Saturday, February 21, 2009

Cafe clover


Location: Chatan, in the Junkyard area, behind the rows of orange track homes and just south of the baseball pitch. It is up on a little hill, manicured with herbs and flowers. Park in front.
Hours: 11:30 to 1600, closed on a Sunday once when we tried to stop by
Cafe clover is a pleasant, IKEA inspired space. Lots of natural light and light wood. Out the back there is a small veggie garden, in the front is fresh mint and basil. We went for the lunch set, which is 1260Y. You start with a cheese and rice ball as an appetizer, which is brought out sitting on top of the sawed-off mouth of a wine bottle. Then, you get the main plate, pictured to the side. There is a hearty miso soup with chunks of tofu and potato. There is a small green salad with a beautiful light dressing. There is brown rice topped in thinly sliced seaweed, dressed with a delicate sesame flavour. The two smaller dishes we cannot adequately describe as we are not sure exactly what they were, but both were interesting and beautifully presented, if slightly bland. The middle dish was stewed daikon topped in vinegared sliced veggies, with a few breaded bits of pork. The meat and daikon were yummy, though we are not partial to vinegared veggies. A healthful and lovely meal in the organic Japanese style, with impeccable presentation. Also included in the meal is a palate-cleaning sorbet, ours was lemon-ginger and really fantastic.
The dessert was the best part of the meal. We don't even know what to call it. Served in a wine glass, it was a mousse-like concoction with little chunks of banana and something crunchy like small rice crispies, with toasted granola on top. Absolutely divine and original. This is served with choice of coffee or tea. The coffee is drip, but not as bitter as the drip coffee served at many other cafes on island, and comes with a small pitcher of cream and brown sugarcubes. This is a classy meal and a worthwhile experience, but mostly suited for those who enjoy the fairly subtle flavours of organic Japanese cooking.