Serving single origin coffee from Glitch Coffee Roasters out of a traditional Japanese house is Nadoya no Katte, located conveniently from Yoyogi-Uehara subway station.
The house was in fact a vacant 60-year-old house which was refurbished into the existing café. Entering the gate, I went up a short flight of stone steps which led me to the façade of a corner of the house.
From there, I was led by stepping gravel stones straight into a tranquil garden with a myriad of greenery – cherry blossom trees, plum trees, peach trees, hydrangeas, trees which bear autumn leaves. As the café is only opened 3 days a week from Friday to Sunday, I missed the previous weekend when the cherry blossoms were still blooming fully on the trees. The remaining blossoms had already fallen to the ground.
On one end of the garden is the coffee counter where at least 8-10 different beans were available to choose from. The beans’ lineup changes depending on the season, and are all light roasted as intended for patrons to enjoy the original taste of the beans. Though it is possible to opt for coffee with milk, it is recommended to drink it as black coffee.
I had a hard time choosing the beans I wanted but thanks to the barista who was very friendly and helpful in explaining the different profiles of the beans in fluent English, I could make a more well-informed choice. She was also the first barista I met in Japan who made light conversation with me, which gave a personal touch to the overall experience.
The beans were split into 3 different categories, the Traditional (800-900JPY, SGD6.9-7.8), Innovation (800-1100JPY, SGD6.9-9.5) and Hard to Find (1200-2000JPY, SGD10.3-17.2). I had the Colombia Huila Monteblanco (1000JPY, SGD8.6) with tasting notes of vanilla, milk tea, white chocolate, fresh mango, mint and smooth. I enjoyed the natural sweetness and aroma of the coffee. Glitch coffee was no doubt more expensive than average but of high quality.
While there were proper seats and tables within the house (when there are no ongoing exhibitions), the other café goers and I all went for the outdoor garden benches, where one can feel at ease with nature under the sunlight in moderate temperatures.
This is the one coffee stand in Tokyo for filter coffee enthusiasts to put on their list. While there are other Glitch Coffee outlets in Tokyo, the environment here has a lovely touch of nature, allowing you to feel different moods across the seasons.
3 Chome-19-3 Nishihara, Shibuya City, Tokyo 151-0066, Japan
Fri to Sun and Holidays 9am – 6pm
Nearest station: Yoyogi-Uehara Station North Exit 2 (2 mins walk)
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