Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Patisserie Que Sera Sera パティスリー・ケセラセラ

Visited 12.11.2017 (Sun)

Sweet tooth. Just before I headed back to Izukyu Shimoda Station 伊豆急下田駅 after visiting Perry Road, I decided to make a detour to Patisserie Que Sera Sera to enjoy some sweets. My original plan was to fulfill my sweets cravings in one of the retro cafes lined along Perry Road ペリーロード however, the menu from several shops did not appeal to me. My last hope was Patisserie Que Sera Sera, housed in a stand-alone, modern looking and white washed building and located about 4 minutes walk away from the train station. The patisserie has also allocated a section, operating it as a cafe, for dine in customers to enjoy their sweets, accompanied with drinks here. The patisserie with a touch of European flair (Que Sera Sera means Whatever Will Be, Will Be) is opened by a couple who has previously worked in the well known sweets shop, Mont St. Clair モンサンクレール, located in the chic district of Jiyugaoka in Tokyo. 

Limited period apple pie. Was already spoilt for choice by all the delicious line up of cakes in the display fridge. As I stood in front of the display fridge and could not make up my mind what to order (for quite a while), the staff directed my attention to a basket with two pieces of apple pies left and recommended me to give it a try. Initially I was unconvinced that the apple pie was a better option than the rest of delectable array of cakes but eventually gave in to the suggestion. I have to say this is one of the best apple pie I have eaten; even has as an edge over the ones I have savoured in Hirosaki on a previous trip (a city in Aomori Prefecture which is famous for apple pies). The flavours of the apple pie itself was already very well balanced; and it was further elevated by a scoop of vanilla ice cream placed on top of it. Utilising apples harvested from Aomori, the highest producing prefecture in Japan, I later found out that their apple pie is actually the most popular item in Que Sera Sera and is only available for sale between September and May. Would highly recommend to give this legendary apple pie a try if your visit to the patisserie falls within this limited period of time!

One of the best apple pies I have eaten!

Bought this Shimoda Tea Castella cake just before I left the shop. Like the cake as well - not too dense in texture and is infused with fragrant tea flavour. 

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Patisserie Que Sera Sera パティスリー・ケセラセラ
下田市敷根３－４０
Operating hours: 1000 - 1900 hrs; closed on Tuesdays
https://www.facebook.com/p.queserasera/

How to get there?

(1) By foot. Approx 4 mins walk from Izukyu Shimoda Station.

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Cafe Kichi カフェキチ

Visited 12.11.2017 (Sun)

Flagship. Ever since the pleasant dining experience at Kichi+ on my first visit to Atami, I have been thinking of visiting Cafe Kichi, the original flagship store. On my two weeks stay in Japan, I managed to drop by Atami again to tick off this item from my to-do list. After enjoying a satisfying Sanshoku don (three coloured don comprised of raw and boiled whitebait and boiled sakura shrimp) at Kichi+, I extended my stay in Cafe Kichi to savour some dessert and drink before heading back to the train station.

Cosy. Cafe Kichi occupies a refurbished 2 storey wooden shophouse situated in an alley connecting Nakamise-dori 仲見世通り to Heiwa-dori 平和通り, two of the busiest sheltered shopping streets in the vicinity of the train station. The emergence of Cafe Kichi appealed to a younger and inquisitive audience and this fueled the revitalisation of the long established shopping streets. Upon stepping into Cafe Kichi, I felt that I have entered into a completely different space from the outside world. I was immediately engulfed by the calming and peaceful ambience in the cafe when I pulled open the wooden door of its entrance.

The open concept kitchen and a wooden bench table took up most of the space on the ground floor. I was brought to a table on the second floor and the interior decor was very much to my liking. Since it was still early and there were no other customers on the second floor, I had the entire space to myself for most part of my stay in the cafe. The usage of wooden furnishing and warm lighting generated a cosy dining environment. The ceiling was decorated by tree branches and I love its natural silhouette cast onto the walls - creating this dining-in-the-woods atmosphere. Here, I also got to know Takagi Masakatsu (高木正勝), a talented Japanese musician who was born in Kyoto, from his soothing musical compositions/arrangement played over the audio system in Cafe Kichi. 

Sweets. As there is a limited number of items available on the sweets menu - chiffon, no-bake cheesecake, chocolate cake, pumpkin pudding and scones, I did not take long to decide what to have Ordered a no-bake cheesecake (レアチーズケーキ) and a cup of their coffee blend to go with my dessert. The cheesecake was delectable - the cream cheese was rich but not overpowering and I love its overall consistency in terms of texture. The sweet blueberry jam also helped to cut the saltiness inherent of cream cheese. Their coffee was delicious; having a strong captivating aroma and not too acidic for my liking. After eating the no-bake cheesecake, I was very tempted to try the rest of the sweets on the menu! It is always during such occasions I wish for some companions who will be able to indulge into a variety of food together with me...

I can finally resonate to why Cafe Kichi is so popular and I hope it will continue to stay here in Atami city. In conclusion, Cafe Kichi is such a pleasant and comfortable place to hang out in, whether you are alone or with a group of friends, with the company of their delicious sweets and coffee.

- No-bake cheesecake: 410 yen

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Cafe Kichi カフェキチ
静岡県熱海市田原本町5-9
Operating hours: 1100 - 1900 hrs; closed on Wednesdays
http://www.cafe-kichi.com/cafekichi/index.html
Approx. 3 minutes walk from Atami JR Station.

