There is a cafe in Oimatsu-cho, Kurashiki City, housed in a renovated traditional Japanese home. cafe “Niwa to Bungaku” is bustling every day with people coming for lunch and cafe visits. Kurashiki Tocotoco has covered it twice before.
The cafe is run by pastry chef Nakahara Yosuke.
“We’ve made a new pudding. Please come and try it,” Nakahara contacted me, and I arranged to visit the cafe.
Many fans might think of pudding when they hear “cafe ‘Niwa to Bungaku,’” so the news that a new pudding had been created was exciting.
I headed to the cafe, eager to see it.
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in June 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
A cafe surrounded by books and a Japanese garden
Cafe Niwa to Bungaku is located in a residential neighborhood near JR Kurashiki Station. It now has a storefront, but the shop began by selling sweets while pushing a tricycle under the name “Mazekoze Confectionery.” It was renovated in 2022, bringing major changes to the interior.
Inside, there are counter seats facing the Japanese garden and a large bookshelf.
There are also small bookshelves throughout, making it feel as though the entire cafe is surrounded by books. The atmosphere varies depending on where you sit.
cafe “Niwa to Bungaku” has changed its sales methods and renovated the shop over the years. Perhaps the creation of a new pudding was a natural next step.
Pudding you can enjoy prettily at home
Until now, the cafe has served two kinds of pudding: an old-fashioned, firm pudding and a smooth pudding with a soft texture. Both are served turned upside down, in a cute shape.
At cafes and coffee shops—not just cafe “Niwa to Bungaku”—pudding is brought to you upside down when you order it, so you probably don’t think twice about its appearance. But when you eat homemade pudding at home, don’t you usually scoop it out of its container with a spoon?
Nakahara improved the puddings so that people could “turn over pudding bought at the shop at home, just like Pucchin Pudding, and enjoy it in a cute shape.” Now, it’s easy to turn them over at home, too.
Too-Cute Pudding (firm pudding)
The firm, retro-style pudding is called “Too-Cute Pudding” on the takeout menu and “Firm Pudding” when served in the cafe.
Too-Cute Pudding is sold with an illustration showing how to turn it over. The illustration is cute, but the container is very simple. Turn it over to make it look even cuter.
Cafe manager Nakahara demonstrated how to do it. The trick is to twist your body sharply, as if taking a practice swing.
The centrifugal force makes the pudding slip out of the container. One twist is enough.
After twisting, simply turn the container upside down and place the pudding on a dish, just like with Pucchin Pudding. Out came a pudding topped with caramel sauce. It looks cuter turned out than eaten straight from the container.
I asked them to plate it like the “Firm Pudding” served in the cafe. Fresh cream and a bright red cherry on top made it look even cuter.
It has a firm texture, but feels smooth in the mouth. The gentle flavor of egg spreads across the palate. It’s a generous portion, so this may be the one to choose if you want a hearty serving of pudding.
The caramel is pleasantly bittersweet, balancing the pudding just right. It was a treat that satisfied both the eyes and the palate.
Creme Renversee (smooth pudding)
The other pudding is called “Creme Renversee” on the takeout menu and “Smooth Pudding” when served in the cafe. It’s surprising that fresh cream makes up the largest proportion of the ingredients. The Too-Cute Pudding uses whole eggs, while Creme Renversee (Smooth Pudding) is made with egg yolks only.
Creme renversee can also be turned upside down, but it is so soft that it barely holds its shape, so a special spatula is used to remove it from the container. Slide the spatula along the edge… and out it slips. A pudding topped with caramel sauce appears.
This is also served as the “Smooth Pudding” for dine-in customers. It is a luxurious pudding made with plenty of fresh cream.
The spoon slides in more easily than it does with the “Too Cute Pudding.” Even before tasting it, you can tell it is smoother. It has a silky texture as you bring it to your mouth—so smooth you wonder if anything smoother could exist. It melts away in your mouth almost instantly. This is an elegant pudding with a fragrant vanilla aroma.
They look similar, but we savored two further-evolved puddings with different flavors and textures. When the container is not specially designed like a Pucchin Pudding cup, gelatin is apparently needed to turn it upside down. However, Nakahara-san continued experimenting to create an additive-free pudding that could easily be turned upside down at home. After repeated failures, it took about three years from the initial concept to completion.
“Maze-koze Confectionery,” easy to take out
Until now, baked goods and cakes for takeaway were sold inside the cafe. Starting in 2024, they began parking a vehicle in the shop’s garage and selling from there. The shop name is “Maze-koze Confectionery,” the same name used back when they had a tricycle in the Bikan Historical Area.
They apparently bought the vehicle to start Maze-koze Confectionery. A refrigerated display case has been installed inside, and chilled items are also sold. The display case above holds baked goods. It really is a tiny confectionery shop.
In addition to various cakes, you can also buy Too Cute Pudding and creme renversee.
Nakahara-san also recommends the “Pudding Butter Sandwich.” Almond-scented cookies sandwich a cream made by combining buttercream and pudding. The fruit changes with the seasons.
Would you call it an unusual pudding dessert? It is high in calories, with all that cream, but once you fall for it, there’s no going back. This sinful sweet captures your heart and never lets go.
Maze-koze Confectionery is generally unmanned, so once you’ve decided what to buy, press the button to call a staff member.
It’s very convenient because you can shop right there without going inside.
The cafe “Niwa to Bungaku” continues to evolve, improving its sweets and renovating the shop. We spoke with its manager, Nakahara Yosuke.
cafe “Niwa to Bungaku” details
| Name | cafe “Niwa to Bungaku” |
|---|---|
| Address | 3-14-45 Oimatsu-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 080-7459-0572 |
| Parking | Available Seven spaces marked by yellow poles at Namba Parking Lot |
| Hours | 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (last order 4:00 p.m.) |
| Closed | Sunday Maze-koze Confectionery is open Thursday–Saturday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted Reservations required for visits after 5:00 p.m. |
| Seating | 22 seats: 16 table seats, 4 counter seats, 2 sofa seats |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Website | cafe “Niwa to Bungaku” Instagram |
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