BARA cafe

A parfait piled with chestnuts, or soft serve made with milk from Ibaraki. At BARA cafe inside IBARAKI SENSE, local produce features in sweets as well as savoury options such as banh mi.

One visitor who came during chestnut season enjoyed the Kasama Japanese chestnut Mont Blanc parfait, layered with simmered chestnuts, chestnut cream, chestnut soft serve, sponge cake, whipped cream and coffee jelly. They found that the flavours changed as they worked their way down the glass, with the sweetness of the chestnuts carrying through. Another report describes a melon parfait pairing red-fleshed Quincy and green-fleshed Ibaraking melons with soft serve and whipped cream. The fruit selection offers different flavours to choose from, and the menu changes with the season.

For a simpler treat, the menu describes the milk soft serve, made with Ibaraki milk, as gently sweet with a rich flavour. Visitors have also praised its refreshing texture for bringing out the sweetness of the fruit. For a distinctly local twist, try the natto soft serve: natto is paired with milk soft serve, then mixed thoroughly with a little soy sauce. It is listed in both a regular and a small size, making the smaller one an easy way to try it.

On days when you want something savoury, there is the Ibaraki banh mi. Pulled pork made from the local Hitachi no Kagayaki brand of pork is marinated in shio-koji, a fermented rice seasoning, then cooked until tender and served in a light, crisp rice-flour baguette. Mayonnaise seasoned with sansho pepper adds a fresh, peppery heat. A coffee set and a half-size portion are also listed, so you can choose according to your appetite.

Alongside coffee, the drinks include local options such as Sashima tea latte and Okukuji tea. The cafe is described as a casual place for lunch or brunch, including for solo diners.