Sarutahiko Coffee

We have been quite busy. Clearly. Since our last post was umpteen years ago. Besides, oh - having a kid - we have had frequent goodbye and hello adjustments, as deployments have been about every other month. 

But today our new life as parents met our former life of coffee shop explorers and our future aspiration of owning our own. Whenever we're in a shop, I always tell our four-month-old to get comfortable, because hopefully part of his childhood will be more or less lived in one. But usually that occurs in a Starbucks or Tully's. 

But today. Oh, today. We ventured back onto the old road and sought out a little indie. We trekked up to a district in Tokyo we've rarely been and spent some time in Sarutahiko Coffee. When I first laid eyes on this little shop, I felt equal delight and dismay. Delight, because it was so adorably cute and small. Tiny as a shop can be, and cute as a button. Dismay, because it was so challengingly cute and small. We're parents. We come with a diaper bag stuffed with space-consuming cloth diapers, a soft carrier than can make agility more complex, and - oh, right - a kid. So when we first showed up with our appropriately hungry and tired infant hoping to settle in for a cup of joe, a hearty Breastfeeding session, and an ample nap, we took one look at the seat's-taken scenario before us and started weighing our options.

This gave Sarutahiko a chance to shine. A barista was instantly at our side to not only open the door for us, but offer us standing room, if we would take it. We walked away hoping to check again in an hour and that same barista chased after us to offer freshly open seats. Now that's good hospitality. 

We were able to squirm our way into 2 of the 14 seats in the place and check out the offerings. Their menus are in both Japanese and English (accommodating yet again, yeah!), so we were able to order easily. My caffe mocha was delicious and not overpowered by syrup, and Curt's single origin Burundi coffee was prepared via slow pour, resulting in a clean and citrusy taste. Nice and smooth.

The beans used to make his cup were extracted from the cherry using the natural washing process (cherry is pulped, soaked, fermented, washed, and dried). And you know, it made for a great cup of coffee. 

Sarutahiko Coffee gets an A+ from the Gaynors, according to their brew and their good hospitality. Overall, we had a good experience there, save for the screaming episode in their little bathroom (wait, infants don't appreciate things being dropped on their heads during a diaper change? Weird.), but I imagine if their staff are this accommodating for a ragamuffin bunch like ours, they must do everything they can to create a good atmosphere all the time.

If you're interested in visiting this shop, take the east exit out of Ebisu Station. We took the JR Yamanote Line. Sarutahiko is only a few blocks walk, and is easy to find on Google Maps. 

The Griffin

A few weeks ago, we ran into the Griffin of Olde Towne Fredericksburg, Virginia. When we saw the words "coffee shop" and "bookstore" on the same sign, we knew we were going to get sucked in. This idea is not only genius (coffee shop?! AND book store?! Together?!), but it was implemented here so perfectly. The Griffin has the layout of an old house - rooms here and there, hallways, a large living space. The various sections of books were segmented and the same went for the seating. A table with chairs in what might have been a sitting room (surrounded by shelves of books). A kids area that was a space underneath the stairs (surrounded by shelves of books). Two cush chairs with an end table in a wide hallway (of course, surrounded by shelves of books). Depending on where you sat, you'd get your own little alcove. A cup of coffee in hand staring at a wall of books? What is better, my friend, what is better. I often find myself overwhelmed at bookstores, with the urge to move here and move there, craning my neck to see what's on the bottom shelf. But when you're sitting down without a single inkling to move (i.e., latte in hand), you have all the time to eye up a thousand books.

Kudos, Griffin.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for their coffee. Good brews were clearly not their focus, and it was about the equivalent of what you'd get at a hospital kiosk. Though my husband had the regular brew, I had the basic mocha, and was all but impressed. It was overly bitter and overpowered by the undersweet mocha powder.

Yes, definitely go to the Griffin for books and ambiance. But avoid for good coffee.

 

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Warmth Inside the Igloo

I made an incredible discovery on Monday.  I was by the University of Tokyo patiently awaiting a Jane Goodall lecture and craving some coffee time.  I wandered and wandered, so I can't easily tell you where this discovery is located, but it's somewhere near the Keio Inokashira Line near the university.  I made my way down a small avenue and gloriously stumbled upon a diner meets coffee shop.  You know, I can't really tell you the name either, but I'm pretty sure it's Igloo (イーグル).  This great find was cozy and the coffee was surprisingly good for such a quaint little place.  Unfortunately, the menu isn't in English, but if you know any Katakana, you'll survive just fine.

 

Igloo was clearly a man's coffee shop. Being the only female patron, I noticed pretty much everyone else was an old man smoking a cigarette and having a cup o' Joe. In my mind, this is pretty rare. When it comes to coffee shops, we think of the Caribous and Tully's of our days - full of mostly young people and predominantly female. So I can appreciate places like Igloo, with men being men in an ambience similar to Cheers. It was the perfect after work third place, and it was clear there were some regulars.  This shop was perfectly rejuvinating, and I left refreshed and ready to continue a busy day. If you, by some freak chance, happen to be in the area and stumble upon it like I did (Hey! Maybe it's Narnia!), I recommend the cafe au lait.  In a comfortable atmosphere like Igloo, it's the perfect complementary drink.  Cheers.  :)

Meet TCC

Singapore Coffee Shop #1 on our list is the first one I visited. I got there all of 20 minutes after making my way through Singapore customs. When a girl needs her a coffee, she needs her coffee.  And thank the good Lord this coffee shop was awaiting me in the terminal.

