In Kurashiki, when people say “mushroom,” they’re not talking about mushrooms to eat, but QINOCO, a cafe serving delicious coffee!
QINOCO (pronounced “kinoko,” meaning “mushroom”) is a cute little cafe in Kawairi, Kurashiki City. It welcomes cafe lovers at any time of day, from breakfast and lunch to evening coffee.
QINOCO’s signature dish is Kurashiki’s standout gourmet burger, aptly named the Triton Burger!
This impressively large burger is sure to satisfy even men. I consider myself a big eater, and I took on the challenge, too.
The food menu features ingredients from Okayama Prefecture and everything is made from scratch, including the dressings. There are also adorable sweets that are perfect for social media.
Here’s a look at QINOCO, a cafe recommended for coffee lovers, where the more you learn about coffee, the better it tastes.
It closed in March 2024.
The information below is from when it was open.
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in July 2020. Please note that it may differ from current information.
A cute cafe near the outlet, with parking
On a drizzly day, I made my way to QINOCO, a cafe in Kawairi, Kurashiki City.
Written QINOCO and pronounced “kinoko,” the name has a lovely ring to it. This small cafe opened next to a hair salon in April 2018.
Manager Goto Masaaki is from Kinoko-cho, Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture. The cafe’s name apparently comes from the name of his hometown.
“There’s no convenience store, it’s mostly rice fields, and the only supermarket is Fresh Ishida (laughs).”
That’s Kinoko-cho. It somehow makes me really want to visit…!
There is also a shared parking lot next to the building that houses QINOCO.
It’s about a 15-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station, along MITSUI OUTLET PARK Kurashiki, and it’s popular, especially with local residents.
An appealing menu with food to enjoy alongside coffee
At QINOCO, you choose from the menu at the counter and pay in advance. There’s a great selection of food as well as drinks.
The menu is developed around the principle of food pairing: dishes are created during the testing stage to go well with coffee, so the coffee and food enhance each other’s flavor.
There’s a wide variety of drinks and sweets. Don’t miss the homemade desserts.
The menu includes breakfast and food dishes served with a drink and salad.
One recommendation is the New BLET Sandwich, made with homemade bacon that takes two weeks to prepare. Everything is made in-house, from marinating the bacon to smoking it.
The lunch menu is available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The mixed noodles and curry look tempting, too.
QINOCO’s signature burgers are made with Bisei beef and Bisei pork from Bisei Town, Ibara City. The menu name is also inspired by Bisei Town: it comes from Triton, a moon of Neptune.
The cafe also champions local production for local consumption beyond its burgers, using ingredients from Okayama Prefecture whenever possible.
Check the chalkboard next to the register to see what today’s coffee is.
QINOCO gets its coffee from The Coffee House, a cafe in the Kinoshita Shoten group. Goto apparently trained at The Coffee House, too.
A thoughtfully designed interior with carefully selected furniture and tableware
QINOCO’s interior is stylish yet warm. It looks lovely!
“If I was going to do it, I wanted to completely change things from the previous shop,” says manager Goto. The cozy cafe reflects his personal taste.
Before opening the cafe, Goto worked as a convenience store owner.
“I wanted to serve proper things that I could stand behind and make with my own hands.”
With that in mind, he took the plunge and opened the cafe.
“Things where you can see the face of the person who made them.”
Committed to supporting local production for local consumption, the cafe makes everything in-house, from dressings to desserts.
The daily quiche is another popular specialty. They’ll warm it up before serving it.
Apparently, searching online for “Kurashiki quiche” brings up QINOCO. I was very surprised to learn that the article behind this was originally prompted by my personal blog.
The freshly baked pudding coming out of the oven looks delicious! It’s so popular that it sells out even on weekdays.
Custom-made tables and chairs that bring out the warmth of wood.
They blend in with the atmosphere of the cafe, making it a comfortable place to visit with children.
Coffee cups, miscellaneous goods, and original T-shirts are on sale near the entrance.
The coffee cups used at the cafe are by Hasami ware maker Maruhiro. Their bright colors, like red and yellow, are so cute!
Goto used to like Scandinavian tableware, but he was drawn to Japanese craftsmanship and became so fond of Hasami ware that he even visited its kilns.
How QINOCO’s signature “Triton Burger” is made
When I asked for the limited lunch menu item, the Triton Burger, during my visit, they kindly let me into the kitchen!
