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Introducing HINOMARU&LIBCAFE

Hello travelers! I’m Gachako, a writer for [SaruKuma].

Today I’m introducing HINOMARU&LIBCAFE, located in Tetorihoncho, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City—right in the heart of downtown.

You’ll find this gem on the first floor of a building along the road from Shimotori shopping arcade toward City Hall.
At the entrance, fresh produce like tomatoes, spinach, baby leaf greens, and green onions are on display.
Everything looks delicious—and the prices are surprisingly low. There’s a wonderfully cozy, countryside vibe you’d never expect to find in the middle of the city.

Like a high-end roadside station (“michi-no-eki”), the showcases are lined with carefully selected Kumamoto food products.

You’ll even find bacon from Butanotoriko Maru, a vendor that has appeared at SaruKuma events!

[Butanotoriko Maru] Additive-Free Bacon Crafted with Passion and Care (Hotakubo, Higashi Ward, Kumamoto City)

Bento boxes purchased here can also be enjoyed inside the cafe.

The interior offers both table and counter seating.
Strollers are welcome too! Just pay at the register first, then take a seat.

Here’s the lunch menu.
Pasta with salad and soup for just 880 yen.
And it features fresh pasta noodles from Fuki Seimensho—an unbelievable bargain. Is this a glitch?!

The sweets look amazing too. I’ve spotted this Mont Blanc on Instagram before!

The reservation-only “Devilish Mitarashi Soft Serve” also caught my eye.

HINOMARU&LIBCAFE Recommended Menu

I ordered the pasta lunch “Hanauta Kajitsu Kumquat Carbonara”.
The set salad was loaded with local Kumamoto vegetables, topped with strawberries.
My daughter was thrilled, exclaiming “A heart-shaped strawberry!”

The set soup was Yushima daikon radish soup.
The thick-cut Yushima daikon was meltingly tender. One bite and I shouted “So good!!”
When in stock, you can also buy Yushima daikon at the produce corner.

The main pasta is the “Hanauta Kajitsu Kumquat Carbonara”.
This unusual carbonara is generously packed with fully ripened kumquats—a surprising combination!
The creamy carbonara sauce and the refreshing citrus tang of kumquat are a perfect match!

The kumquats can be eaten whole, seeds and all—and you can purchase them too.
(The kumquats alone cost 600 yen, which makes the 880-yen pasta seem almost too good to be true!)

The noodles are wonderfully chewy and cling beautifully to the sauce.

I also bought an Omu Keema Curry Bento from Equipment Floor in Kita Ward, Kumamoto City, and had it warmed up here.
Equipment Floor’s bento is available only on the first and third Fridays of each month.

Kumamoto-made furikake (rice seasoning), additive-free condiments, and other items can be packaged as gift boxes.
Feel free to drop in just for some shopping!

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