Walking along Yamate Hondori street one pleasant, breezy spring day, I found Yamanoue on a corner of the Yamamoto-cho shopping arcade. The stylish cafe is easy to miss as the exterior is still that of a retro photo studio that previously occupied the space. The location had been used as a photo studio for over 70 years before being converted to a cafe. Much of the interior also remains as it was years ago.
For lunch, I decided on a plate of minced chicken with black rice and local vegetables (¥950) and Odawara olive tea (¥650). The assortment of colourful veggies prepared in multiple ways made the meal both healthy and satisfying. Yamanoue offers a number of seasonal side dishes (¥350~) using local ingredients as well as original drinks (¥650~)–all available for takeout. For dessert, I chose homemade gelato (¥550~). The gelato, which uses chestnuts from Isehara, is quite simple, but its smooth texture and natural sweetness was a perfect match for the accompanying Italian pizzelle cookie.
On the ground floor, which is basically the food prep area and a counter for placing orders, you can also purchase fresh vegetables and fruit. The cozy second floor of the shop has a low table with 6 seats and is decorated with creative dried flower arrangements and antiques. On occasion, Yamanoue holds events and small art exhibitions.