What image comes to mind when you think of the Bikan Historical Area in Kurashiki?
A leading tourist destination in Okayama?
Or perhaps the holy land of masking tape?
It’s also an area with many cafes in renovated old houses.
Its convenient location, about a 15-minute walk from the nearest station, JR Kurashiki Station, may be one reason people visit.
In recent years, new shops have been opening one after another in the Bikan Historical Area, making it livelier than ever.
We visited Machiya Cafe Miyake Shoten, a favorite among locals in the Bikan Historical Area, which attracts tourists from both Japan and abroad.
The information provided was current when this article was published in May 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
A cafe where you can feel the way people lived in the past
In the Bikan Historical Area, where buildings dating as far back as the Edo period remain, shops in renovated old houses can be found here and there.
Some shops retain the exterior of an old house, but have modern interiors once you step inside.
One such cafe in an old house, Machiya Cafe Miyake Shoten, has undergone only the minimum necessary renovations, so you can feel its history both inside and out.
You wouldn’t guess it from the exterior of Miyake Shoten, but once inside, you realize how long and spacious the shop is.
There is a courtyard at the back of the shop, and apparently a storehouse even farther back.
The walls are earthen, and if you look closely… wait, is that a timetable for JR Kurashiki Station?
It says “Revised October 1, 1961,” so it must be about 60 years old as of 2021.
You get a glimpse of life in the past.
Near the entrance, there is a large table that makes use of the tree’s natural shape.
The raised area beyond the large wooden table is a shoes-off seating area.
Try the popular curry!
Miyake Shoten’s food menu is simple: it offers only “Miyake Curry.”
You can order Miyake Curry on its own, which comes with soup and lightly pickled vegetables.
The set is more substantial, with the addition of the day’s mini dessert and a drink (coffee, tea, or orange juice).
Since I was there, I ordered the weekday-only Miyake Curry Set (Miyake Curry + drink + mini dessert).
| Menu | Weekdays | Weekends and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Miyake Curry, on its own | ¥1,100 | ¥1,100 |
| Miyake Curry + drink | — | ¥1,320 |
| Miyake Curry + drink + mini dessert | ¥1,650 | — |
| Miyake Curry + drink + cake | — | ¥1,900 |
The curry contains spices, but it’s sweet!
I think it’s a flavor that people of all ages can enjoy.
It’s packed with seasonal vegetables, and I enjoyed the different textures, including the fried lotus root.
The rice is brown rice, and eating it makes me feel like I’m cleansing my body from the inside out.
The mini dessert after the meal arrived.
It seems more like a full plate of dessert than a “mini” one…
There were two kinds of ice cream: matcha underneath and a nut-studded vanilla-based flavor on top.
The chiffon cake was served with lightly sweetened whipped cream, topped with Miyake Shoten jam for a colorful presentation.
Don’t miss the sweets, either
The curry is recommended, but the sweets menu is also a must.
After much deliberation, I chose the seasonal fresh green tea parfait.
May, when I had the parfait, is the season for fresh green tea, after all.
| Menu | Price (tax included) |
|---|---|
| Parfait, on its own | ¥1,210 and up |
| Parfait set (parfait + drink) | ¥1,430 and up |
On top is an orange prepared at Miyake Shoten’s workshop, with a fresh green tea cookie beside it.
Beneath the whipped cream topped with goji berries is fragrant roasted green tea ice cream.
The ice cream is apparently made with tea leaves from Kaitaen in Mimasaka.
I dug in with the green tea jelly and sweet red bean paste.
Below the roasted green tea ice cream is matcha ice cream.
The walnuts add a crunchy texture, so it never gets boring.
Under the matcha ice cream is a pumpkin and matcha paste.
The natural sweetness of the pumpkin pairs wonderfully with the depth of the matcha.
Who knew there would be such a special flavor waiting at the very end!
Enjoy Miyake Shoten’s popular menu items at home
Miyake Shoten also sells items such as the jams used in its menu.
To the right of the entrance is a sales corner with Miyake Shoten retort curry and shaved-ice syrups.
Both the curry and shaved ice are popular Miyake Shoten menu items.
It’s nice to be able to enjoy Miyake Shoten’s flavors at home, too.
To the left of the entrance is a row of jams and masking tape.
The jams are made at Miyake Shoten’s workshop in Sakazu.
They’re cute to look at, too, so they’d make lovely souvenirs or gifts for people outside the prefecture.
Of these, the retort curry caught my eye.
I never imagined I could enjoy their popular curry at home!
I was also curious to see how closely it matched the original, so I decided to buy some.
I heated the retort pouch in hot water for about five minutes and ate it with rice mixed with brown rice.
There was more pork in it than I expected, so I thought, “Huh? This is pretty luxurious for retort curry.”
It contains both firm, lean meat and tender, fatty meat.
It doesn’t have the seasonal vegetable toppings, so it looks different from the restaurant’s version, but it tastes the same!
The curry sauce brings out the sweetness of the vegetables and fruit, and I was amazed at how closely it matched the original.
Miyake Curry retort packs are available at:
- Machiya Cafe Miyake Shoten
- Hayashi Genjuro Shoten
- Mizube no Cafe Miyake Shoten Sakazu
- Online shop
Next, we spoke with staff member Midori Nakaso.
Machiya Cafe Miyake Shoten Information
| Name | Machiya Cafe Miyake Shoten |
|---|---|
| Address | 3-11 Honmachi, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 086-426-4600 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | Weekdays: 11:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (last order at 5 p.m.) Saturdays: 11 a.m.–7:30 p.m. (last order at 7 p.m.) Sundays and holidays: 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (last order at 5 p.m.) *Hours may change depending on the season |
| Closed | None |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Available Reservations are not accepted during busy periods (spring break, Golden Week, summer vacation, New Year’s, and winter break) |
| Seating | 1st floor: 9 tables 2nd floor: 4 tables (used when the 1st floor is full) |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Families | Children’s chairs available |
| Website | Miyake Shoten |
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