A COZY GROCERY SHOP ROOTED IN KAMAKURA

Made on the spot with accommodating vegetarian options

FOOD STAND magali, located in the back alley just outside the west exit of JR Kamakura Station is a cafe that can easily catch the eye of a passerby with their wooden deck in the front and large glass windows. The interior, worked on by an American designer is similar to one found in small delis from overseas and has a welcoming atmosphere that anyone can casually enter. The owner, Masataka Yoshida, and his wife Midori, who is also the chef, opened the cafe in 2015 with a dream to create a place that is close to the people of the community. Prior to opening, they rented out a wine bar on Komachidori also in Kamakura, on their holidays and ran the cafe for three and a half years while preparing to open their business.

Breakfast on the wooden deck for travelers and locals alike

Their popular sandwiches and quiches are known for their perfect balance of meat, vegetables, and light flavors that bring out the best quality of the ingredients. They use freshly picked seasonal vegetables which can be changed upon request to accommodate vegetarians.Yoshida explains, “the best way to ensure the quality of our products is to make them ourselves.” Everything from their sandwiches, quiches to their baked goods and cakes are all handmade. Their focaccia and breads are also baked in the store using yeast. Items that cannot be made by hand, are purchased from trusted producers in order to preserve the quality of their food and maintain a strong relationships with them.

Some of the vegetables used in the dishes are also sold in the store, along with vegetables sent from a friend’s pesticide-free farm in Oiso and from Midori’s parents’ farm in Kikaijima, Kagoshima Prefecture. In addition to vegetables, pesticide-free rice from Nagano, jam from Kyoto, and other items all produced by Yoshida’s friends are available for purchase. The image of a place that combines a cafe, deli and a grocery shop is greatly influenced by all the stores that Yoshida visited when he traveled to San Fransisco. The feeling of being able to discover more than what you were looking for, even in a small shop, creates another form of excitement.

Wide varieties of both Japanese and foreign goods are available

Hoping to be a “useful shop to the local community”, they also provide delivery services due to the high demand from the elderly and families with children. All their take out containers are made with paper in order to protect the environment and reduce plastic waste.

The shop also opens at 7:00am in order to create a space where locals and tourists can enjoy their morning coffee. Yoshida explains, ”I want this store to be a place where everyone, whether they are from abroad or from other prefectures in Japan, can feel as if they live here.” This is driven from the unforgettable feeling that Yoshida felt, of becoming part of the local community, in a cafe he entered when traveling abroad.