6 Cafes for Fermented Foods in Nagoya and Aichi: Where to Savor Miso, Soy Sauce, and Mirin

• Table of Contents
• Nagoya and Fermented Food Culture
• 1. Madoi cafe: Koji Dishes and Fermented Breakfast in a Traditional Japanese House
• 2. PLUS KOMBUCHA: A Fermented Tea Cafe to Savor Craft Kombucha
• 3. TOMO CAFF'E: Fermented Lunch at Hoshigaoka Terrace
• 4. Restaurant & Cafe K-an: A Fermented Food Cafe to Savor the Charms of Mirin
• 5. Baumkuchen Laboratory: Fermented Sweets Made With Soybean Miso
• 6. haccosido: A Fermented Food Cafe Renovated From a Miso Storehouse
• Go Fermented Food Cafe Hopping Around Nagoya!

Nagoya and Fermented Food Culture

Fermented foods are an essential part of the food culture around Nagoya. There are many famous dishes made with fermented ingredients, such as miso katsu and miso nikomi udon, that have been enjoyed for generations.

In this region, the production of fermented ingredients such as miso (soybean paste), tamari soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, and sake has flourished since ancient times. It is said that Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu also favored miso culture, and fermented foods are a part of food culture that has developed over the course of history.

Even today, there are many cafes and restaurants around Nagoya that offer dishes featuring fermented ingredients. This article introduces some recommended cafes around Nagoya where you can enjoy fermented foods.

1. Madoi cafe: Koji Dishes and Fermented Breakfast in a Traditional Japanese House

Located a 5-minute walk from Tsushima Station on the Nagoya Tsushima Line, madoi cafe is a popular cafe housed in a renovated 100-year-old traditional Japanese home, where you can casually enjoy fermented foods. They use koji (malted rice) sourced from the long-established Kojiya in Tsushima, Aichi Prefecture, and offer a menu incorporating fermented seasonings such as salted koji, soy sauce koji, and amazake (sweet rice drink). They also have a variety of visually appealing drinks, including those made with fruit vinegar.

Enjoy Fermented Foods for Breakfast or Lunch

Breakfast is available from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM. When you order a drink, you can enjoy a Nagoya-style breakfast with complimentary toast and a mini salad. You can also upgrade to a Japanese-style breakfast incorporating fermented foods for an additional charge.

For lunch, they serve light, nourishing dishes made with koji, and you can relax in a tranquil atmosphere unique to a traditional Japanese home. 

Japanese-style hamburger steak with lotus root seasoned with soy sauce koji.

Madoi cafe

2-33-1 Imaichibacho, Tsushima City, Aichi Prefecture, 496-0803

This fermented food cafe is located in Tsushima City , west of Nagoya , in a traditional Japanese house that is approximately 100 years old. The coffee is carefully brewed by hand drip using home-roasted beans. The owner, who is a certified "Fermented Food Meister," prepares healthy meals using homemade salt koji, soy sauce koji, amazake, and other ingredients made from koji from "Kojiya," a long-established local store that has been in business since the Edo period. This traditional Japanese house was built around 100 years ago and is furnished with antique furniture from Japan and abroad. Please spend a relaxing time surrounded by this historic building and furniture.

Madoi cafe

2-33-1 Imaichibacho, Tsushima City, Aichi Prefecture, 496-0803This fermented food cafe is located in Tsushima City , west of Nagoya , in a traditional Japanese house that is approximately 100 years old.
The coffee is carefully brewed by hand drip using home-roasted beans.
The owner, who is a certified "Fermented Food Meister," prepares healthy meals using homemade salt koji, soy sauce koji, amazake, and other ingredients made from koji from "Kojiya," a long-established local store that has been in business since the Edo period.
This traditional Japanese house was built around 100 years ago and is furnished with antique furniture from Japan and abroad. Please spend a relaxing time surrounded by this historic building and furniture.

