Kashinoki

If you are in the Ushita area, near San Bellmo and Ushita elementary school, drop into the delightful bakery and tea shop Kashinoki for a break or to take a treat back home with you.

This business has been run by a local Ushita couple for the past 30 years, 10 years in this same location on this main Ushita street. They have a nice assortment of cakes of all flavors, varieties and sizes, pies, cookies -ginger, cinnamon, cereal, madelline, vanilla, almond to name a few.

They also have jellies, dried figs, ume plums in syrup and even cherries soaked in brandy for sale (although she told me they usually keep them for a year and then dip them in chocolate to make cherry bonbons). Recently, they also offer home-made donuts- the black sugar or cinnamon ones are our favorites.

Custom-orders are also possible as they have a menu offering made-to-order wedding cakes (see the picture in the shop), birthday or other occasion cakes as well. As are common in Japan, most of the cakes are made of spongecake with whipped cream icing and fruit, chocolate or custom-made decoration toppings.

There are only a few seats on a small wooden table at the front of the shop, but there is often enough room to sit and enjoy

a proper English tea with your own pot of tea and cup set on a proper placement. I am sure my tea loving British mother-in-law would approve.

I enjoyed the tea and cake set- under 700 yen (with classic chocolate cake- outstanding). They do offer a variety of other hot and cold drinks (including fresh strawberry milk, herb tea or coffee) all for around 500 yen.

• No English speaking staff or English menu, but staff are very easy to communicate with in easy Japanese or with gestures.
• No reservations, No credit cards, No parking

Address: 2F 2-1-22 Ushita-naka,HIgashi-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima-ken
Tel: 082-223-2726
URL: www.hicat.ne.jp/home/kasinoki [ja]