I'm not sure what kissaten means in Japanese, but I'm pretty sure it means comfort food. I've never been to Japan, but I'm guessing that this is what Japanese people would crave if they were fighting a cold or getting over a bad day at work.
I believe the restaurant's new. The signage isn't up yet and the restaurant seems incomplete when you walk in. There weren't many customers there which is usually a big warning for people walking in the door. The menu seems extremely limited and slightly pricey. At this point you may be considering other choices. Don't. Stay. Sit awhile. Try something new. Besides, you've probably already had Ichiza twice this week.
There's this weird ketchup fetish often observed in some asian cultures. I've seen Filipinos put ketchup on scrambled eggs. I have Chinese relatives that smother ketchup on a $65 cut of meat at a fancy steak house (yes, it's a cardinal sin). I tend to avoid putting ketchup on anything other than french fries and hamburgers so I was skeptical when I saw the fried rice with egg and ketchup on Cafe de Japan's menu. It's surprisingly good. Of all the fried rice with eggs and ketchup dishes I've had, this was definitely the tastiest.
The beef stew on rice isn't much to look at. It looks like they took a can of Chunky soup, scooped it out, and put it next to some white rice. But your first bite will be quickly followed by a second... then a third... then a fourth. It's gone before you realized what happened. And I think that's the definition of comfort food. It's something you eat while you lose yourself in your thoughts. Reflect on your day. Had a rough afternoon? Have some of the hamburger steak and sip on some amazing Columbian coffee.
I'm torn between 4 stars and 5 stars. Comfort food should be inexpensive, but Cafe de Japon is definitely on the pricey side. Dinner entree's start at $10 and portions are small (for American palettes). If it were just a few dollars cheaper per entree, I'd probably make this a weekly visit.