Hailing from Kyoto, the long-established coffee roaster expanded to Tokyo with its first flagship in Sakurashinmachi 4 years ago. Being one of the few cafes in Tokyo which open as early as 7am, I visited the café for an early morning breakfast and coffee fix.
I loved how the spacious café boasted a modern concrete industrial look with muted tones, with floor to ceiling windows permitting lots of exposure to natural light. The interior design also featured details such as old paving stones that were used in Kyoto’s tramways.
Before settling down, orders must first be placed at the counter.
From the morning menu (served 7 – 11am), I had the Charcoal Grilled Toast with Avocado and Lime (JPY1,600, SGD13.8). It came with a choice of Pain de Mie or Whole Grain bread for the toast – I would typically have whole grain as a healthier choice but with the excuse of being on vacation, I went for the pain de mie. After being charcoal grilled, it had a crisp outer layer while retaining its soft, fluffy inner layer. As simple as a dish it was (what some people will claim to be something they can easily whip out at home but never do so), the avocado toast was satisfying.
The toast set included a choice of drink, so I had a hot oat milk Latte made from the House Blend Kyoto. It was a well-balanced coffee with a smooth mouthfeel with tasting notes of dried fruit – a daily coffee that was very drinkable.
Their list of signature coffees (created by their baristas) was tempting, so I added on another drink – the Bright Sense (JPY1,100, SGD9.5). The barista served the single origin coffee in a fancy glass to my table, where she then delicately added the fluffy milk foam. The milk foam made a good balance with the passion fruit-like acidity characteristic of the Kenya Gatuyaini beans.
As a sweet treat, I had the Whole Grain Scone with Seasonal Confiture and Tonka Bean-Flavoured Buttercream (JPY1,400, SGD12.1) which was a relatively new item on the menu. Being whole grain in nature, the scone felt less doughy and buttery than the usual scone – in a good way.
With over 21 variety of coffee beans on hand and separate lunch and dinner menus with extensive food choices, I would love to pay another visit.
3 Chome-23-8 Sakurashinmachi, Escalier 1F, Shinmachi Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 154-0014, Japan
7am – 10pm daily
Nearest station: Sakura-shimmachi North Exit (~4 mins walk)
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