 

I would like to introduce you to The Connoisseur Concerto, affectionately known as TCC.

 

One of the discontentments we've grown since living abroad is the lack of good hearty food in American coffee shops.  There are days when I want to camp out in a coffee shop for hours on end, and a meal is in order.  Thinking back to the coffee hubs I know and love in the States, I would have pastries number 1, 2, and 3 to choose from.  We coffee drinkers gotta eat!  While exploring various coffee shops abroad, I've been able to see the possibilities of vibrant plates that fill my belly and fill it well, and TCC was no different. 

 

The menu was full of meals of all sizes - soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas, appetizers, desserts - but it was breakfast time, so I chose their fruit pancakes.  They were fresh and perfect, with a slightly crispy outer layer and carmelized bananas with fresh strawberries and raspberries on top.  After the amount of time I had been on a plane?  I was a little drooly.  This breakfast was perfectly comforting. 

 

Their coffee menu was an extensive list of specialty coffee and espresso drinks, and I had their TCC's special blend.  In honor of kopi, it was thick and rich, and left me wanting nothing more.  The taste was bold and full enough to wake me up instantly.  Boy, was I paying attention.

 

TCC is one of those chains that don't forget quality in their success.  If you're ever in Singapore - and trust me, you should be in Singapore - visit TCC for an idea of a really fantastic and professional specialty coffee shop looks like.

Kopi Love.

Goodness gracious, life is so good.  We have another "basket of beans" to show you, and that wonderful basket is Singapore. 

 

Traditionally, Singaporean coffee is called kopi and their coffeeshops are referred to as kopitiam.  I have to be honest - I have no idea where these beans come from or how exactly the kopi is prepared.  But what I can offer you is my own experience, and what my first tastes of kopi were like. 

 

Kopi is intense.  It's a little thick, and definitely rich.  It's somewhat overwhelming, but it grows on you.  After a long flight that spits you out into a Singapore morning, kopi is comforting and filling.  I may be well-suited to love kopi since I drink my coffee black every day, but I'm convinced that though most Americans would think it too strong and too thick, many would come around after a few tastes. 

 

Kopitiam is such a culture in Singapore that it has its own speech.  Unfortunately, I forgot everything I'd researched when looking up at a board with "kopi o" (sweetened hot coffee), "kopi o kosong" (black hot coffee), "kopi c" (hot coffee sweetened with evaporated milk), and a dozen others, but I think we survived our struggle.  Stay tuned, folks.  We visited many a kopitiam in Singapore (really, what else would you expect?), and we've got much to tell you. 

musetto

It is now clear that I'm not very consistent.  After two months of unannounced and unintended hiatus from this blog, I'm ready.  Woo!

We've been telling you about coffee shops away from home - Kyoto, Ginza, etc - but today I'll tell you about our neighborhood kissaten.  Musetto is just around the corner from home and smack dap in the middle of what we call the Honch, or Honcho.  To Navy affiliates in the area, it means Little America, and the place where sailors wander to to get a little crazy on the weekends.  During the day, though, the area is active with Japanese families and couples, complete with various festivals and musical performances.  

I.e., musetto is perfect for people watching.

A modest shop with mismatched furniture and a wall that comes off completely to bring in fresh air, musetto is quaint yet impressive.  Their drink varieties include the classic lattes and some signature drinks.  I recently tried the soy honey latte; I must admit that it was on the sweet side, but still pretty delicious.  Though I can't speak to any of their teas because I haven't tried any, their selection is extensive.  Musetto also has a menu of plated meals and really great sweets.  So whatever time of day you're in, you won't leave discontent. 

As for this shop, we highly recommend.  So take a walk straight out Main Gate and it will be a block up on your right.  Their menus include English.

Vamos a la Bibliotheque!

I’m very excited to talk about this next coffee house.  It was by far my favorite in Kyoto.  I probably had a bias towards it when I first researched Kyoto coffee shops, because its name was absurd. 

Meet Café Bibliotec Hello!

And no, that’s not a typo.  And yes, the exclamation point is part of the name.

 

We spent part of a Sunday afternoon here, and it didn’t take long to realize that this shop had it all.  Along with its fantastic name, there were bookshelves upon bookshelves (hence, bibliotec).  And what’s better than coffee?  Coffee with a book.  Ah, glorious.

Cafe BH! also had great ambiance.  A loft, cozy chairs, warm colors, friendly staff.  And on top it all, an enormous, hefty table.  Like the one you’d find in the dining room of a manor. 

And the most important part – the food and the coffee.  Both were fan freaking tastic.  They had a complete food menu with meals, pastries, salads, you name it.  There was no lacking in their cuisine or their drinks.  They had all sorts of espresso drinks and teas.  Goodness gracious, I fell in love.  I went with their basic mocha and it was perfectly balanced.  Not too sweet and not too bitter.  I truly enjoyed my heaven in a cup as Curt enjoyed his black black black coffee.  Nothing lacking there either. 

As one of my favorite coffee shops of all time, this one will stick in my memory.  After all, I am in love with it.