Tokyo Coffee Shop Tour vol.2
~ Introducing Monosus members' favorites ~

Now that September has arrived, the heat has subsided.

Do you have any favorite shops?
There are many coffee shops and cafes in Tokyo. It's fun to visit them after work or on your days off, wondering what kind of place they are.

This time, a Monosus member introduced us to a long-established coffee shop in Shinjuku that he visited this summer, and a shaved ice shop that he had been wanting to go to ever since he started living alone in Tokyo.

Reunion with the Coffee Float

In recent years, coffee shops have been getting a lot of attention. Magazines feature them, and many books introducing coffee shops have been published. I wonder if people are in a mood to rediscover or reminisce about things from the Showa era... and I am one of them.

When I think of a coffee shop, I think of a coffee float. It's a big glass with a long spoon in it. If you want to drink something like that, you have to go to a coffee shop.
So, in order to enjoy a nostalgic coffee float in a Showa-era setting, I made my way to the west exit of Shinjuku Station.

Cafe Peace is a long-established coffee shop. The waiter told me that it started business here before the Odakyu Department Store was built. It's been there for over 50 years. I feel like bowing down to it.
The shop faces the rotary at the west exit. It is set back from the sidewalk, so it is quiet in front of the shop despite being close to the station. The word "Peace" is clearly written in blue letters on a white acrylic sign.

There is a huge gap between this flashy signboard and the interior of the store. By the way, when I hear the name "Peace," I think of the comedy duo "Peace," and that alone makes me feel a sense of familiarity with the name. This is probably taken from the cigarette brand "Peace," which is a much older name.
As I was standing in front of the store, I saw two old ladies enter the store with a familiar look on their face. I hurriedly followed them and went inside the store as well.

The entrance door has the word "Peace" written vertically. The unique font and gold color are sophisticated.

As I was standing at the register just after entering, an old waiter who looked like he had been at the restaurant since it first opened came over and offered me a seat. He was a small, charming old man. He was still working there. It was an amazing restaurant.

The chairs are covered in deep green sheets and the tables look like marble. The interior of this old coffee shop is very relaxing. Looking around, I see a wide variety of customers, including two old ladies who seem to have just gone out, a couple of boys and girls in their twenties who seem to like anime, and a man who looks like a creator having a business meeting with his laptop open.

Since it is a coffee shop, of course smoking is allowed at all seats. It may be a bit smoky for non-smokers, including me, but I feel that it would be different if smoking were banned. Perhaps the unique atmosphere of a coffee shop is created by the customers who smoke.

I quickly looked over the menu and ordered the coffee float I had been looking for.
A round vanilla ice cream in a glass filled with ice and iced coffee. It's been a long time since I've had a coffee float. Let's eat.

I shave off the ice cream bit by bit with a long spoon and eat it while drinking the coffee through a straw. I got tired of slicing it with the spoon halfway through, so I stirred it around to make a sweet milk coffee and drank the rest. I don't smoke cigarettes, but I feel like I've had a puff with the coffee float. I'm very satisfied.

By the way, did you know that there is a cup ice cream called coffee float?
When I was in elementary school, my cousin took me to a coffee shop where I had iced coffee for the first time. I was so shocked by how delicious it was that I started to like coffee.
But my kids can't often go to coffee shops. So instead of real coffee, I often had coffee floats in a cup. They were made with crunchy coffee-flavored ice cream and vanilla ice cream in the middle. I remembered that I loved them because I could enjoy the taste of coffee along with the ice cream.
I wonder if they're still selling it. If I see it at the supermarket, I'll buy some.

The taste and appearance are both superb. A dreamlike shaved ice.

Going back to December of last year.
It was around the time that I decided to work at Monosus, moved to Tokyo, and had decided on a new city to live in.

The name of the town we are moving to is Nakano-Shinbashi.

It's across from Hatsudai, just barely in Nakano Ward.
A wonderfully convenient location, just 10 minutes by bus or 7 minutes by train to Shinjuku.
However, once you step into the alley, you'll find yourself in a quiet residential area.

It's my first time living alone.

As I was feeling hopeful about my new life and browsing Instagram to see what kinds of shops I could find in my new town, this one caught my eye.

Shaved ice piled high in a bowl decorated with coffee beans!
The ice looks crunchy, but melts gently when you put it in your mouth; the delicacy and softness of the ice can be seen even in the photo.

The beauty and cuteness of its appearance struck a chord with me.

I definitely want to go here!!

The seasons passed by quickly as I experienced a variety of emotions I had never felt before, including the joys of the city, loneliness, an unfamiliar job, and living alone for the first time, and finally summer arrived.

On a swelteringly hot day despite it being early summer, we start walking in search of shaved ice.

About a six-minute walk from the station, we came across a small green shop hidden away in a residential area.

The store opens at 11am, but there are already several groups waiting in line.
However, the line wasn't so long that you couldn't wait, it was just right.
There are many people with friends, but you can also see a few people alone.

You're just a little bit away from enjoying the shaved ice of your dreams.
I waited nervously, and after about 20 minutes I was let in.

The interior of the shop is a little small, and the shaved ice is made on the other side of the counter seating.
When I looked over at the wall, I saw a small blackboard with lots of unusual menu items!

The menu is full of exciting items such as granola, sake lees, cream cheese, and brown sugar milk flavored with soy sauce.

You'll be surprised at just how many varieties there are of shaved ice, and the fun of choosing will surely be aroused.

I wanted to eat something refreshing and summery today, so after some deliberation, I decided to order Okinawa passion fruit and milk shaved ice.

After waiting for a while, the shaved ice I had seen in the photo was handed to me from the counter in front of me.

From the side

From above

At last, finally!

In joy, I scooped up a bite and brought it to my mouth, where a passion fruit seed popped in my mouth.
The sweet and sour taste of the passion fruit and the gentle sweetness of the milky shaved ice melt gently in your mouth and disappear in an instant, creating a truly satisfying feeling.

I brought the ice to my mouth, reluctant to let it melt, and in no time I had eaten the entire bowl full of ice.
No matter how much fluffy ice you eat, your head won't feel numb.

When he first moved out on his own, he made a mistake in choosing the right property, his dreams were shattered, and he had a rough time...
Due to various circumstances, we ended up moving in less than six months, but Mamatoko's shaved ice was delicious.

When I think back on it, that place feels like a dream.

Summer is over and autumn is around the corner, so be sure to come and visit.

This coffee shop has been in business in Shinjuku for over 50 years and is still loved by people of all ages and genders. The fact that it always has the same atmosphere no matter when you go there may be what makes it a comforting place for so many people.
And after moving to Tokyo, I was finally able to visit the shaved ice shop in the summer, and the shaved ice there was just as fluffy and sweet as I had hoped... I think it must have become a memorable drink, judging by her words that "it was like a dream."

We hope to introduce some of our members' favorite coffee shops again!