Siphon coffee in Japan

22Jun09

Traditional coffee shops are rare in Japan, but this one is a great place to find.

Last weekend I went to a coffee shop in downtown Chiba, which is about an hour from Tokyo by train. It’s a great-looking little place that’s run by an elderly couple who didn’t want their picture taken. The decor seemed random and yet amazing.

The shop had many classic-looking lights such as these.

It had sort of an old-world a gun motif going on.

They had a few different origins of coffee on the menu, including Jamaican Blue Mountain–considered my many to be the best coffee region in the world. I tried cupping it a little while ago at JJ Bean in Vancouver and was surprised by how terrible it was, so at this shop I opted for the Kilimanjaro.

This is the front counter. Notice the ash tray—smoking inside is legal in Japan.

This has got to be one of the coolest-looking coffee grinders ever. Key Coffee is a very popular roaster in Japan.

Lovely milk and sugar bowls, beautiful wood table... worst latte milk ever.

The coffee was crisp and well-rounded, but I could tell that the beans were a bit old by the muted flavors. It was still delicious, and I will be going back there often. But never for a milk drink.

Filed under: Japan, coffee   |  1 Comment