Interview with Hirama Riko, staff of Kurashiki Cafe tito
Kurashiki Cafe tito opened in January 2020.
We spoke with Hirama Riko, who has a warm and cute atmosphere and is mainly in charge of desserts.
The interview is based on the content from the first interview conducted in December 2022.
What was the motivation for opening?
Hirama (no honorifics)
The manager of tito and the owner of the beauty salon across the street have been childhood friends since kindergarten, and this is the realization of their dream to do something together since they were little.
It seems the manager has always wanted to run a café, so this is a place where dreams have come true.
About popular menu items
Hirama
The most popular lunch item is chicken nanban, which is hearty and often ordered by people of all ages, from young to old.
The difference from other restaurants is that the meat is well-seasoned, and the tartar sauce is homemade.
I think all the lunch menu items are a good deal for the portion size.
The popular dessert is mont blanc, which has seen an increase in orders since it was featured in an information magazine.
Since the inside is ice cream, it can be eaten refreshingly.
While other shops have Japanese chestnut mont blanc, it is rare to find one with ice cream inside.
The second most popular dessert is grilled gateau chocolat.
As it gets colder, people tend to crave rich flavors, so it gets ordered quite a bit.
It is served grilled with a burner, giving it a texture close to that of raw chocolate gateau.
For dinner, tito pasta is often ordered.
It is a pasta using the original special miso sauce and has been popular since the opening.
The dry curry in today's service lunch uses minced beef tongue, which gives it a nice texture.
We thought we would try something different from other shops, and when we made it with minced beef tongue, it turned out delicious.
I think it is a dry curry that you can enjoy the texture of.
The service lunch changes weekly, and this week (at the time of the interview) it is dry curry.
We are sharing menu information on Instagram, so I hope everyone can enjoy it at a good price.
What makes your shop different from others?
Hirama
I think it is a bit of a hidden café in terms of location.
The colors inside use wood to create a warm feeling, and we are particular about the interior design.
I hope everyone can spend a relaxing time, so the chairs are antique.
The height of the tables is also adjusted to match the chairs.
All the dishes are original creations conceived by the manager.
I want everyone to try them.
The manager has a mindset of wanting to serve something different from other shops, so he is particular about the ingredients used and the presentation.
We sometimes use rare ingredients like porcini and foie gras.
We are also particular about naming. For example, we have a potato salad on the dinner menu, but we made it Potito Salad because of tito (laughs).
There are also some names that make you chuckle a bit.
Tell us about the shop's character
Hirama
When the manager told the owner that he wanted a character, the owner drew this bear by hand because the manager resembles a bear.
When we made the dessert ice cream into a bear, it matched the character.
Bear-chan Ice Drink is ordered regardless of the season, no matter how cold it is. It also has the most posts on social media.
What are your future aspirations?
Hirama
I aim to create a café where everyone can relax.
Within that, I hope to develop dishes and sweets.
I am currently developing parfaits that change with the seasons.
Since they have come all this way, I want them to enjoy it.
Also, from mid-January to March 2024, we will hold Kurashiki Afternoon Tea.
I hope everyone can come.
Conclusion
The desire for customers to relax in the café is reflected in both the food and the interior of Kurashiki Cafe tito.
The bear character is also soothing.
It might be nice to spend some time forgetting about time at the hidden café tito.
Data of Kurashiki Cafe tito
| Name | Kurashiki Cafe tito |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-7-5 Achi, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 086-441-0555 |
| Parking | None |
| Business Hours | Lunch 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Desserts 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Dinner 5:00 PM - |
| Regular Holidays | Every Monday, 1st Tuesday, 3rd Tuesday |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Reservation | Available |
| Seating | 35 seats |
| Smoking | No smoking during lunch |
| Toilet | Western-style toilet |
| Barrier-free | None |
| Website | cafe.tito |
