下町のナインチェ
A lovely cafe that has been around before Kura-mae became the "Brooklyn of Japan". Nowadays, there are plenty of hostels for foreigners in Asakusa and Kura-mae, but this one is the original! When it first opened, I nervously walked in thinking, "Wow, it feels like a foreign country! No Japanese people here!" But the place was too stylish for me to relax, so I quickly left (laughs). On a weekday evening, I decided to stop by for a coffee on my way back from the office. It was empty, so I went in! (I used to work remotely but occasionally went to the office. I could leave early due to flexible working hours. Ah, those were the days... Remote work and flextime, come back!!) In the spring of 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were hardly any foreigners, not even Japanese people, and the place was empty. As of July 2023, there are a lot of foreigners again, and the lively atmosphere has returned. I ordered an Affogato (500 yen including tax) at the counter. It's a pay-first, and they bring it to your table style. The spacious interior has a high ceiling and various types of chairs and tables arranged in a stepped layout. Foreigners are seen sitting comfortably on sofas with their legs up, reading books or listening to music with headphones while enjoying their coffee, but I, being Japanese, can't do that... I sit politely on the single-seat bench on the bottom level and wait. Since there weren't many people, I could take as many photos as I wanted! But of course, on days like this, I didn't have my camera with me and sadly had to use my smartphone to take pictures. The Affogato has arrived. It's a combination of cold vanilla ice cream topped with hot espresso. Sweet, bitter, and delicious! And all for 500 yen, isn't that a good deal? I leisurely spent time until it got dark, feeling completely satisfied. I might not see such an empty cafe again... (Spring 2022, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic). Located along the Sumida River, just a short walk from Edo Street, about 12 minutes from the Kaminarimon Gate. Next to it is Sierra Irio, which serves delicious adult pudding made with chewy aged brown rice.