Interview with Riho Hiramatsu, staff member at Kurashiki Cafe tito
Kurashiki Cafe tito opened in January 2020.
We spoke with Riho Hiramatsu, who is mainly in charge of desserts and has a warm, charming presence.
This interview was conducted during our first visit in December 2022.
What inspired you to open the cafe?
Hiramatsu (honorific omitted)
The manager of tito and the owner of the hair salon across the street have been friends since kindergarten. They used to talk about how it would be nice to do something together someday, and this cafe is the realization of that dream.
The manager had always wanted to run a coffee shop, so this is where that dream came true.
About the popular menu items
Hiramatsu
The most popular lunch item is chicken nanban. It’s a generous portion, and people of all ages, from young people to seniors, often order it.
What sets it apart from other restaurants is that the meat is well-seasoned, and the tartar sauce is homemade, too.
I think all the lunch dishes are good value for the portion size.
Mont Blanc is a popular dessert, and orders increased after it was featured in a local magazine.
The inside is ice cream, so it’s refreshing to eat.
Japanese chestnut Mont Blanc is available at other restaurants these days, but it’s unusual to find one with ice cream inside.
The second most popular dessert is flame-seared gateau chocolat.
When the weather gets cold, people want something rich, so we get quite a few orders.
We sear it with a blowtorch before serving, so the gateau chocolat has a texture close to nama chocolate.
For dinner, tito pasta is often ordered.
It’s pasta made with our original special miso sauce, and it’s been popular since we opened.
The dry curry on today’s service lunch menu is made with minced beef tongue, which gives it a nice bite.
We wanted to try something different from other restaurants, so we made it with minced beef tongue, and it turned out delicious.
I think it’s a dry curry with an enjoyable texture.
The service lunch changes weekly, and this week (at the time of the interview) it’s dry curry.
We share menu updates on Instagram, and hope everyone can enjoy our food at a good price.
What makes the cafe different from others?
Hiramatsu
I think its location makes it a bit of a hidden-gem cafe.
The interior uses wood tones to create a warm feeling, and we’ve put a lot of thought into the decor.
We want everyone to spend a relaxing time here, so we have antique chairs, too.
We’ve also adjusted the table heights to match the chairs.
All the dishes are original creations devised by the manager.
We’d love for everyone to try them.
The manager wants to serve things that are different from other restaurants, so they’re particular about the ingredients they use and how the dishes are presented.
Sometimes we use unusual ingredients such as porcini mushrooms and foie gras.
We put thought into the names, too. For example, we have potato salad on the dinner menu, and since it’s tito, we call it “Potito Salad” (laughs).
Some of the names are a little amusing.
Tell us about the cafe’s mascot.
Hiramatsu
When the manager told the owner, “I want a mascot,” the owner drew this bear by hand because the manager looks like a bear.
Then they decided to make the dessert ice cream a bear, too, so it would match the mascot.
The bear-shaped ice cream drink is ordered all year round, regardless of the cold weather. It also gets the most posts on social media.
What are your hopes for the future?
Hiramatsu
We aim to be a cafe where everyone can relax.
Along the way, I hope we can develop new dishes and sweets.
We change our parfaits with the seasons, so we’re working on new ones now, too.
Since people have made the effort to come here, we want them to enjoy themselves.
We’ll also be taking part in Kurashiki Afternoon Tea from mid-January through March 2024.
We hope you’ll come visit.
From the Writer
Kurashiki Cafe tito is a place where the desire for guests to relax and unwind is reflected in both the food and the interior.
The bear mascot is soothing, too.
At hidden-gem cafe tito, it might be nice to forget about time for a while.
Kurashiki Cafe tito Information
| Name | Kurashiki Cafe tito |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-7-5 Achi, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 086-441-0555 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | Lunch: 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Desserts: 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Dinner: 5:00 p.m.– |
| Closed | Every Monday, first and third Tuesday of each month |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 35 seats |
| Smoking | Non-smoking during lunch only |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Accessibility | None |
| Website | cafe.tito |
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