01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
The special omu-hayashi has won praise for its softly set egg and rich, mellow hayashi sauce. One diner also enjoyed the tender, flavourful meat and ordered it as part of a lunch set with salad. Another omurice option, Caocafe Omurice, comes with demi-glace, mentaiko cream or both, making it a good choice if you have a particular sauce in mind.
There is more than rice on the menu: look for the signature pasta gratin, pasta with chicken neck meat and tomato in an oil-based sauce, and mushroom pasta in a white miso cream sauce. Lunch options include a daily pasta with bread and salad, as well as vegetable taco rice served with soup. There is a choice of lighter and more substantial meals.
For something sweet, there is matcha Basque cheesecake and hojicha chiffon cake, with ice cream available for an additional ¥100. A diner who tried the matcha cheesecake described its firm texture and Japanese-style pairing with red beans, and also enjoyed its colourful presentation. The parfaits have their own character: the espresso parfait layers coffee jelly, espresso sorbet, nama chocolate and vanilla ice cream. The caramel chocolate parfait combines house-made crumble, chiffon cake, vanilla ice cream and caramel ice cream, and makes dessert a natural centrepiece.
Cao Cafe is also a place to linger over cocktails or wine. Its hours vary by day, but it stays open until 1:00 at night. Drinks include Marine Lemon, a lemon soda cocktail scented with mint, and Tropical Soy Milk, made with mango, pineapple and soy milk. If you want to stretch out the evening after dinner, you can settle in with coffee or sweets.