2. PLUS KOMBUCHA: A Fermented Tea Cafe to Savor Craft Kombucha

Located just a one-minute walk from Higashiyama Koen Station on the Nagoya Municipal Subway Higashiyama Line, PLUS KOMBUCHA is a specialty shop where you can enjoy craft kombucha. Kombucha is a fermented drink made by adding acetic acid bacteria to a mixture of tea leaves, water, and sugar, and is completely different from “kombucha” or kelp tea in Japan. It is a fermented beverage attracting attention worldwide and is characterized by its refreshing taste and deep flavor.

Incorporate Fermented Drinks into Your Daily Routine

At PLUS KOMBUCHA, they produce and offer their own unique craft kombucha using organically grown tea leaves and tea leaves from various regions of Japan. You can compare different types of kombucha in-store or easily enjoy the drinks as takeout. During breakfast, you can also order granola with white miso and rice bran.

PLUS KOMBUCHA

464-0807 4-17-2 Higashiyama-tori, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture

PLUS KOMBUCHA was founded in 2019. This store specializes in kombucha, a fermented beverage that is attracting worldwide attention. Kombucha is different from the kombucha that is familiar in Japan. It is a craft beverage made by fermenting tea leaves with water, sugar, and acetic acid bacteria. This drink is popular mainly in Europe, America, and Australia because of its refreshing taste and the depth of the infinite flavors that can be created depending on the fermentation period, amount of tea leaves and sugar, etc. PLUS KOMBUCHA sources organically grown tea leaves from across Japan to manufacture and sell kombucha that can only be made by Japanese people. You can enjoy kombucha to suit your lifestyle, by comparing the drinks in-store or by taking it out. There is no sour taste at all. Instead, you get to savor a refreshing light carbonation and the pleasant aroma of the tea leaves. The rich aroma of tea leaves that wafts through your nose is similar to that of an alcoholic drink, and some customers say they drink kombucha instead of alcohol. You can also order takeout. It's the perfect place to stop by on your way to Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Try a cup here first before riding the wave of the kombucha trend.

3. TOMO CAFF'E: Fermented Lunch at Hoshigaoka Terrace

TOMO CAFF'E, located in Hoshigaoka Terrace in Chikusa, Nagoya, is a cafe where you can enjoy dishes made with homemade fermented seasonings.

For lunch, they offer a set menu that includes side dishes (referred to as "Osousai" in the restaurant) and rice, allowing you to enjoy a gentle, nourishing meal.

Be Healthy by Incorporating Fermented Ingredients in Your Side Dishes and Drinks

The lunch menu, featuring homemade fermented seasonings, includes a side dish and rice. Takeout bento boxes are also available, making it a welcome meal not only for those in Hoshigaoka but also for those living and working in Nagoya.

Drinks made with fermented ingredients are also popular. There are plenty of options that will delight those with a sweet tooth, such as a strawberry drink made with amazake (sweet rice wine). Even those on a diet or training can enjoy their café time without feeling guilty.

TOMO CAFF'E's famous keema curry is also sold in their storefront as a ready-to-eat product. This makes it easy to add fermented dishes to your meals whenever you like.

TOMO CAFF’E

〒464-0802 Hoshigaoka Terrace The Kitchen 2, 16-50 Hoshigaoka Motomach...

TOMO CAFF'E was started by Tomoko Hayakawa, a former full-time housewife. She wanted her daughter, who was working late into the night to take her university entrance exams, to have a safe and secure cram school lunch. The appeal of TOMO CAFF'E is that it does not use additives. Rather, it uses the creator's "love" as a secret ingredient that you will not get tired of even if you eat it every day. For about two years after its founding, the company made cram school lunches and bento boxes distributed to nursery schools. However, TOMO CAFF'E opened as a restaurant in January 2016. In 2023, it moved to its current location at Hoshigaoka Terrace The Kitchen 2. All of the rice served at TOMO CAFF'E incorporates fermentation. Since the "salt koji trend" arrived around 2011, Hayakawa has been making a lot of fermented foods at home. Since incorporating it into her daily life, she noticed that it was effective in improving the shine of her skin and the firmness of her hair. So, she decided to incorporate fermentation into his menu at TOMO CAFF'E. Main and side dishes change depending on the season and ingredients, and there are several types to choose from. Among them, the amazake-marinated chicken karaage, which is available daily, goes well with rice since the rich flavor of amazake accentuates it. The crispy fried chicken remains moist and soft even after it cools down, making it perfect for lunch boxes. There are also many other dishes for enjoying the texture and flavor of the ingredients, such as grated carrot salad made with salt koji and broccoli and cauliflower peperoncino. The store also sells take-out side dishes and bento boxes. It is recommended for those interested in trying delicious fermented gourmet food easily.

