Located near popular guest houses and just a short walk from Hiroshima station, Kanayama Base (KB) is a convenient place to stop in for a snack, coffee or later in the day for a drink if you are walking into, or out of, the city center.
Run by a very friendly young family who are very active on Facebook, KB has been building a fun and loyal following among a local crowd. Since the menu is bilingual and the staff also speak a bit of English, we expect it to become popular with travelers as well.
The food menu reminds me of a type of modern kissaten, old-style Japanese coffee house, more than a typical "American" eatery. This is due to the curries on offer being of the Japanese gravy type with rice, the generous offerings of white bread sandwiches and toast (with cream) and the Japanese television in the center of the place. It does stand out from a typical kissa in its great coffee, WiFi access, smoke-free dining, take-out options and generous portions of food (you can fill up for under 1,000 yen any time of day).
There is seating for 6 people along the counter inside with electrical plugs for your computers or phone charging and free WiFi access for customers. Table seating for 8 and seating for six to eight more outside. Non-smoking inside. It is a very kid-friendly place and you will often find their cute little girl helping out by greeting customers.
I had an ice-cream parfait with pieces of fried bread, banana and cream inside for 600 yen as well as a small cafetiere (French press) of coffee (1 cup size) for 300 yen.
There are twelve types of toast available on the menu- we had the marmalade toast set which came with onion rings, salad and a drink for 650 yen. It was impressive that you can get such good drinks with the food sets- most cafe sets include a small drink. Two pieces of toast ala carte only cost 150 yen. The toast and hot dog sets are available for breakfast, brunch or lunch (8am until 3pm). Other lunch dishes on offer include Sandwiches, steak & rice, curry or sauteed fish, all available in sets with salad and a drink for a bargain price of 800 yen.
Ala carte items available any time of day include cheese, chicken, potatos and salads ranging in price from 150 yen for a small coleslaw salad to the hearty Kanayama meat sandwich for 700 yen.
Drinks include draught and bottled beer, whiskey, wine, Japanese spirits, cocktails, espresso & coffee drinks, teas, smoothies, juices and soft drinks. Alcoholic drinks are around 600 yen each and non-alcoholic in the 300-400 yen range. The prices are very reasonable and the quality of the coffees, drinks and food seemed quite good. They are big fans of the local J-League football (soccer) team San Frecce- so if you pop in on a game day, there is a good chance of finding a lively crowd watching the game.
They are open everyday from 8am to 10pm, don't accept credit cards and don't have any parking available (however there are many 100 yen parking lots nearby).
