Kenny's House Cafe, Numazu

On a day trip to Numazu at the top of the Izu peninsula, I arrived just before lunchtime, and didn't want to go too far to find something to eat. And right there in the Ira-De shopping center immediately next to the station I found Kenny's House Cafe, one branch of a small local chain, where I had an enjoyable, unhurried lunch in warm and friendly surroundings.

The interior is fun and lively without being noisy; the ceiling is quite high, so the chatter of other diners disappears upwards. There's a lot of dark wood in the chairs and tables, screens and window counter, which provides a view out over the station forecourt, and there are also a lot of plants dotted around, and light, simple artworks on the plain walls. All of this creates a relaxing feeling of spaciousness, and along with the soft music and the light from the big window, it felt almost like being outside at a terrace cafe.

For my lunch I chose the Locomoco Hamburg Steak lunch set, which as well as the main course included a salmon salad and choice of drink, in my case a smooth mango juice. The salad was a touch disappointing, with just two pieces of salmon sitting on top of the cabbage and other greenery, but the main was good and tasty; the steak was firm and juicy, and contrasted nicely with the mixed-up rice, egg and vegetables.

Other main dishes on the menu include a range of different salads, omelet rice dishes, Indian curries and variations on taco rice, for between ¥800 and ¥1100; a number of these can be made into lunch sets for around ¥1350, and other sets include Beefsteak and coconut rice curry. It's definitely more a cafe than a bar, so you can get draft beer for ¥500, but there are also three fruit beers (orange, raspberry and mango) and a range of cocktails for between ¥550 and ¥600. Soft drinks, coffee and tea start at ¥400, while there are plenty of dessert options: sundaes including choco-banana and raspberry are ¥530, while honey toast, including choco-banana, raspberry and caramel, is ¥780.

As well as food and drinks, the cafe sells a number of goods and souvenirs to take home: there are wooden goods such as picture frames, boxes and carved sculptures, and smaller things like stones, jewelry, towels and phone straps.