Ecclectic Cafe: Mmm Que Rico

Located in Nakatsu's tiny shotengai (shopping arcade), I sped past the cafe on my bicycle without noticing. I promptly did a U-turn and turned down the narrow shotengai. With it's bright stained glass facade, Mmm Que Rico is like a diamond in the rough of a dying shotengai.

I quickly felt at home with the funky, ecclectic interior, and 1970's music.

They make their own jams, preserves and liquers using seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Some of the jam flavors included: kiwi, lilikoi, plum, Japanese su-momo and tomato.

I ordered the pasta of the day: a chilled genovese pasta with fresh heirloom tomatoes and eggplant. I had never eaten raw eggplant and was thoroughly surprised by the cool, sweet flavor.

The owners were kind enough to bring down their adorable cat, Negi, to meet me.

A friendly, fellow customer with a camera, struck up a conversation with me and taught me how to make light-shapes with long exposures on my camera. He instructed, "To make a heart, you actually make a butt shape, because the light will be upsidedown," or something like that (my Japanese skills evade me at times). He also has an instagram account: odamakis