I can’t wait to try this generously sized Triton Burger.
First, we place strained yogurt, fresh lettuce from Okayama Prefecture, and tomato on buns toasted to a golden brown in the oven.
The key is strained yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
Next, we layer on a steak of onions roasted to a golden brown.
As someone who believes that thick-cut onions are an absolute must for a delicious hamburger, I’m thrilled to see these onions!
And now, the moment we’ve been waiting for: a patty made with Bisei beef and Bisei pork, topped with gooey cheddar cheese!
The delicious aroma of grilling meat fills the air, and the rich cheddar cheese is irresistible.
And a wonderfully wobbly sunny-side-up egg, cooked just right with a runny yolk!
Finally, we drizzle on the house French sauce, packed with vegetables, and QINOCO’s special Triton Burger is ready. I can’t wait to eat it!
A Flavor Big Bang! QINOCO’s Special Triton Burger
This is the lunch-only Triton Burger set, priced at ¥1,390 (tax included).
This luxurious, great-value lunch set comes with a large hamburger, baked potatoes, pickles, and a drink.
This burger alone is worth timing your visit for lunch.
Looking at the hamburger again, I’m struck by its heft and its impressively balanced height.
I’d love to pick it up and take a big bite, but let’s enjoy it with a knife and fork.
Just look at the thickness of this patty! Made with Bisei beef and Bisei pork, it’s incredibly satisfying.
The more you chew, the more the meat’s savory flavor spreads, blending with the spices to make it wonderfully juicy. Its dense, meaty texture is especially memorable.
With sweet onions and crisp lettuce, this hamburger, coated in runny egg, is truly hearty and thoroughly satisfying.
The sweet-and-sour pickles are perfect for refreshing your palate and make you even hungrier.
“I can eat two hamburgers—I’m a big eater, so I can manage it!”
I boasted, but the burger and baked potatoes have me completely full. I give in!
Savor the Coffee’s Sweetness and Richness
For the set drink, I chose iced coffee brewed in a French press. The glass is lovely, too.
When I asked Goto what makes coffee so appealing, he told me this:
Goto
“A coffee’s flavor varies not only by variety, but also by its place of origin and the farm where it’s grown.
Then there are the processing and roasting stages, and the flavor changes at each of these steps, too.
I’m fascinated by how the flavor keeps branching off in different directions.”
Goto
“Coffee is generally described in terms of bitterness and acidity, but I think that’s a preconception.
When the process from growing to roasting goes well, the beans have sweetness and richness.”
Tasting a cup after hearing that, I find it subtly fruity and somehow different from my usual coffee.
Homemade Rare Cheesecake and Kurashiki Afternoon Tea
Now, I also enjoyed a delicious dessert that goes perfectly with coffee’s sweetness and richness.
This is the limited-time homemade mousse rare cheesecake. What a lovely cake!
Light and fluffy, with blueberry jam for a touch of flavor, this refreshing rare cheesecake is perfect for summer.
QINOCO is a participating shop in Kurashiki Afternoon Tea, which successfully crowdfunded in 2020.
Goto
“Honestly, serving afternoon tea can be challenging at times.
But QINOCO has received a lot of support from Kurashiki Afternoon Tea, so we want to keep doing our best.
We’d also like to introduce some new sweets in the future.”
I wonder what kind of afternoon tea QINOCO will offer next. I’ll look forward to finding out.
From the Writer
Listening to Goto, the manager of QINOCO, got me excited too, and made me want to open a shop—or just do something, anything!
As I write this article, I wonder, “What was that feeling?” Perhaps the excitement QINOCO felt when it first opened had rubbed off on me.
It’s appealing as a “cafe that looks great on social media,” but there’s more to it than that.
QINOCO is a wonderful cafe with food that’s genuinely delicious and good for you, and packed with substance—that’s its appeal.
Next time, I’d like to come back for the “homemade pudding” I missed out on.
QINOCO Information
| Name | QINOCO |
|---|---|
| Address | 470-8 Kawairi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, Heights Arcus 101 |
| Contact | 086-431-8235 |
| Parking | Available Shared parking for 8 cars |
| Hours | 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Wednesday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 16 seats Tables: 6 × 1, 4 × 2, 2 × 1 |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Website | QINOCO |
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