Cafe TOROCCO — Restaurant in Kawagoe

Finding a place that has a dish so good that it feels like love is like finding a pearl in an oyster. I am happy to report that I have found that pearl and must confess...I think I am in love. Café TOROCCO is an ABSOLUTE must-visit.

Café TOROCCO specializes in sweet potato mini kaiseki, a traditional Japanese meal brought in courses. Kaiseki ryori tends to be quite expensive, but as this is a "mini" kaiseki, you will find that the price is quite reasonable; only 2,200 yen. Another big difference is that instead of being served in courses, all the dishes come out at the exact same time, except for the dessert. Only a certain amount of sweet potato mini kaisekis are served in a day, so make sure to make a reservation. This can be done online or by phone.

Before I go on to gush about the meal I do want to mention something that I found lackluster, and that is the interior/seating. Being situated in the heart of Koedo and with part of the building being of the traditional warehouse style (蔵造り), I was expecting a more eye-catching and elegant interior. Instead, it felt more like walking into a small café that has only a handful of spots to sit at. Not a deal breaker by any stretch, but it does feel like a missed opportunity.

Now, on to the food. When ordering the mini kaiseki, you get to choose between two beverages: hojicha tea with matcha or a sweet potato and umeshu cocktail. There is definitely a right choice and that's the sweet potato and umeshu cocktail. Never would I have thought that sweet potato and Japanese plum would pair so well with each other and since it is umeshu, it does not have a strong alcohol taste, so it feels like you are having the most delectable juice. I ended buying a bottle of this cocktail. It really was that good. You are given a small card, in Japanese or English, with the name of all the menu items. As you might have guessed, every single dish is made using sweet potato as an ingredient. Not a single dish was a miss. Some of my favorites were the tofu salad with sweet potato and the steamed sweet potato rice. However, it was the sweet potato potage soup that left me speechless. While a good bowl of miso soup warms the soul, this sweet potato potage soup embraced it. The consistency and the slight hints of sweetness were masterfully crafted and perfectly brought together into a single bowl. I would make the trip to Kawagoe just for a bowl of that soup. To round out the meal, you are served sweet potato ice cream. It is delicious and refreshing.

Café TOROCCO is part of a ceramics and pottery store with a long history. When making a reservation, there is a set offering a pottery making lesson with the kaiseki for those who want to make it a longer experience. Oh, and they offer a 100 yen discount if you go wearing a...

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! 💮 If you’re in Kawagoe for the day, this is a cute place to have lunch.

‼️Be sure to reserve 3 days in advanced (as stated on their website) and say you want to Mini Sweet Potato Kaiseki

🍱 The food itself is honestly incredibly delicious! I really like the idea that they incoprorate sweet potatoe in each dish. My favourite was the Miso-Sweet Potato soup, it was so smooth and had the perfect balance of sweet and savoury. I personally didn’t get to try the Gratin but based on some friends they said it was the weakest link in the set. A dessert it also included (which I also didn’t get to try cries in lactose intolerance) and this was really good according to the others in my group.

🏢 The atmosphere is cute and right next to it is a small temple that is absolutely precious. Moreover, inside the restaurant they cell assorted pottery and the designs are unique, cute and beautiful!

💴 In terms of price it is quite reasonable considering the amount of food you get and the quality. Additionally the service is quite quick and efficient. Definitly worth the price.

Too long; didn’t read - Great lunch spot in Kawagoe, need to reserve in advanced for the Sweetpotato Mini Kaiseki, price is good for what you get and it’s also delicious,...

A good way to spend your day trip to Kawagoe. Note: if you hate sweet potato, turn around and run! They specialise in sweet potatoes! Arrived without a booking on a busy Thursday afternoon but they took our name down for a group of 6 (1 hr wait!). Gave us time to explore the surroundings small streets. Its ¥2200 for the set menu, food was delicious and tasty, my favourite was the soup but towards the end was a bit too much sweet potato!

You finish off with ice cream and roasted tea which was also nice.

Service is impeccable as usual in Japan. Would I come back again, probably no. But I definitely didn't regret trying...