Cafe Chocotto is a very special place to me. I found it in on a cycle in the Kawagoe Satoyama Initiative area of Fukuda. I hit it off with the owner, one of the loveliest people you could meet. And so started a new relationship. The only reason I have not shared this spot to date is because I don’t think I can ever do it (or her) justice in words. But with autumn sunflower, red spider lily and cosmos season around the corner, I will share information and leave the sentiment aside. I want to get this post published, because this cafe is close to two secret flower spots and has a beautiful cosmos patch of its own.
Cafe Chocotto
Cafe Chocotto is located in a very rural part of Kawagoe. It is in the main area of the Kawagoe Satoyama Initiative, in Fukuda. Currently, there are some sunflowers – planted by the Satoyama initiative – in bloom in the area. The cafe is a short walk from the sunflowers, on the grounds of the owner’s home.
Furthermore, there are cosmos flowers in the garden of the cafe, which typically bloom in September. This year, probably late September though. Which will be around the same time as the red spider lilies. There are lots of wild spider lilies dotted here and there in the area. Moreover, the cafe is located near a official top 100 Natural Scenic Spot of Saitama – a red spider lily colony. Chocotto is located on the east banks of the Iruma River and the colony is on the westside.
Chocotto opened about a year ago. The day I discovered the cafe, it was closed. It turns out, that although the building with the cafe sign on it, was there since September 2021, it didn’t actually open for business until 2022. Furthermore, because it only opens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, it took a while for met to get to visit it. But eventually my lunch buddy and I paid a visit. We both fell in love with the cafe and its owner. So much so, I brought my family, something I rarely do, and they became fans too.
Menu
All the food in Chocotto is freshly made by the owner. She also sells handmade goods, by herself and locals. You can choose from a selection of bread or order a lunch. Which is what I did on my very first visit, and opted for the open sandwiches. You can can also choose pasta. The lunch comes with tea or coffee. Moreover, she makes a variety of delicious cakes and / or tarts, each day there are different options. I found it very reasonably priced, considering all the food is freshly homemade.
You can sit indoors or outdoors. On a hot day they often have the large red tarp up, that you can see in the featured photo at the top of the post. There is a cute toadstool table and chairs that is a big hit with kids. And they also have a wooden swing in the garden too.
Rice Farm
The main business of the family is rice. You can purchase rice in the cafe. We now buy rice directly from the farm several times a year. They also sell fresh vegetables seasonally. You can also rent the barbecue in the garden. Please talk to the owner directly about this service.
Information
Cafe: Chocotto
Season: all year round, but in September you can see sunflowers and scarecrows nearby and cosmos in the cafe’s garden. In addition, the spider lilies grow during the second half of September.
Hours: 10 am to 5 pm, Fridays to Sundays (closed Mondays to Thursdays)
Cost: from around 380 yen for a cake
Venue: Cafe Chocotto, 645-1 Terayama, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0827. View on Google Maps.
Access
The cafe is close to route 160 and about a ten minute drive from the Kawajima Interchange of the Ken-o Expressway. There is parking for about eight cars. There is a place to park bicycles too.
There is a bus that you can get from Kawagoe Station heading to “Hachiman danchi” in Kawajima. Alight at the Josai HS bus stop and walk west. Apart from the red spider lilies, other things in the area include Monolith bouldering gym and Fueki Shoyu factory and Kinbue Soy Sauce Park.
looks lovely in the sunshine!