Get ready my fellow Ibarakians, this is going to be a long post. But there are a lot of different delicious dishes in this post that you have to try. A lot of them American dishes. So get ready to check out pancakes, avocado toast, and bread that will knock your socks off. We are going on a journey to Espresso D' Works!
Espresso D' Works
Espresso D' Works is first a bakery, then a restaurant. I can't say if this is an Ibaraki original because there are restaurants in Tokyo and Nagoya. The Ibaraki location is in the Kyuchu area of Kashima.
The Ibaraki Eats Duo visited D' Works twice. The first time was for lunch, and the second time for breakfast. That being said, the post will be a bit backwards because I will be talking about lunch first.
The first time we visited D' Works was on a hot day in July. When I walked in and looked around, I immediately got a sort of west coast American vibe to the place. I was also the only male in the restaurant. This happened both times we visited, so D' Works seems to be popular with the ladies. We sat down at a nice comfy couch/table area and looked at the menu.
Lunch Menu
Great news! The menu is in Japanese and English! The lunch menu mainly consisted of pasta. There is also Hamburg steak, and some chicken dishes. You can also get a set meal with your main course which brings soup, salad and 100 percent bread, a D' Works original.
Pancake and Dessert Menu
Even though we were mainly there for lunch, the dessert and pancake menu is where it's at. One page of the menu is completely dedicated to pancakes. Look at those pancakes! They all look extremely appetizing. The next page has cheesecake, pudding, and French toast. So many amazing looking desserts to choose from. We decided on pancakes.
100 Percent Bread
My wife and I both got sets with our pasta dishes. I don't remember the soup or salad other than they were good, but man, do I remember the bread and creamy butter. The 100 percent bread was fluffy and absolutely delicious. I had read that D' Works uses the spring water from Kashima shrine to make this fantastic bread.
Why is it called 100 percent bread you might be asking. The bread is baked with 100% moisture. I don't really know what that means. I'm not a baker but that is what the staff told me. They also said that's what makes the bread so soft and delicious.
You definitely should try this bread and the butter, oh the butter...my mouth is watering just thinking about it now.
Salciccia and Sweet Potato Cream
This was my wife's pasta and it wasn't too bad. The sweet potatoes were great and the noodles were a good texture with the creamy sauce. But our dessert overshadowed everything.
Salted Caramel Pancake
Look at those beautiful pancakes, with all that ice cream, whipped cream, nuts and caramel syrup. Look at that mountain of deliciousness just waiting to be conquered. The pancakes were souffle style so they were really soft and jiggly. Mix that with vanilla ice cream and everything else on that plate and you will have an amazing day. My wife couldn't stop eating the pancakes and almost ate the whole dessert by herself. Luckily, she is a kind and sharing person. After we finished our pancakes, we were both extremely full and happy. We vowed to try the other pancakes on the menu.
Breakfast Menu
As I stated earlier, the second time we went to D' Works was for breakfast. Both of us really wanted to try D' Works breakfast dishes, so we went on an unusually cool day in August.
If you want to have breakfast here, you best not be late. Breakfast is only from 9:30-11:00.
Cafe Latte
This place is called Espresso D' Works, so you might be wondering about the coffee. My wife ordered a hot cafe latte and it was good. Was it anything to write home about? No, not really. But it does compliment any dessert dishes you might order from D' Works.
Avocado Ricotta Toast
This is what I ordered. I have to say, I was in Japan when the whole avocado toast crave was happening in the U.S. So I had never tried avocado toast until this point. This avocado toast has ricotta cheese below the huge slices of avocado. The toast was of course 100 percent bread, so I knew the toast part would be delicious. There were also small round rocks of salt scattered across the plate.
After trying this breakfast dish, I came to the conclusion that avocado toast is overrated. It isn't bad, it is actually quite tasty and healthy (even though this portion size was huge, so not so healthy). But everyone in the states made it seem like avocado toast was a gift from the gods. I did enjoy my avocado toast and so did my wife. I even thought the ricotta cheese was a nice touch. But I will most likely not be having it again. Once was enough for me.
Croque Madame
This is what my wife ordered. It is basically an extravagant ham and cheese sandwich but with a fried egg on top. D' Works madame was marvelous. I liked it way better than my avocado toast. The melty cheese inside with the crispy cheese outside was a mix of cheesy delight. The ham was pretty good, and the bread was, that's right you guessed it, 100 percent bread. This was a beautiful grand breakfast sandwich, all be it a bit heavy for the morning.
We both do want to try the other breakfast selections in the near future.
French Toast
Finally! A place that doesn't use banquette bread to make French toast! I was getting a little tired of that. When this glorious looking French toast came to our table, I was more then excited to try it. The French toast came with powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, and cream. Maple syrup is optional and the toast is 100 percent bread.
How was this wonderful looking French toast you ask? Have you ever tried a piece of French toast, and then time stops, and you know nothing except the sweet delicious embrace of that said French toast? Because that is how I felt. That amazing cream mixed with that French toast made my day, possibly my week. I am definitely having that French toast again, in fact, I want some while I am writing this post.
Espresso D'Works did remind me a lot of an American restaurant that you go to like Chili's or Denny's (but way nicer). It was nice to have that feeling after being out of the states for so long. The food was great and the desserts were divine. I forgot to mention that D' Works does have a different menu for dinner which has burgers and steaks. Looking forward to trying that sometime. They also sell craft beer from different places in Japan. Don't forget to order a loaf of 100 percent bread to take with you and have at home.
So if you are in the mood for a place with great food, a good atmosphere, and delicious bread, why not give Espresso D'Works a chance. Who knows, you might see me there, having an internal debate about whether to order the French toast or pancakes.
Enjoy!
For more information on Espresso D' Works Kashima, check out their Facebook page:
Oh! I almost forgot! If you need to go to the bathroom at D' Works, push the second book case from the right. It is a trick door and the bathrooms are behind the door. If you aren't sure, just ask the staff. Everyone else did when we went, including us.
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