Restaurant search site for food minorities

Supervisor / Recommender

Megumi Hirata

Representative of Vegetarian food agency service ~ COSMOS ~

Click here for introduction

After working as a registered dietitian at a hospital / school for about 5 years, she stayed in 3 overseas countries (New Zealand, Ireland, Australia) for a total of 4 years. Having met a vegan vegetarian friend there, she deepened her learning not only about food, but also about the environment and livestock issues. She has been living a vegetarian life since she was in Australia.

After returning to Japan, she was surprised by the lack of choices in Japan. Megumi once stopped her vegetarian diet because it was conditionally hard to continue. But she wanted to live based on her own philosophy and resumed an ideal vegetarian lifestyle.

When Megumi re-started a vegetarian diet, she often heard about problems such as eating out, having few choices, worrying about additives, and allergic ingredients. People seek to choose vegan but many are very worried about surrounding conditions in Japan. Megumi was definitely one of those who was worried about the same problems. Then, she wanted to do a job to support people who are in trouble because they are in the same situation as she is. So, she started the current vegetarian food service.

Cucuri Cafe: Connecting with the Earth and People

The Cucuri Cafe in Kazo City, Saitama Prefecture, is located in a corner of the farm of Seinousha, a farming company that focuses on completely pesticide-free cultivation.

An old wooden cafe in a renovated cocoon hut.

The nice wooden sign is the landmark.

The closest station is Hanasaki Station, but it takes about 30 minutes to walk from the station, so we recommend that you drive to the cafe.
The word “cucuri” means “cocoon” in Greek.
The cafe is an old wooden house that was renovated from a cocoon hut over 100 years ago.
The menu features a wide variety of creative Japanese dishes, including meat, fish, and veggie dishes. Drinks include not only coffee and tea, but also rare items such as mugwort tea and sweet tea, （Rubus suavissimus) and a wide variety of desserts that are guilt-free.

Raw cake with figs

Chocolate cake

You can choose from white rice, brown rice, or fermented brown rice. The rice is made from 100% Kampo rice grown without the use of pesticides by Seinousha.
Fermented brown rice is usually made with red beans, but here they use black rice.
The brown rice is not dry or crumbly , which is often a distinctive characteristic of brown rice, and the cooking method has been carefully considered so that even those who are not used to eating brown rice can enjoy it easily. Vegetables are from nearby farms that do not use pesticides, or from Seinousha, which is located next door.

Menu items with plenty of vegetables that are carefully selected

The menu is created with carefully selected ingredients, both those that contain animal products such as meat and fish, and completely vegetarian dishes that vegans can enjoy.
This time, we had the veggie menu, “Curry and rice with pesticide-free figs made by Seinousha.”

Curry and rice with pesticide-free figs made by Seinousha.

The roux is mild, sweet, and rich, and goes well with the brown rice. There are also plenty of fresh, colorful vegetables on the plate, which look amazing.
The carrot dressing for the salad is completely original recipe. It is refreshing and goes well with raw vegetables.
And here is another dish, “Plentiful vegetables in Bagna Cauda Style”.

Plentiful vegetables in Bagna Cauda Style

Plenty of vegetables and tempeh were served in the original veggie sake lees dipping sauce. The sauce was so rich and excellent that I couldn’t believe it was made without animal products. Bagna cauda means hot sauce. The sauce here is cold, so technically it is called bagna freda, but they call it bagna cauda style to make it easier to understand.
In addition to sake lees, the veggie sauce has various flavors depending on the season, such as fig, oriental, avocado, and hijiki seaweed.

Not only for dipping vegetables, but they also go well with salad dressings, hamburgers, shabu-shabu, and other meat and fish dishes.
The recipes for the restaurant’s original veggie sake lees sauce and carrot dressing are posted on Instagram, so be sure to check it out.
Reservation is required for dinner, and you can choose from a set meal or a dinner course menu from 2500 yen. There are also lodging facilities at the farm, and if you bring your own sleeping bag, you can stay there for a reasonable price.

Commited to offering food that can be enjoyed by everyone no matter what thier food preferences are.

The chef was happy to answer our questions about how to cook brown rice, original dressings, and recipes for cakes.
“I’d be happy if this cafe could be a gateway for people to think that vegan can be delicious! ” The cafe’s goal is to achieve ” To offer food that can be enjoyed by everyone, including vegans, vegetarians, meat lovers, people who refrain from eating animal products, and people avoiding gluten, regardless of thier food preferences.

He hopes that people who are not familiar with vegan food will come to the cafe with the intention of eating interesting and uniquel dishes, and in order to expand the circle of the community, he generously shares his recipes and cooking tips without keeping it a secret. Not only vegans and vegetarians, but everyone can enjoy the delicious food at Cucuri Cafe, so please give it a try.

「 Cucuri cafe」Basic information

Store name	Cucuri cafe
Tel	080-3204-9961
Address	1393-1, Yuigashima, Kazo-shi, Saitama
Business hours	9：30am to 4：30pm / 6：00pm – 10：00pm Lunch 11:30am to 2:00pm（LO）Café 9：30am to 11:00am（LO) / 2:00pm to 3:00pm（LO） Dinner 6:00pm to 8:00pm（LO）
Holiday	Wednesdays
Budget	Lunch from 1,100 yen
Payment method	Cash, au PAY, LINE Pay, Merpay
Parking Lot	Available for 20 cars
Language	Japanese, English
Advance reservation	Reservation required for dinner.
Cooking description	Available when you come to the Cafe or over phonce upon making a reservation.
Note	35 seats on the first floor, private room on the first floor for up to 6 people, dining space that can be hired on the second floor, 2 outdoor tables
Store HP