Page 64 - #51 English

Café Hopping
Story and Photos by Asama Wichaidit

Japan Coffee Culture

Part
Two

Little Nap Coffee Stand

to have a Stumptown’s Hair Bender espresso which was as good
as expected. The flavour is well - balanced with an orange top
note. Judging from the number of bicycles parked outside the
café, most customers at Paddlers Coffee are local residences
who live nearby.
Our next destination, Switch Coffee, is quite a puzzle to
find even for locals. Hidden inside an alley in Meguro district,
you might need Google Map to find the shop, but since we have
been here before, it took us 8 minutes from Meguro train station
to reach the shop on foot. The last time we were here we were
very impressed with the barista owner, Masahiro Onishi, who
Little Nap Coffee Stand did everything from order taking and dish washing, to brewing
and roasting. We met the same passionate barista owner and
ordered an espresso which was exceptional. It had a distinctively
Picking up where we left off, we continue our Tokyo café
hopping to experience cafés with their own unique style, from strong, yet not pungent, acidity from the first sip and a refreshing
small take - away coffee kiosk to big cafés with 2 coffee machines sweet aftertaste. At the back of the café is a large Probat coffee
and their own roasting machine. roasting machine while the front is stocked with bags of house-
roasted coffee beans. We were very lucky to visit Switch Coffee
Starting with one of the most impressive cafés in our on its second anniversary because Masahiro roasted a special
Tokyo café hopping trip, Paddlers Coffee doesn’t just have great batch of coffee to celebrate the event. The special roast is made
coffee, but the atmosphere is cozily impressive as well. Serving from Columbian Cup of Excellence #9 coffee beans and we
coffee beans from renowned US roaster like Stumptown Coffee bought a couple of bags back with us alongside several blends
Roasters, the café used to occupy a small space in a fashion from Switch Coffee. Next to the coffee bean shelf is the coffee
boutique in the hippest district in Tokyo, Shinjuku. It now bar where French Pressed single origin coffees are available in
moved to a residential area near Yoyogi - Uehara train station. a pot for customers to try. Interestingly, Switch Coffee doesn’t
The café is a one storey home with a highlight on bare concrete have tables for you to sit and relax like regular cafés. Instead,
and wooden walls and furniture. You can choose to relax inside there is a small stool in front of the shop and a tall table for you
or outside in a small garden while enjoying coffee beans from to stand and enjoy your coffee. Moreover, the shop focuses on
Stumptown. Beside drip coffee, Paddlers Coffee also owns a only coffee, so you won’t find any food or snack here at Switch
La Marzocco Linea for that perfect shot of espresso. We decided Coffee.
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