challenge was how to give it a smooth texture and richness.
I changed the proportions and the ingredients, trying various brands of cream cheese.
After many trials, I finally arrived at the current recipe.
Our bodies and minds are shaped by what we eat
The café offers gluten-free sweets, doesn't it?
Shimizu
I believe that what we eat has a significant impact on our bodies and minds.
I want customers to enjoy their meals with peace of mind, so I choose simple and healthy ingredients as much as possible.
When I opened the café, I decided on three things.
- To use rice flour instead of wheat flour
- To use cane sugar or brown sugar instead of white sugar
- To use aluminum-free baking powder
Making sweets with limited ingredients can be challenging.
But I want the customers who come here to eat something gentle on their bodies, and I want them to know that even simple things can be "delicious".
What are the challenges of making gluten-free sweets?
Shimizu
Well, rice flour and wheat flour are completely different.
Rice flour tends to be drier and can harden more easily when cooled compared to wheat flour.
For example, when making muffins, the important thing is the fluffy and delicious texture when you take a bite. I adjusted the recipe many times until I could achieve the texture I envisioned.
Additionally, I take care to prevent drying during storage and warm them slightly when serving.
What are your future goals?
Shimizu
I have a desire to contribute back to the people who have supported me and my customers by making Okayama more vibrant.
Of course, making the shop a wonderful place and continuing to create delicious food is important, but I believe there are many things I can do if I have influence.
Therefore, I think it is also important to communicate more so that people inside and outside the prefecture can learn about us.
In fact, there have been instances where people from outside the prefecture came to the shop as a result of our communication. Getting more people to know about the shop and visit will contribute to the revitalization of the entire town, and I hope to become a shop that makes people think, 'I want to go to Kurashiki, I want to go to Okayama because I want to go to I NEED CAFE.'
I believe this will also increase the opportunities to contribute to everyone and the community.
While what I can do now is limited, I want to gradually engage in activities that can help promote Okayama.
Conclusion
Shimizu, who opened the cafe with the desire to create a stylish and exciting place in Okayama.
As soon as I stepped into the shop, I was excited by the wonderful interior and the space coordinated with goods.
And with cute sweets in front of me, my excitement skyrocketed.
I felt once again the power of a stylish space and cute, delicious sweets during that day.
The sweets at I NEED CAFE are all made with body-friendly ingredients, so it's great that I can enjoy them without feeling guilty.
Next time, I want to come with the children. I'm already looking forward to what I will order next.
I NEED CAFE Information
| Name | I NEED CAFE |
|---|---|
| Address | 227-1 Nishi-ta, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, 2F |
| Parking | Available Vacant lot next to the store |
| Business Hours | 12:00 PM - 7:30 PM Last order at 6:30 PM |
| Regular Holidays | Irregular holidays Please check Instagram for business days. |
| Payment Methods |
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| Reservation Availability | Yes Reservations accepted via Instagram DM |
| Seating | 4 tables for 2 seats 3 tables for 4 seats |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Toilet | Western-style toilet |
| Childcare | Strollers are welcome. |
| Website |
