Great Coffee and Baked Goods

Hello fellow Ibarakians!
Two years ago, I wrote about a place in Mito called Transit Folks. It's an open space featuring a coffee shop, a bakery, a clothing shop, and a restaurant. They also host live music events, making it a great place to hang out, grab a bite to eat, enjoy some coffee, and listen to music.
Transit Folks is still going strong, and I hope I can visit them again soon!
If you would like to check out my previous post about Transit Folks, here's the link:
https://ibarakieats.com/a-nice-place-for-coffee-and-sweets

Unfortunately, the coffee shop I mentioned in that post, Staple Coffee, is no longer there. However, the owner has opened a new place in collaboration with Flyer Bakery, closer to Mito's Senba Lake.
Mrs. Ibaraki Eats and I checked out this new coffee shop and bakery a few weeks ago, which is how we found ourselves standing in front of Eken!

Eken

Eken is a bakery and coffee shop located in the Ishikawa area of Mito. Getting there by bicycle can be a bit tricky, as the road is always busy with traffic. There is a bus stop nearby, and Eken also has parking for those of you who plan to drive. The parking area is behind the building. You can park in one of the spaces on the far left side of the lot, next to the chain-link fence, or in one of the spaces directly behind the building.
Eken is located on the first floor of a two-story building, where it shares the space with Hitachino Coffee, a yoga studio, and a flower shop. To get into Eken, open the door to the flower shop, admire the beautiful flowers, turn left, and head straight into Eken.
Mrs. Ibaraki Eats and I visited on a busy Tuesday afternoon for some coffee and a light lunch.

Inside

Walking into Eken, you can tell that the place is new and that the owners wanted to give the café and bakery a modern vibe. Like most bakeries, Eken has trays and tongs waiting for you at the entrance. Next to the registers, there is a long display filled with different breads and baked goods.
If you want some coffee, you can place your order at the register, where you'll find the menu. After paying, grab a seat by the large window and enjoy your food and drinks. Eken is pretty spacious and can probably accommodate 20 or more people.
Mrs. Ibaraki Eats and I grabbed some bread from the bakery section before checking out the coffee menu.

The Menu

The menu at Eken is in Japanese only. The top section features espresso-based coffee drinks and the coffee of the day, which I believe is drip coffee. The next section offers regular drinks, along with specialty juices, teas, and lemonades. Below that, you'll find seasonal drinks such as espresso citrus cider, coffee jelly lattes, and coffee floats.
The menu also has a few additional pages featuring special dishes made by Eken, including a Parmesan cheese and prosciutto plate, pumpkin soup, salads, and a fig and yogurt plate.
As for the bread, whatever is available to grab with the tongs is what they have that day. Eken offers quiches, carrot cake, cookies, and a variety of different breads with fillings inside.
We grabbed our bread, ordered our coffee, and took a seat by the window and waited.

Espresso Citrus Cider

When it's a hot day, I like to drink espresso tonics or ciders. L'hirondelle in Tsukuba is at the top of my list for the best espresso tonic in Ibaraki, but Eken's espresso citrus cider is giving it a run for its money, and it might just take the number one spot!
Mrs. Ibaraki Eats ordered the espresso citrus cider while I went with a flat white. My flat white was excellent, but Mrs. Ibaraki Eats' drink was incredible. It was so refreshing and soothing to drink. The espresso had a strong flavor, but the cider helped balance it out, making this the perfect refreshing drink for a hot day.
I was so surprised by how good this drink was that I actually ended up ordering it again two weeks later. Eken makes some great coffee, and I couldn't wait to try their baked goods.

Peanut Butter Bread

The first bread we tried was the peanut butter-filled round bread. Holding it got me excited because it was so nice and soft. It felt great in my hand, and I couldn't wait to take a bite. When I did, my mouth was filled with delicious, smooth (not chunky) peanut butter. The crunchy nuts came afterward, thanks to the hard peanuts embedded in the middle of the bread.
This was a great piece of bread to start with. The peanut butter bread didn't pair particularly well with my wife's coffee, but it certainly went well with my hot flat white.

Prosciutto, tomato, and Camembert Sandwich

The prosciutto, tomato, and Camembert bread was the next one we wanted to try. Eken made sure to heat it up a bit before bringing it to our table.
I forgot to mention that Eken describes all these breads as sandwiches, but I kind of disagree with that, which is why I'm calling them bread with fillings instead. This particular piece of bread, however, was definitely sandwich-like, and it was absolutely delicious!
The melted Camembert cheese was perfect with the diced tomatoes inside. Add some salty, fresh prosciutto, and you have yourself an amazing sandwich. It was a pleasure biting into this one. I believe this was Mrs. Ibaraki Eats' favorite of everything we tried that day.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get this sandwich on my second visit because it was sold out. Hopefully, I'll be able to grab one on my third visit!

Egg Sandwich

Okay, you win, Eken. I'll classify this as a sandwich, too.
Here's something you might not know about me: I'm not a fan of egg salad sandwiches or egg sandwiches in general. They smell weird, the texture is strange, and I just don't like how the yolk turns into a paste when I eat it. However, some egg sandwiches are exceptional, and I'll happily eat those. Eken's egg sandwich is one of them.
Actually, let me be more clear. It's one of Japan's exceptional sandwiches. Yes, I truly mean that.
I was blown away by this egg sandwich. It ended up being my favorite menu item of everything we bought that day. Biting into it was a heavenly experience. The eggs were so creamy and soft, while the soft, flavorful bread held everything together perfectly. It was a wonderful sandwich!
I almost ordered another one to eat right there. Unfortunately, I was already quite full and couldn't manage a second one. I did grab this sandwich on my second visit to Eken, though, and it was just as amazing as the first time!

After we finished our coffees and bread/sandwiches, it was time to head back. I chatted with the barista for a while and praised him for his coffee. We grabbed one more peanut butter bread and a prosciutto tomato and Camembert cheese sandwich before heading home.
Our experience at Eken was great! It had a wonderful atmosphere, friendly staff, delicious bread and sandwiches, and, of course, excellent coffee. I'll definitely be visiting again the next time I'm in Mito.

So, if you're in the mood for some great coffee and amazing baked goods, why not give Eken a chance? Who knows? You might see us there. Drinking some delicious coffee while most definitely enjoying another egg sandwich!
Enjoy!

For more information on Eken, check out their Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/eken_transitfolks/?hl=en

For the older blog posts, check out the WIX Ibaraki Eats.

https://regaladom24.wixsite.com/website