Hatake Cafe Oishii

UPDATE 2010: Another victim of the economic decline. This place I’m told closed in September.
This is a woody little place, with counter and table seats and a down to earth atmosphere. Lunch is a set menu (changes daily) with brown rice, miso soup and a salad type appetizer all for ￥７００.　If you have a drink after lunch, it’s another ￥１００, otherwise a cup of chai will set you back ￥４００, and coffee ￥３５０．In the evening they also serve stronger beverages. The menu is big on vegetables fresh from the field cooked in such away that not a smidgin of flavor is lost. All the vegetables are grown naturally and organically by the owner in his own “hatake” or little farm. On past visits I’ve had the omelette and tofu steak and some vegetable gyouza (steamed dumplings) which were made specially for me as I don’t eat meat. And I thought that was very nice of them indeed. Here’s that ￥７００ lunch.

Opening hours are 12:00~16:00 and 18:30~24:00 and Saturdays are evenings only. To find it go north from Hyakumanben on Higashioji Dori and take the first turning on the right. You will pass a whisky bar, quaintly named “Post Coitus”, take the next left and it’s on the left again. Here is a MAP.