Location: Chatan, seawall, north of CocoK's and south of Bubbles, second floorHours: Lunch 11:30 - 2, open late for cocktails / dinner
Most gaijin know about Transit cafe - it's right in the Sunabe stomping ground, has a name and menu in English, and bistro-style food. The atmosphere can't be beat - sweeping ocean views, whitewashed walls, wooden furniture, and jazzy music in the background.
Lunch sets are 900-1200Y and include a soup, salad, main, and choice of coffee/tea/juice. The soup was a simple mixed veg in broth, which could have benefited from more salt. The salad is delicious - crispy greens with a wonderful smoky dressing (pancetta?).
We had korean-style beef and the sea bass. The meals are beautifully presented on square plates. Like most reasonably priced restaurants, there was as much fat and connective tissue as meat on the slices of beef. The Korean-style sauce was flavorful, but not daring, and did not have the rich spiciness of a true Korean dish. The accompanying kimchee was meager and had neither sufficient crispiness nor heat. The custard was the most interesting part of the main - neither sweet nor savory, creamy, and moreish. The seabass was nice - the fish was not overcooked and the mushroom cream sauce was worth the calories. The accompanying vinegared veggie slivers were overacidic, and the potatoes could have used a little more oomph (rosemary, horseradish, roasted garlic, something...). We chose a hot coffee for our beverage, which was attractively served in a glass mug on a stainless steel platter. But the meager single shot of packaged creamer was not enough to mellow its drip-coffee bitterness.
All in all, a positive cafe experience, but perhaps the view is responsible for a significant portion of that success. One can tolerate a 40/60 split on ambiance/food, but you don't want the balance to shift in the other direction.
