If you’re into coffee, we probably don’t need to tell you where to go for your next caffeine fix—chances are you’ve staked out your own neighborhood joint or the closest Starbucks by now. But if that good ol’ coffee routine is getting a bit tired and wrinkled ‘round the edges, worry not. We’ve found some extraordinary coffee venues—each with a story of its own—that’ll be sure to re-stoke your passion.
Secret Indulgence
Snuggled discreetly in the heart of Happy Valley, Tokyo-native Kitamura Kyoko’s shop-slash-weekend café is one of the city’s most exclusive coffee havens. Customers have to trudge up several sets of stairs to reach this humble enclave in a rundown building, but once you’re in, you’re in for a one-of-a-kind coffee experience. Kyoko sources her own beans from countries all over the globe, and customers can purchase these beans directly from her, choosing from clear glass jars kept in a humming fridge.
Though tiny, it has a friendly vibe because she’s always present—a cheerful owner never failing to greet each of her customers. If you chat her up, she might tell you that she used to stock the prestigious Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans, but Hong Kong customers didn’t buy into the hype, which prompted her to stop selling.
She might also tell you that the Japanese are partial to milder coffees and that she herself is a fan of the mild beans of Brazil—where there once was a significant Japanese farming population due to favorable immigration policies, and where Japanese presence is still strong.
At Kitamura Coffee, Kyoko gives her patrons much more than a brew; if you’re craving something intimate and individual, a pilgrimage to this cozy coffee shop is a must.
Kitamura Coffee Company, 2/F, 4 Shing Ping St., Happy Valley, 8200-3480. Closed Tue and Fri.
