Cafe That Was A Post Office

There are a lot of cafes to check out around Ibaraki. Tsukuba has a lot, and I mean a lot of cafes, to grab a coffee and dessert to relax in. I know because I have written about some of them in the past. Even though I have liked a lot of cafes that I have visited and written about, they were all missing something for me. The feeling of, "I can spend all day here and relax." Recently though, I got that feeling during my summer break at a small town in Tsukuba. I loved everything about this cafe and have been wanting to go back ever since. Would you also believe that the cafe I am writing about today used to be the town's post office? Today, I will be talking about Hojo Town's very own Post Ten.

Cafe Post Ten

Cafe Post Ten is located in Hojo Town in Tsukuba. It is on the main street of Hojo and it is next to the Udon shop I wrote about a few weeks ago, Aoyama. In Aoyama's post, I wrote that the parking for Aoyama and Post Ten are in the same place. If you come by car, just turn into the parking lot in front of Post Ten and park in any of the spaces with the Japanese post office symbol on them.
The Ibaraki Eats Duo visited Post Ten after our Udon adventure for a nice dessert and some coffee. From looking at the first picture, I am sure you are thinking "The entrance is blocked by a bicycle. How do you get in?" The door and bicycle are purely decorative. Those were the bicycles that Japanese postmen used to ride back in the old days.
The entrance to the cafe is on the side of the restaurant towards the back. There will be a Japanese style sliding door on your right which is the entrance.

Inside

Walking into Post Ten, I automatically loved everything about it. Wooden floors, tables, and chairs. It all feels like an old Showa-style cafe but modern and new at the same time. The cafe owner, an awesome guy by the way, greeted my wife and I when we walked in and took seats by the counter. The cafe has counter seating, table seating next to the counter, and tables with sofas towards the other side of the cafe.
As I mentioned before, the building where Cafe Post Ten is used to be Hojo Town's post office. The owner bought the building and remolded everything himself. Leaving the outside of the building to still look like a Showa Ear post office while modernizing the inside of the cafe.
After having a small chat with the owner, we looked at the menu and decided on what to order.
Usually, during this part of a post, I would have a picture of the menu. Unfortunately, I do not have a picture since the menu has a lot in it. I can tell you that Post Ten serves a lot of different coffee, drinks, desserts, sandwiches, and curry.
They have a bacon cheese sandwich (which I was told was excellent), and a curry set in case you are very hungry.
The desserts change with the seasons but here are some of the desserts I have seen on the menu: carrot cake, strawberry log cake, cheesecake, and more.
Another thing I like about the menu is that it explains where some ingredients from different dishes come from. For example, some of the meat used in Post Ten's dishes comes from Suzuki Farms in Ishioka. Post Ten uses a lot of local ingredients. They even use bread from the local bakery, which I have written about before, Bakery 125.
I decided to grab a coffee and my wife wanted a dessert.

The Coffee for Adults (Are)

I decided I wanted a strong but flavorful coffee and that is when I decided on the coffee for adults drink (that is how it is written on the menu). The owner brought this beautiful-looking coffee and I couldn't wait to drink it. I took one sip and fell in love with that coffee. It is incredible that the owner of Post Ten roasts his own coffee beans and does an incredible job at it. The foam at the top was a fantastic addition to this strong-tasting coffee. I contemplated ordering another.
Just as I was about to order another, the owner said "I can make that coffee ten times better by adding vanilla ice cream." How could I refuse?
The owner brought me a small cup of vanilla ice cream. I dumped a scope of it into my coffee. I let it melt and sink in a little bit and then took a sip. It was magical. It reminded me of an affogado but better. Neither the vanilla or coffee were battling for flavor dominance. It felt like both flavors were working together to bring the utmost deliciousness level to this drink. The owner told me that this is a secret menu drink called "Are." The Japanese "are" not English "are." Pronounced A and Re in hiragana. I loved this coffee and I am probably going to order it again when I visit Post Ten next time.

Ice Cream Custard Cake

More ice cream? Yes, please. My wife ordered this dessert and when it came to our table it looked like a work of dessert art. The custard sauce was evenly spread onto the cake and we got a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side with fresh-looking whipped cream on top. My wife got a spoonful of her dessert and gave it a try. She looked at me, nodded her head yes, and grabbed another spoonful for me to try. It was delicious. Everything tasted so fresh and flavorful. The custard was fantastic and the cake was moist and tasty. I tried some of this cake and then took a sip of my "Are" coffee which made this dessert go from good to wonderful. I felt that I could just hang out in this cafe all day while sipping some "Are" and taking spoonfuls of this cake or any other cake.
I wanted to order more from the menu but we were still full from our meal at Udon Aoyama. It would have to wait till next time. We spent a little more time talking to the owner and our friend who lives in the area. It was an amazing day which I hope to repeat soon.

I have something to confess. I was planning on going back to Post Ten during my summer break in August. I was going to try the curry or sandwich set and report back to my readers on how great everything is. Unfortunately, things got in the way of my plans and I have not been back to Post Ten since my wife and I visited. It breaks my heart because I love the place and want to go back soon. Luckily, the friend of mine who lives in the area gave me his opinion on Post Ten's sandwich and I want to share it with all of you.

Post Ten's Sandwich (Opinion from Chris Bathke)

'My opinion is it’s the best sandwich I’ve had around Tsukuba. The veggies are fresh, seasonal, and change from time to time. Ham is from Oda- excellent local meat shop. Bun is excellent too. Served with a fresh salad and small dish of seasonal lightly pickled veggies, and hot or cold soup. Coffee included so a great deal. I don’t think any other restaurant has as good a salad or veggies."

Thanks again Chris for that excellent report on Post Ten's sandwich.

Post Ten at Tsukuichi Market

If you can't make it to the cafe but would still like to try Post Ten, you have a chance to do so on a Sunday once a month.
Chuo Park near Tsukuba station holds the Tsukuichi Market once a month on a Sunday. My favorite burger guy Hi-5 is usually there and so are a bunch of other great vendors. Van Sickle Blueberry Farm sells amazing blueberry jam there which I highly recommend. Post Ten is there towards the back of the market. The menu is usually coffee and drinks, cakes and desserts, and one dish. The last time I met Post Ten at Tsukichi, I ordered the curry set. It brought rice, mild curry with vegetables, and a soy patty. It was delicious and very light. When I finished it, I didn't feel stuffed which is always a nice feeling. The vegetables were fresh and the soy patty was pretty tasty.

Cafe Post Ten, you are one of my favorite cafes here in Ibaraki, and quite possibly Japan. Your charming cafe has captured my heart and I can't wait to go back. I just want to sit back, try the sandwich, sip the "are" coffee, and enjoy the day relaxing and talking to all the great locals in Hojo Town. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

So if you are looking for a great cafe filled with a great atmosphere, delicious food, and excellent coffee, why not give Cafe Post Ten a try. Who knows, you might see us there, me enjoying my "are" coffee while my wife orders a new dessert to try.
Enjoy!

For more information on Cafe Post Ten, check out their website:
https://www.cafe-posten.com/

A special thank you to Chris Bathke for his report on the Post Ten sandwich. I can't wait to try it myself.
By the way, my buddy Chris is a personal trainer and has his own gym in Hojo. He caters to different body types and can advise you on ways in which to improve joint health, movement quality, and fitness. He also does online personal training if you can't make it to Hojo. I am interested to improve all those qualities and I am planning to give his gym and exercise plan a try. If you are interested, check out the Elemental Fitness Lab's website:
http://www.elementalfitnesslab.com/