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Kichi+ キチプラス

Visited 12.11.2017 (Sun)

Revisit. Had a brief encounter with Atami in Jan 2016 to catch the concurrent blooming of plum blossoms and cherry blossoms then. Came here again for different reason this time round - to board the themed sightseeing train, Izu Craile 伊豆クレイル heading for Shimonda in Izu Peninsula. Decided to spend the earlier part of the day here first to enjoy a leisure stroll around Sun Beach and settle my lunch after that. There was one thing I wanted to do very much again in Atami, it was to revisit Kichi+ for their specialty - Shirasu (white bait) rice bowl! 

Shirashi don, from my first visit in Jan 2016. 

Simple goodness. It all started with Cafe Kichi which opened its door for business in an alley between Nakamise-dori 仲見世通り and Heiwa-dori 平和通り, both of them are located in close vicinity to Atami JR Station. Cafe Kichi brought along a fresh breath of air into the long established shopping streets with their handmade sweets and coffee blend. Eventually, they had to search for more space to accommodate the growing number of diners and this led to the opening of Kichi+ in 2008, occupying a shophouse unit along Nakamise-dori. While Cafe Kichi focus on sweets and drinks, Kichi+ offers simple set meals and is always packed with people during lunch hours. The refurbished two storey shophouse has incorporated both modern and minimalist elements to create a comfortable dining environment for its patrons. The food menu is rather straightforward and easy to comprehend, in which white bait harvested from Suruga Bay 駿河湾, is the lead ingredient in their famous rice bowl. On my first visit, I tucked into a delicious bowl of boiled shirasu don (ゆでしらす丼) and I like it a lot. The subtle sweetness of shirasu captivated my tastebuds and it tasted even better with a small amount of light soy sauce and grated ginger added. After this pleasant encounter, I told myself that I should try the raw version if I ever get to visit here again.  

Gems of Suruga Bay. And because of how my itinerary was planned out, I could afford a short trip to Atami again. Without much hesitation, I made my way egaerly to Kichi+ just before the lunch crowd arrived. This time round, I ordered the three coloured / Sanshoku don (三色丼) which comprised of both boiled and raw shirasu and boiled sakura shrimp. All three were equally and evenly laid out on top of warm rice and the bright red colour of sakura shrimp was just too enticing to look at! Tastewise, it did not disappoint again. Though the raw, translucent shirasu did not look appetising from its appearance, it actually tasted better than it looks. The only difference I felt between the raw and boiled version was its texture. Regardless, the freshness and sweetness of this delicate puny fish could be savoured in every mouthful. To me, sakura shrimp was the highlight of this rice bowl. It tasted even sweeter and because the shells were retained, it has a better mouthfeel than shirasu. Simple as it looks, this rice bowl is packed with gems harvested from Suruga Bay, an important incubator for both shirasu and sakura shrimp, which will blow you away!

Menu:
- Boiled shirasu don (ゆでしらす丼): 1,000 yen
- Three coloured don / Sanshoku don: 1,300 yen

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Kichi+ キチプラス
静岡県熱海市田原本町6-11
Operating hours: 1000 - 1800 hrs; closed on Wednesdays
http://www.cafe-kichi.com/kichi+/index.html
Approx 3 minutes walk from Atami JR Station. Kichi+ is located along Nakamise-dori 仲見世通り, a sheltered pedestrian only street lined up with shop houses on both sides.

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 Shizuoka 静岡県 - Day 7: Atami-shi 熱海市, Shimoda-shi 下田市; Izu Okawa Onsen 伊豆大川温泉

Day 7: 12.11.2017 (Sun)
* Day 7 of 14 Days Japan Rail Pass

Breakfast: Toyoko Inn Kakegawa-eki Shinkansen Minami-guchi 東横INN掛川駅新幹線南口

Kakegawa JR 掛川駅 (0748 hrs) > Atami JR 熱海駅 (0837 hrs)
🚅 by Kodama こだま 630, via Tokaido Shinkansen 東海道新幹線.

👣 Walked to Sun Beach.

Visited Sun Beach サンビーチ.

Sun Beach サンビーチ (0951 hrs) > Atami Castle 熱海城 (1004 hrs)
🚍 by Yu Yu bus 湯遊バス. [250 yen]
https://www.tokaibus.jp/page.jsp?id=6173

Visited Atami Castle 熱海城. Did not enter the castle. 

Atami Castle 熱海城 (1034 hrs) > Atami Ekimae 熱海駅前 (1053 hrs)
🚍 by Yu Yu bus 湯遊バス. [250 yen]

Lunch: Kichi+ キチプラス
http://www.cafe-kichi.com/kichi+/

Dessert: Cafe Kichi カフェキチ
http://www.cafe-kichi.com/cafekichi/index.html

Atami JR 熱海駅 (1231 hrs) > Izukyu Shimoda 伊豆急下田駅 (1408 hrs)
🚆 by Izu Craile 1 クレイル.

Visited Michi no eki Kaikoku Shimoda Minato 道の駅開国下田みなと.
http://www.kaikokushimodaminato.co.jp/

Visited Perry Road ペリーロード.
http://www.shimoda-city.info/tourism/perryroad.html

Dessert: Patisserie Que Sera Sera パティスリー ケセラセラ
https://www.facebook.com/p.queserasera/

Izukyu Shimoda 伊豆急下田駅 (1636 hrs) > Izu Okawa 伊豆大川駅 (1715 hrs)
🚆 by local train, via Izu Kyuko line 伊豆急行線. [1,000 yen]

🏨 Checked in: Izuokawa 美味の宿　伊豆大川
http://www.izuohokawa.co.jp/

Dinner: Izuokawa 美味の宿　伊豆大川

- End of Day 7 -