軽井沢ミカドコーヒーの中では穴場店。 : Mikado Coffee Karuizawa Tsuruya Ten

I learned about the birth story of the "Mocha Soft" from Mikado Coffee in Ikebukuro.
On October 24, 2014, a special segment on Nippon Television's news program "news every." featured the story of how the Mocha Soft was created.
The founder, Keisuke Kanasaka, observed that children brought to the coffee specialty store were often bored and thought, "Let's create coffee that children can enjoy."
Inspired by the soft serve ice cream that was popular at the time, the "Mocha Soft" was born by blending coffee and soft serve ice cream.
The addition of fresh milk enhances the sweetness of the coffee.
Thus, in 1969, the Mocha Soft was introduced.

Even now, in the Heisei era, the "Mocha Soft" has become synonymous with Karuizawa.
I personally believe that in managing a business, especially in the food and beverage industry, it is essential to maintain the owner's keen insight, curiosity, and dexterity, which this story reflects.
Ran's mother reminisced, "Back in those days, that's right~. Coffee shops felt like 'coffeehouses,' so kids must have found it boring."
I also have memories of learning about Mikado Coffee from Ran's mother long ago.

◎ "Mocha Soft" (JPY 300)
Served in a cone or cup, the price is the same for both.
A cup comes with a prune on the side.
The flavor of the Mocha Soft is quite simple.
If you're used to the sophisticated flavors of modern soft serve, you might think it tastes "ordinary."
The taste nicely balances the aroma of both milk and coffee without any overwhelming aftertaste.
With a hint of sweetness, it’s not overly sweet, making it refreshing to enjoy in the summer.
The price remains the same, even after the 8% consumption tax increase.

◎ "Mocha Float" (JPY 565)
Topped with Mocha Soft on iced coffee, this is my personal favorite due to its great value—offering both the Mocha Soft and iced coffee at the same time, which I prefer over the cone or prune.
The iced coffee has a unique richness that is strong yet not overwhelmingly dense.
I find its flavor to be less acidic and bitter, emphasizing a deep richness.
It’s easy to finish quickly as I alternate between sipping the iced coffee and enjoying the Mocha Soft.
The price changed recently from JPY 550 to JPY 565 (including tax) due to the 8% consumption tax.

◎ "Blue Mountain No. 1" (JPY 670)
The café offers coffee beans for sale by weight, allowing customers to purchase and brew their favorite beans on-site.
This product is now listed on the menu; however, it was not available last year.
Ran's coffee-loving mother asked if they had Blue Mountain, and it was served at that moment.
I forget the previous price, but I learned that it is now JPY 670 per cup.
By the way, at that time, the Blue Mountain beans were being sold for JPY 1,000 per 100g.
As expected for Blue Mountain, it was served in a stylish coffee cup, unlike the disposable cups used for desserts like the Mocha Float!
As someone who usually doesn't drink hot coffee, I couldn't discern its superiority, but Ran's mother was delighted and said, "Choosing Blue Mountain was a great idea. It's truly delicious!"
Seeing my mother enjoying original coffee during a shopping break made me think she carries herself elegantly.

Among the Mikado Coffee locations in Karuizawa, the Karuizawa Tsuruya store is my favorite.
Unlike the [Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza location], which sees long lines due to outlet shoppers, or the [Karuizawa Old Road store], which also attracts a crowd of tourists, the Tsuruya store often has no long lines.
They have a variety of sweet souvenirs and coffee beans, allowing guests to shop at their leisure.
Whenever I want to visit Mikado Coffee, I always find myself going to the Karuizawa Tsuruya store.
Just be aware that since Tsuruya has become a popular supermarket, the parking lot can get very crowded, so plan your visit with time to spare.