GoodJob Coffee

It seems like November is coffee month. We just had two huge coffee festivals. One in Tsukuba and the other in Hitachinaka. We also have one more coming up in Tsukuba's own Himitsukichi in a few weeks. (Details at the end of this post) That being the case, I decided that this post and the next will be about two great coffee places I visited. The third post will be an event report on all three coffee events.
Speaking of the first post, today I am going to be talking about a small coffee shop I recently visited with Mrs. Ibaraki Eats. It had delicious coffee and a really good vibe to it. It also had a name that made me feel like I had done a good job during the work week. Today I will be talking about Mito's own Goodjob Coffee.

Goodjob Coffee

Goodjob Coffee or GJ Coffee, is located in the Omachi area of Mito. It is near the basketball area where the Ibaraki Robots practice. From the station, it is a bit of a walk, I would say maybe 15 minutes. If you do what we did and come by car, please note that GJ Coffee has no parking area. You will have to park in one of the many pay to park parking lots around GJ Coffee.
My wife and I were in Mito last Monday to check out a free art event by an artist named Mocha. (Please check out their art, it is pretty good) Before we went to the art exhibit, we decided to grab some coffee. I told me wife that I wanted to try GJ Coffee and after parking close by, we walked into the small coffee shop.

Inside

When we walked into the coffee shop, I automatically liked the place. There was good music playing, a nice smell of brewed coffee, and bottles, lots of bottles. This place had a very personal feel to it and I felt like the owner of this place loved his coffee shop. There were personal pictures taped to the wall and other cool things to look at. There was even a ceiling lamp that used to be a tuba. I loved the atmosphere of GJ Coffee and couldn't wait to sit down and enjoy some coffee.
This is a small place though. I think that seven people can fit into this place max. There are two counter-seats and two small tables with three chairs each.

The Menu and Beans

Good news everyone! The menu is in both English and Japanese! Well sort of. The main coffee menu is in both, but the specials and the craft beer are in Japanese only. What I loved about the specials and craft beer menu is that they are all written on playing cards. The craft beers are also written on playing cards. GJ's coffee beans are on sale like most cafes. The name of the beans are in English but the explanation is only in Japanese.
I decided to choose one of the playing cards as my first coffee and my wife decided to grab an espresso dessert.

Espresso Starkey

This is the playing card I chose, the espresso starkey. "What is an espresso starkey?" You are probably asking yourself. Honestly, I don't know. I had never heard of that kind of espresso before.
When I took my first sip of this strange drink, I got that bubbly tingly feeling at the back of my throat that I usually get when I drink soda. Then came the strong taste of espresso with...apple? It seems like this is a soda espresso that uses apple cider instead of regular soda. I will admit, it was weird at first—extremely weird. Sip by sip, I started to like it. It was refreshing with that strong espresso taste that I know and love. If this weird espresso was only one of the playing cards, I can't wait to try the others.

Affogato

My wife wanted a coffee dessert and she got a coffee dessert. You can't go wrong with an affogato. Vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso. It is the perfect coffee dessert. GJ's affogato did not disappoint. My wife had a smile of satisfaction on her face every time she got a spoonful of vanilla drenched in sweet espresso. She let me try so and I have to say I was impressed. I especially loved drinking that espresso mixed with sweet vanilla towards the end. GJ, you have impressed me with a great affogato and we both hope to have it again.

Canele and Cafe Latte To Go

I forgot to mention that GJ has a small glass pastry display, in case you want something sweet with your coffee.
My wife was done with coffee for that day but I wasn't. I decided to grab a cafe latte to go and a small canele. I don't know about you but I love caneles. If I ever see them on display, I automatically buy one. They are amazingly small soft chocolate spongey cakes that should be loved by everyone.
How was GJ's canele? Not bad. Not amazing but not bad. It did go well with the ice cafe latte I had. The latte was very tasty but it could have used a bit more espresso. All and all, not a bad snack to have while we drive back home to Tsuchiura.

GJ Coffee, you have a great atmosphere in your cafe and I love the whole menu playing cards thing. I enjoyed the espresso starkey and can't wait to try your other special drinks. That being said, you're competing with some great coffee places around Mito so I might not be able to come in as often. I hope I can visit soon though.

So if you are hanging around the Ibaraki Robots basketball court and are looking for a tasty cup of coffee, why not give Goodjob Coffee a chance? Who knows, you might see us there, enjoying a new espresso drink while chilling in the cafe.
Enjoy!

For more information on GJ Coffee, check out their Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/gj_coffee_shop/

Himitsukichi Coffee Fest

We have already had two huge coffee festivals in Ibaraki this month, so how about one more?
Himitsukichi in Tsukuba will be hosting a coffee festival next weekend, Saturday, November 23rd. A lot of my favorites will be brewing delicious coffee like Coffee Bar Stove, All Right Coffee, Bean Trek, and more! Don't forget to grab a delicious burger from Hi-5 Burgers and enjoy the live DJ music.
I will certainly be there enjoying a burger and espresso. Hope to see you there!
For more information, check out Coffee Bar Stove's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/coffee_bar_stove/