Have you ever been to the Himitsukichi area in Tsukuba? It is a lovely wooded area, with a furniture store, trees, tables, and chairs for hanging out. The first time I went there I thought "This would be a great place to hold an event." Well, Himitsukichi had the same idea and held a delightful event last July.
Tanabatayoichi in Himitsukichi
Himitsukichi is located in the Shimohiratsuka area of Tsukuba. It is right by Tsukuba Ham and Hare Gohan's main restaurant. The place is mainly a furniture store but it is a lovely area to check out. The furniture store itself has a nice design and there are a lot of cool (all be it expensive) things to see.
Outside is where it's at in my opinion. The small forest area of the furniture store is lovely. Kids can play around that area, and there are plenty of tables and chairs to sit down and enjoy a coffee.
The Tanabatayoichi event was held last July. I was happy to see a lot of familiar faces of the culinary arts and meet some new ones.
Let's get this party started!
I first got to this event in the early evening. People were still trickling in at this time, but once the sun went down, the event was in full swing. I was happy to see everyone enjoying the scenery and atmosphere. I met a lot of awesome people there that day. Some I knew and some I just met, and we bonded over delicious food and wine. (No wine for me unfortunately, since I drove.)
43 Ponte Grilled Veggies
I started off my night with a small appetizer of grilled vegetables with olive oil from 43 Ponte. 43 Ponte is a wine restaurant in the Amakubo area of Tsukuba. I haven't been to their restaurant yet but I hope to visit soon.
A lot of the people around me where enjoying different kinds of wine from 43 Ponte. I was enjoying the grilled zucchini soaked in olive oil and seasoning. It was delightful and surprinsgly cold. It worked well for that warm July evening.
Coffee Bar Stove Mocktail
The night of the event was a bit humid and warm, so a nice cold drink was a must. Where did I go for my cold drink? My favorite place to get an espresso, Coffee Bar Stove. Stove had their usual menu of espressos and cafe lattes. They also had an alcohol section which looked fantastic. As I wrote before, I drove to this event so no alcohol for me. Not to worry though, Stove has a Mocktail section that doesn't have alcohol. I ordered a Mocktail and it was the perfect drink for that night. It was sweet, strong, and very refreshing. It went perfectly with my grilled vegetables, complementing the olive oil.
Hi-5 Cheeseburger
When I heard Hi-5 was going to be at this event, I was of course going to get a cheeseburger. Hi-5 was pretty busy so I had to wait a while for my cheeseburger. But as always, it was worth it. The juicy patty with that amazing melted cheese made my night ten times better. Hi-5 never disappoints.
Goatee's Fish Sandwich
I did try a new place at this event. It was a small food stall called Goatee. I thought the name was interesting and since I have a small goatee myself, I thought I might as well check it out. The food stall had a picture of a goat in their logo with a long goatee. I met the owner who also had a long goatee. After meeting him, I fully understood where the name came from and laughed with the owner about it.
At the event, Goatee had two sandwiches available. One of them a fish sandwich and the other a pork sandwich. I tried the fish sandwich and I believe the fish was saba which is mackerel in English. I am not sure what sauces were in the sandwich but they were perfect with the saba. The saba had that salty fishy flavor and the sauce had a kind of spicy mayo flavor and they amazingly worked out well together. I told the owner that I would come visit his restaurant in Tsukuba sometime soon.
I had a great time at the Himitsukichi Village Event. I met some friends, had delicious food, and enjoyed a nice evening outside. The hanging lights, the trees all around us, and the clear weather made for an amazing summer night atmosphere. Sure, I got bit by mosquitoes a few times (one time in the face), but that is what happens in summer. I only wish I could have had a few glasses of wine.
I hope that Himitsukichi plans another event soon. Maybe at the end of summer or the beginning of fall. I would love to spend time in that forest area again while enjoying a Hi-5 Burger and a cafe latte from Stove. If I hear any news about another event in the near future, you can be sure that I will let you know. Until next time Himitsukichi!
I forgot to mention two things:
One, Stove usually has a small food truck event at Himitsukichi once a month or once every two months. It is Stove and one or two other food trucks in Himitsukichi's parking area. It is a nice time to stop on by and have a nice lunch in a beautiful area.
The second thing is, I was told that Himitsukichi is building a tree house in their woods area. I think that would be awesome for kids to explore while their parents have a nice espresso from Stove.
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