Recently, I have been using a shop near Hanamichi-an, which is famous for its miso ramen. There is a NOVO roaster placed outside the shop. Perhaps because they can roast small batches, the turnover of roasted beans seems to be fast, so you can always buy fresh beans. The initial trigger was when I passed by the shop in the middle of summer and ordered iced coffee to go. At that time, I thought "a bean shop opened in such a place" and my throat was also dry, so... I had a sense of "let's give it a try" and ordered. When I took a sip of the coffee outside the shop, a refreshing aroma and the unique sweetness of Brazil spread throughout my mouth and it was incredibly delicious. (Maybe it tasted even better because I was thirsty, haha) I immediately went back and bought some beans. They have about 15 types of beans available at all times. As you can tell from the NOVO roaster, they have a lot of beans sourced through Daichi-san. Overall, the roasting level is not very deep, even the darkest roast is around Full City. Because it's not roasted too dark, it's easy to drink straight and the acidity and aroma characteristics of the beans are well brought out. They don't have French or Italian roasts, so it might feel a bit lacking if you prefer your coffee with milk. My favorite is the Ice Blend. During this summer, I ended up liking the Ice Blend so much that it became my go-to for making iced coffee at home. By the way, when I make latte or cappuccino with plenty of milk, I often use beans from Kotona Coffee in Saginomiya. (Kotona Coffee is part of the Horiuchi faction and overall their roasting level is deeper) By the way, if it's Ilgacheffe (Ethiopia), I like the beans from Ekoda Coffee Roasting Company in Shin-Ekoda. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

A few meters away from Miso Ramen Hanadoan, I stumbled upon this coffee shop. The inviting aroma of freshly roasted coffee led me inside the clean, new glass storefront. The shop was run by what seemed to be a couple. I ordered an iced coffee, while my friend got an iced latte. The blended iced coffee was delicious, so I ended up buying some beans to take home. They ground the beans for me on the spot for my paper filter, and I also got some as a souvenir for my wife. I'm happy to have found this shop, and it's now a must-visit spot for me after visiting Hanado. Nogata seems like a nice and livable town. ^ ^

After enjoying a delicious lunch at what I consider to be the best gyoza restaurant in Japan, Nogata Gyoza (I'm just saying it myself, but I really think so!), I decided to buy some coffee to take home from this place. They sell several types of takeout coffee, freshly roasted and ground on site. The shop has a glass exterior, and when you enter, you are greeted by a comforting coffee aroma. The atmosphere itself becomes lovely with the aroma effect (I don't really know the difference between aroma and fragrance, but it just means a nice smell). They seem to have expanded their takeout menu, so I decided to try a new item and ordered a cafe latte! I don't even know the difference between a cafe latte and a cappuccino, but apparently a cafe latte has more milk content or something like that (I didn't understand after googling it, but still don't really get it). Of course, coffee is the only choice here (laughs). It seems the shop name comes from the owner's name. The logo has a circle with the character for "take" inside. That's why it's called Marutake. The dots represent coffee beans! You can feel the love for coffee. While waiting for my order, I observed the shop interior. There are chairs provided for waiting (since it's takeout, you probably can't drink inside the shop). There are two staff members, a man who seems to be the owner and a female employee. The completed drink arrived, and they accept various payment methods, but unfortunately, PayPay is not accepted, although they are considering adding it in the future. They asked if I needed a lid, and when I said yes, they gave me a paper lid. It's eco-friendly. I'll enjoy it as an afternoon treat (mainly my husband). Despite having more milk, the coffee still shines through, a taste that can only come from a specialty shop. It's hard to find coffee this fresh. There are many other coffee varieties with their own unique qualities. For coffee enthusiasts, buying beans might be a good option (they even have Nogata Blend!). But for casual coffee drinkers like us, being able to easily get a takeout coffee like this is a delight. Nogata seems to be turning into a serious coffee town, with Daily Coffee Stand near the station and Coffee Chrome on the south side. It's amazing!