4. Restaurant & Cafe K-an: A Fermented Food Cafe to Savor the Charms of Mirin

Restaurant & Cafe K-an, located in Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture, is a cafe restaurant operated by Kokonoe Mirin, a long-established mirin (sweet rice wine) manufacturer. Situated on the grounds of Kokonoe Mirin's headquarters, it offers dishes and sweets made with mirin.

Sweets Utilizing the Natural Sweetness of Mirin

In this cozy shop with warm wooden decor and an inviting atmosphere, we recommend the sweets made with fermented ingredients. Popular items include custard pudding made using only the sweetness of the mirin and cheesecake made with mirin lees.

For drinks, they offer mirin ginger ale, mirin cocktails, and more, allowing you to experience the new appeal of mirin as a fermented seasoning.

Additionally, the Japanese lunch set, made generously with fermented ingredients, is available by reservation only starting at 11:00 AM. Those who want to take their time enjoying their meal when the restaurant opens are advised to make a reservation in advance.

5. Baumkuchen Laboratory: Fermented Sweets Made With Soybean Miso

Located in Handa, Baumkuchen Laboratory is a specialty shop selling Baumkuchen made with a variety of fermented foods. Their signature products include baumkuchen made with Premium Running Eggs from Okazaki Ohan, a pure Japanese domestic chicken from Okazaki, and baumkuchen made with soybean miso sourced from Handa.

Exquisite Items that Combine Miso and Cacao

The Cacao Miso Baumkuchen is especially recommended. It's a unique sweet treat where the aroma of cacao and the salty miso flavor come together in perfect balance.

Although there isn't a dedicated dine-in area like in a cafe, you can sit and enjoy your treat on the benches in the garden. The Baum Stick, a slice of Baumkuchen served on a stick, is perfect for eating on the go. Enjoy a relaxing time with coffee, which is also available at the shop.

Baumkuchen Research Institute

475-0855 1-7 Nakamuracho , Handa City, Aichi Prefecture

Baumkuchen is made by skilled craftsmen over a period of more than four hours. The eggs used are the highest grade "Premium Running Eggs" from pure domestic chicken "Okazaki Ohan", and the flour used is carefully selected to bring out the maximum flavor of the eggs. Baumkuchen Laboratory's specialty "02" is born, with a richness and flavor that spreads throughout your mouth. The chewy and soft texture makes it feel like you're eating air.

6. haccosido: A Fermented Food Cafe Renovated From a Miso Storehouse

Located just a short walk from Koshido Station on the Meitetsu Mikawa Line, haccosido is a restaurant housed in a renovated miso brewery where you can enjoy fermented dishes. The restaurant boasts high ceilings and offers carefully prepared dishes using fermented ingredients.

A Popular Breakfast Menu Made with Red Miso

For lunch, they serve pork miso soup made with red miso from Maruka Jozo Brewery in Toyota. At haccosido, which opens at 8 am, you can start your day off right with a luxurious Japanese breakfast (reservations required) featuring this red miso soup. 

The breakfast plate, available April 17th, does not require reservations. It’s priced at the cost of a drink plus 450 yen (last order at 10:30).

During cafe hours, they also offer refreshments such as yaki-onigiri (grilled rice balls) made with miso and rolled omelet sandwiches made with amazake, allowing you to have a peaceful afternoon.

Go Fermented Food Cafe Hopping Around Nagoya!

Around Nagoya, you'll find numerous cafes where you can enjoy a variety of fermented foods, including soybean paste, soy sauce, and mirin. Find a place that catches your eye and experience Nagoya's unique fermented food culture.