Yanaka (谷中) is an area with many famous cafes, of which Cafe Nikai (喫茶ニカイ) has become particularly popular recently.
Their specialty is their clear blue cream soda. In addition to this, the space has been renovated from the second floor of an old house, with 80s J-POP as background music, and is also popular with the younger generation. Another highlight is that lamps created by the stained glass shop ‘nido (ニド)’ in Yanaka adorn the tables and interior of the shop, giving a sense of connection between the shops.
This section introduces the menu, the interior of the shop, and the thoughts behind the shop, with a focus on the beautifully visual cream sodas that you should keep in mind on your Yanaka stroll.
Light blue cream soda with French yoghurt ice cream
A speciality at Cafe Nikai is Nikai’s Cream Soda.
At first glance, it may seem like a menu item aimed to be instagrammable, but once you take a sip of the clear, pale blue cream soda, you will realise that its so much more than that.
Many customers have said on social media that it is the best cream soda they have ever had.
They wanted to create a cream soda unique to Cafe Nikai, so they worked on the menu right up until just before opening. The usual cream soda is a bright, eye-catching green, but they made many prototypes using blue syrup, which is the cafe’s theme colour.
And while vanilla ice cream is the standard for cream soda, we dared to stray from the high street and chose yoghurt ice cream. The creamy but somewhat refreshing flavour is actually made in France!
Cafe Nikai has a wide range of ice cream flavours, of which the yoghurt flavour was chosen as the best match for the cream soda.
When you actually try it, the mildly sour yoghurt ice cream is exquisite with the less sweet soda! It’s not as heavy as you might think, and contrary to its voluminous appearance, it can be enjoyed after a meal.
As I explained in detail earlier, their main principle is that the food is not only pretty to look at, but just as tasty. This reputation is endorsed by Instagram and other posts from customers who have actually been here.
And the most distinctive visual aspect of Nikai’s Cream Soda is that there is a flag stuck in the ice cream! Doesn’t it look somewhat nostalgic?
The idea for the flag came when they happened to see one on a kids’ meal, just before the launch of the cafe.
As adults, we don’t get the chance to eat a kids’ meal so often, but there are probably many of us who’ll feel a little giddy at the sight of it.
Perhaps the excitement of seeing ‘Nikai’s Cream Soda’ is because it also evokes such nostalgic feelings.
There are also mini jellies with yoghurt ice cream on top of blue jellies, which nods at the signature cream soda!
There are 10 different soda and ice cream combinations!
In addition to the special cream soda, are many other things to enjoy. There are many variations of drinks and ice cream, each give rise to a range of great combinations to try.
For example, lemon squash and mascarpone ice cream can be flavoured with lemon cheesecake. There are also a number of drink menus that showcase the wonders of different combinations, such as ginger ale and passion fruit ice cream!
Sandwiches with a taste of Yanaka
Cafe Nikai also has an extensive food menu, making it a good place for lunch!
A particular recommendation is the Double Norit-egg Corned Beef Sandwich.
The rich orange colour spilling out of the tender, half-boiled fried egg is a sight to behold.
The bread from Yanaka ‘La Soeur Rimare’ is used, and the filling consists of two half-boiled fried eggs, two sheets of nori, corned beef from ‘Sendagi Koshizuka (千駄木 腰塚)’ and thinly sliced belly ham. It looks quite a lot, but the corned beef, which has become even richer in combination with the tender, half-boiled eggs, has a taste that lingers on. I finished it in no time at all.
Like relaxing at a relative’s house
Cafe Nikai is located on the second floor of a 50-60 year old house.
Although there is a signboard at the entrance, you may be confused because the first floor is a vase shop, but when you enter the shop, there are stairs leading up to the second floor in the middle of the building.
The concept is to create a space where nostalgia and novelty coexist, with a cosy feeling like relaxing in grandma and grandpa’s house.
Focusing on the building materials of the house built in the Showa period, frosted glass is still used for the windows, allowing soft natural light to shine into the restaurant.
Retro interior of an old house with an updated retro feel
The space is decorated by stained glass lamps hanging from the ceiling.
These are items from nido, a stained glass specialty shop in Yanaka, and the candle holders on each table are custom-made by nido.
The colours of the light filtering through the stained glass table lamps are also beautiful!
Retro-modern blue is the cafe’s theme colour. The walls are lined with countless picture frames.
The background music is provided by a record player. Is it just me, or does listening to Showa-era songs make me want to go karaoke?
Coffee shop renovated from a cafe with a vase shop attached
Cafe Nikai opened in 2019. Originally, the shop ‘kokonn (ココン)’ on the first floor dealt with Eastern European goods and vessels and also had a cafe. Gradually, the cafe space was downsized as the main focus became vessels made by domestic artists. The cafe space was then reopened as Cafe Nikai.
The picture frames introduced earlier were purchased when the shop was an Eastern European grocery shop, and the dishes are made with vessels from the artists we deal with on the first floor.
The fact that these seemingly disparate items are in fact secretly connected may be the biggest factor in making ‘Cafe Nikai’ a one-of-a-kind existence.
This can be seen in the commitment of Sakurai Takao (櫻井崇雄), the owner of Cafe Nikai and kokonn.
Creativity born from what you love
Based on her own passion for her ‘favourite things’, Sakurai-san is involved in a wide range of activities, including shop management and the production of original goods.
In addition to the aforementioned, Negi-yaki (spring onion pancake) shop ‘Toakari (ト灯)’, which he started because he “loves spring onions”, and the project ‘NONBEE!’ with illustrator ShiokaToru (師岡とおる) are all based on the feeling of ‘liking’.
After working as a company employee for about 10 years, he then turned his love for what he did into a job, and the result was Cafe Nikai.
The reason why the vessels used at Cafe Nikai are so particular is because they love vessels and run a vessels shop.
“Did you like vessels for a long time?” When I asked, he replied that he had actually met the artists when she started her restaurant by visiting the places where the vessels were produced, and gradually fell in love with them.
The story has gone on and on, but what I want to tell you is that the passionate support for Cafe Nikai is because you can feel the thought that went into everything from the menu to the spatial design.
And a menu of alcoholic beverages?
French toast is a popular sweet menu item at Cafe Nikai, but in fact there is also a more austere menu item that goes well with alcoholic drinks.
Behind this is a hidden concept: ‘It’s a coffee shop, but not a coffee shop’.
I thought it was interesting that it’s a coffee shop, but the stewed fish is good. We also have a speciality menu called ‘Salt Stewed Mutsumi’, says Sakurai.
I was attracted by the beautiful cream soda, but the more I got to know Cafe Nikai, the richer the experience became.
■Cafe Nikai
Address: 6-3-8-2F Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5834-2922
Opening hours: 11am – 6pm
Official Instagram：@kissa.nikai
This article is translated from https://intojapanwaraku.com/rock/gourmet-rock/196909/
