Triple Cafe
Triple is a great place to pop into for a light meal. Set in a cute, wooden, rustic building- climb the steep stairs to find food, drinks, desserts, and snacks next to a barefoot running shop near Peace Park.
This cafe is called Triple because it’s a multifunctional space with the cafe, run shop and athlete support (showers and changing rooms) for those who pay a membership fee. The building has impressive all-wood ceiling beams and when I asked about it, the cafe owner told me Triple was built in a 60+-year-old building using upcycled wood to expand on the wooden theme of the original building.
When designing the cafe, she was happy to be able to find disused wooden planks and pieces from old factories and businesses. By putting to use wood that was going to waste, it’s not only sustainably sound, it also helps to create a laid-back, natural atmosphere.
The long counter & long slice of wood near the 4-top table are from the same piece of wood harvested from the same Japanese tree. The owner of the cafe said she was happy to find the impressive piece of wood as she had looked for a natural piece for the long counter in the cafe plan.
The food at the cafe is tasty and very reasonably priced. They serve up some delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes. There are also fish, pork and chicken dishes available on the menu. I went in the late afternoon to try the vegan options and although they had sold out of rice, I enjoyed a tasty soy cutlet sandwich (vegan) for 600 yen. She said it is possible to also add egg or cheese for only 50 yen more.
I then tried the soy-nugget (meat-like) dish made with deep-fried soy chunks breaded and spiced. These were very tasty and flavorful and served with a light salad. The owner said it usually comes with a side of rice, but even without, it was a very tasty and balanced light meal with a side of fresh veggies.
I couldn’t resist the “Toriaizu” (to start with) Heartland Beer on draught, served in a glass mug to have while I waited for the food and caught up online using the free WiFi. After the mains, I followed the meal with an Acai Bowl – acai fruits and berries smoothie topped with homemade granola.
The cafe owner has a great understanding of the vegan and vegetarian diets and gets some ingredients from the vegetarian restaurant and grocer in Koi, Saishoku-Kenbi. There are smoothies and Acai bowl available for vegans and a variety of cakes and non-vegan desserts available as well as a selection of coffee, tea, and beer.
If possible, when ordering cold drinks, ask for “No Straw please,” as they are unfortunately still using plastic straws which is still the norm in Japan. Everything else, however, seems to have a reusable, sustainability-focused vibe and is served in nice quality reusable cups, plates, bowls and other containers.
The food menu is in Japanese and English, but the drinks menu and specials boards are in Japanese. The staff speaks a bit of English and is friendly, helpful and flexible when ordering so please ask about specials if you are interested.
There is seating along the counter as well as at a few tables. The whole building is non-smoking. The adjacent run shop specializes in barefoot (toe) shoes and there are shower stalls for members at the back.
#upcycle #vegan #vegetarian #plantbased #reuse #cafe #hiroshima
