Glance at your left as soon as you exit Gose station and you will surely notice the lovely facade of Ohisama Cafe and Shop.
The rain showed no sign of stopping and we were very hungry. We planned to eat at the yattai (food kiosks) that were set up for Gose's Sougetsusai Festival, however, it closed earlier as planned due to bad weather. Most of local restaurants were also closed for the day.
We were left with no choice but to head back to the station and had our fill at Ohisama Cafe and Shop. Its a small cafe beside the Gose Station. What I like about this place is that although small, it has a spacious feel compared to most cafes. It also has a bright and very inviting ambience. Quite appropriate since "ohisama" translates as "sun" in English.
Since we were so hungry, we got our hands on the pastries and breads first. They were good. After that, I ordered meat sauce spaghetti for myself, my son and my wife, and our host and my daughter had soba in duck soup.
My 5 year old son finished his pasta serving and said it was delicious. Well as for me and my wife, we thought it was too bland and felt there was no real effort in the way it was presented. It felt like they just tossed the noodle and the sauce on the plate and voila, it ended in our table. On the other hand, my daughter's soba noodle with duck meat soup was really tasty and delicious.
I even had to request utensils from the counter. This poor quality of service is pretty much rare in Japan. But I'm willing to give this cafe another chance in the future. Maybe, the crew were just overwhelmed with the unusual high number of customers, festival goers, hungry and seeking refuge from the rain.
However, the pastries and bread are really good. Also, the produce shop really adds a nice touch to the Cafe. Visitors wanting to bring some fresh fruits and vegetables on their way back to the city would surely appreciate the shop.
