Tsurugashima, Saitama, Japan｜Hangout

Cute cafe with a nice selection and English menu! Chill, English music and a seaside/beach/Cali vibe. The interior even has some benches with cushions, very reminiscent of comfy coffee shops in my home region of the Pacific Northwest. I had the hot sandwich and caramel latte. The latte was nice, not too sweet with a nice mild flavor. The espresso roast they use has a nice full-bodied flavor and the steamed milk had a nice foam to it. My one concern was that my "hot" latte came to the table barely lukewarm. Not sure if this is because the cups are not heatproof and so it isn't possible to get a nice scalding hot latte, or if it was an honest mistake. I'll come back on another day to see if this was a one-time incident or standard practice and update my review accordingly. The hot sandwich was absolutely wonderful and even better than I expected given the reasonable price!! It consisted of thick slices of ham and cheddar on white bread grilled in a panini press or something similar. Best point: the cheese was melted perfectly! Just what you'd ask for from a ham and grilled cheese sandwich. As an American with a taste for richer foods, I thought the bread on the sandwich was a bit dry. If I were making it at home, I would brush the panini press with a little butter or olive oil to put a little extra flavor on that sandwich. I imagine the Japanese customers probably prefer the dry toasted sandwich bread, though, so I can't complain. One final note: I'd like it if the shop had cold water either served at the table or available for self-service, especially if you ordered coffee. Espresso is very strong and having water to cleanse my palate between sips would have been nice. Overall, I was very pleased with my visit and will definitely be coming again! The variety of food offered sounds too good to pass up, and the prices are quite reasonable, so I see no reason not to visit again soon!!

The owner told me he was inspired by LA and made the cafe. The atmosphere of the cafe is cute and very relaxing. I really enjoyed a nice black coffee and a donut. The owner is enjoyable and talkative as well!

Fantastic coffee and smoothies. Host was very kind and sociable! Fun and relaxed environment.