As you head towards the city centre, feeling the sea breeze of Sasebo Port, you will come across Tono Market, which has long been popular with local residents.

This area is lined with shops that have been converted from wartime air-raid shelters, and you can get a sense of the daily lives of local residents amidst history.

In one corner of the building is "pancake&cafe ma cherie."

The special pancakes were born from a mother's passion

"After giving birth, I started to pay more attention to my children's health. I think COVID-19 made me care more about my family's health. Since then, I've come to want the customers who come to my shop to be healthy and happy."

That's what the owner, ChikakoIwashita, said.

Handmade pancakes made without additives and using carefully selected gluten-free ingredients.

When the restaurant first opened,there was only one gluten-free menu item, butthe menu was completely revamped when the store relocated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

, at firstthere were many different opinions and conflicts.Apparently

"I told my daughter, who was in charge of cooking, 'It will take time and effort, but let's make sure everyone stays healthy.' No matter where I open my restaurant, it will be good if there are customers who choose my food. I wasn't confident, but I wasn't worried."

Recommended menu

We asked about recommended dishes that reflect Sasebo's seasonal flavors and are made with great care.

Limited time menu "Strawberry Pancakes 2024-Chocolate Special-"

"There are many famous brand ingredients. After trying a few and comparing them, I happened to choose the ones from Sasebo. From then on, I wanted to let people know that Sasebo also had such delicious ingredients."

It is packed with the restaurant's commitment and an abundance of Sasebo's seasonal flavors.

 "The ingredients used in our limited-time menus are decided throughout the year as they are in season.

However, I am still trying to figure out how to best combine this year's strawberries to create the most delicious flavor."

On Instagram, you can find limited-time items that are not on the menu in stores.

Trying the secret menu items will be one of the fun things to do.

"Machieri Time" - Enjoy your waiting time

All of our delicious, carefully made pancakes are handmade and take about 20 minutes to make.

Visitors are informed in advance, and on busy weekends, there may be a wait of up to an hour.

"Today, a customer with her child was playing cards while they were waiting. It made me really happy. In this day and age, it's not just about coming together and looking at each other's smartphones. We have books in the shop, so it would be great if they could read them. I would be happy if this shop could become a place where people can enjoy their waiting time."

There is also a bookshelf inside the store to enrich your waiting time.

To ensure that customers can have a comfortable dining experience, the restaurant regularly rearranges the tables and considers creating a comfortable space. He says he thinks about his customers all day long.

"I think positively no matter what happens. There are many difficult things, butyou can't go back. I want to make things better...There's still so much I don't know, so I want to keep learning and making progress."

His determination to continue running the shop and his love for his family is apparent in his determination to continue running the shop, even in the face of many difficult circumstances.

I want to make it even better so that my daughter can take overthe shop."But there's still a long way to go.

I want to do my best with my husband and daughter. My daughter often teaches me things like, "I think this way of doing things is safe and secure," so I really think we're doing things together."

"Machire Time" was born through word of mouth, a way to enjoy the time you spend waiting

At pancake & cafe ma cherie, dishes filled with the seasonal flavors and gentle tastes of Sasebo gently embrace all visitors.

Pancake & Cafe Ma Cherie

電話：090-1974-6121

11-1 Shimogyo-cho, Sasebo City,Nagasaki Prefecture, 857-0875Address:

Access: 3 minutes walk from the "Kyomachi" bus stop on the Seihi bus

SNS: https://www.instagram.com/macherie_1129/

*Please check the official website and social media for details on business hours and holidays.