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As we celebrate our first anniversary, maybe our best customers have remembered the faces and the names of our Kick Back Staff. Just in case you don't, here's a great way to start!

Retsu Ahn
Manager
He's known as "Retsun" around the cafe and he reminds you of a bear and may be a gorilla at the same time, but he's our manager. He is the core of our staff, but he was in childcare before this. What did he do before being in childcare? He was a carpenter. He's the one that painted the wall of Kick Back Cafe.
Keita Kohashi
Booking Manager
During the day, there are customers that claim they received a flier from a "cute boy". That would be him, Keita. He used to live in an apartment without a shower next to the previous Kick Back which was located in Tsutsujigaoka, the next station. Now he's become the booking manager of Kick Back.
Hirokuni Goto
Kitchen Manager
Nicknamed "Pharaoh", he never went to school in his adolescence and he barely graduated junior high because of his lack of attendance. Even after his graduation, his life was filled with street brawls and fights, but his life was quickly transformed. He is the core member of the kitchen. His specialty is Japanese food and pasta.
Akiko Ueda
Leader of the waiting staff
You marvel at her ability to carry so many plates at the same time. She is certainly a leader you can rely on. Piles of work in the mornings and crazy lunch hours are no problem as long as you have her on your staff. She is actually a graceful mother of one child.
Shihoko Yahagi
Waitress
She was the head chef at the Tsutsujigaoka Kick Back but when the relocation as well as the renovation took place, she changed her role in Kick Back. She has become the face of Kick Back as she goes around the whole city passing out fliers of Kick Back. She was a professional in child care, so she knows how to treat the kids.

Naomi Shibata
Bariste
Her favorite red scooter passes through the city of Sengawa as she commutes to her workplace, Kick Back Cafe. She's the percussionist of Tengokumin, a band that bases its activities at this cafe. Her rhythm when she makes coffee is simply quite amazing. She's also an expert in welfare and caring for the elderly. You'll always find her in the kitchen.
Kyotaro Ohira
Bariste
He had quit his job and he was on the verge of depression when he read one of KBC's owner's books. He then visited KBC, which was at Tsutsujigaoka at the time, but when KBC relocated, he became one of our staff. Nicknamed "Q", he got the name because someone misspelled his name as "Kyutaro", at a bowling alley.


Shizue Nishioka

Waitress

Nicknamed "C-chan", she has the best smile out of any of the staff and she's on staff during lunches on a daily basis. She actually just got married in September at Kick Back Cafe. Who's her newlywed husband? He's the mailman that drives all over the city to deliver mail to many places, including Kick Back. Who knows, you may be the next one to get married with a Kick Back connection!

The owners, Marre and Kumiko Ishii

Marre, the owner of Kick Back Cafe, debuted as a musician with his self-titled album "Marre" in '91 through a major label company. In '94, he went to America to learn about the Bible at Calvary Chapel and after internship, he was ordained pastor. He currently is active as an author, Gospel singer, counselor, principle of a free school, and conducts corporate seminars. His best-selling books as well as his corporate seminars have been attracting the attention of the public. In '97, the first Kick Back Cafe in Chofu was opened to be a multi-purpose cafe. In '04, Kick Back moved to Sengawa and has successfully reached the first anniversary.


 

No.1 Soy Milk Ramen

The soup of this ramen is 100% soy milk. It's got a lot of isoflavone and it will surely rejuvenate your skin. The renowned Hollywood makeup artist, Mrs. Kaori Nana Turner loves it, along with many of our customers that travel long ways just to get a bite of this ramen.
No.2 Kumi's Curry

The name comes from the wife of the owner of Kick Back Cafe, Kumiko, who came up with the recipe of this dry curry made from 13 different spices. Once you've tasted it enough times you'll learn to mix the salad with our special dressing on it with the dry curry and the rice. You can enjoy 2 tastes with 1 dish. A must eat!
No.3 Pat Gaphaaw-Gai

One of our customers by the name of Nick is a movie producer and he claims that there has never been a Gapau, outside of those that are in Thai, that is better than ours. We'll give you the secret of success; we have a Thai friend giving us the recipe. Juanida, a native of Thai, has a close relationship with Kick Back and she gave us her Thai recipe. All we have done is to faithfully make it as she directed the chef to do so. Nick says he has ordered 3 Gapaus in one night. Talk about love everlasting!

No.1 Latte

On top of the choicest espresso, our Barista pours some creamy steamed milk and on top of it, he makes drawing and puts letters and gives out heart-warming, sometimes, comical messages. When you hear a loud "KAWAII"(which means "cute" in English) somewhere in the store, you know that one of our customers has order the latte

No.2 Iced coffee

The coffee machine is made by the famous Italian maker, FAEMA. The coffee beans are organically grown and each coffee is poured with much care using both. Did you know there are 2 shots of espresso used in the ice coffee? No wonder it's this popular!
No.3 Fruit Cocktail

This herb tea has herbs like the hibiscus that has a lot of vitamin C and citric acid. It's good for the body but it is also pleasant to look at. For all you ladies out there, it is bound to make your beauty increase more and more. Check this out!
The first time I came to Kick Back, it was during the Golden Week of this year. I came along with an America photographer to take a picture of the owner and his wife. I love the concept of Kick Back Cafe and have been coming since to not only enjoy the food, but also to get some work done at the same time.

My favorite is the Gaphaaw. It is a dish in Thai that I used to eat when I would go there for my work and Kick Back has done a great job of arranging it cafe-style. When I asked the staff about the recipe, I found out that they use a Thai recipe. No wonder it tastes so good. After I finish my Gapau, I go onto my favorite drink: the ice coffee. It' got a rich and mellow scent and has little of the coffee bitterness. It reminds me of the coffee that I loved in a small cafe in Seattle.

I go outside of Japan very often for work. When I come back, I find myself coming back to Kick Back and tasting the ice coffee with a full stomach, after I finish my share of Gapaus. I can't get enough of both.

Nick Uemura
Movie and Commercial Producer
He has been involved with movies such as "Heaven and Earth" and "The Scary Story That Really Happened" and has produced commercials with Honda, Toyota, Suntory to name a few. He has viewed more than 2000 movies and is a movie critic in the "Nick loving movies!" section in the Mainichi International web site(temporary out of service)
 


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