Chatei Hatou, Shibuya

2017/08/172017/01/21Leave a comment

Ever since the Blue Bottle folks wrote about it, I was intrigued.

The beautiful storefront stands out against its surrounding cement urban jungle.

Walking in is like going back in time.

I’m glad that the smokers sat at the opposite end lol. I didn’t realize there was indoor smoking at this place. Fortunately, it only affected me briefly when I went to the restroom in the same corner as the smokers.

Unique assortment of cups, and not a uniform collection.

The ritual selection of a cup for each customer, and cleaning with boiling / steaming water.

Home made cakes indeed!

The chiffon cake was good but nothing particularly special.

I think what many like about this place is its charming ambiance, thoughtful rituals with attention to detail, and old school feel.

Coffee-wise, the two cups were both very sour, which I think a lot of coffee snobs enjoy. But, I don’t like sour. So, not my cup of coffee. Now that I’ve experienced it I don’t plan on coming back. I’ll stick to my SF hipster coffees.

Chatei Hatou
1 Chome-15-19 Shibuya
渋谷区 Tokyo 150-0002
Japan

NishiAnn Cafe, Setagaya

2016/12/242016/12/26Leave a comment

NishiAnn Cafe was beautiful, inspiring, and delicious; you can tell by how enthusiastic my camera became.

It is off the beaten path, and probably better that way. Despite that, I’ll be recommending this to everyone who asks me where to eat in & around Tokyo!

In a way, it is easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it. It’s right across the street from a school, not in a busy strip mall or other commercial area. I think that’s part of what makes it beautiful.

Took a moment for a self-portrait.

Our host & friend came out to greet us in the front yard patio.

The cafe is adjacent to a residence.

Cute outside, cute inside!

I actually liked the coffee here too.

Soba with tempura.

THIS. This was the best tempura I’ve ever had so far. Is it a tempura cake? Definitely coming back for this.

House-made soba noodles.

There was a dish with wasabi, daikon, and other seasonings intended to be added to the tempura sauce. It was definitely better together; makes me wonder why I haven’t seen this combination around the states.

My wife thought these were surprisingly awesome. In the US, these are often overly sweet and lacking flavor. Not the case here. Soft, flavorful from the fruits, and just sweet enough. Made in house, of course.

Obviously, I’m not the only one admiring its beauty. (Spelled wrong in the magazine though!)

And the bathroom is clean!

NishiAnn Cafe
Yubinbango, 157-0076
Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Okamoto 1-6-12
http://www.nishiann.com/access/index.html

Bitter + Sweet, Cupertino

2016/02/182016/01/31Leave a comment

Seems you can find San Francisco relics in the south bay area more and more these days. This is a good thing, imho, and this is the reason I like Bitter + Sweet. I can go to one place and find multiple things I like, where friends and I can gather and find something for everyone.