[Tokyo 東京] Sakurai Tea 櫻井焙茶研究所

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo 東京] Sakurai Tea 櫻井焙茶研究所

l1165276

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, and Wechat (id: sugarednspiced)!

Sakurai Tea 櫻井焙茶研究所

Add: 5F Spiral Building, 5-6-23 Minami Aoyama, Tokyo
Tel: +81-3-6451-1539
Hours: 11am-11pm
Website: sakurai-tea.jp
Price: [tea] 1,600 yen [tea set] 4,500 yen+
Visited: Oct 2016

For those interested in Japanese tea, Sakurai could be a worthwhile place to visit while Tokyo. Located on the 5th floor of Spiral Building in the ultra stylish Minami Aoyama area, Sakurai is a modern Japanese tea house founded by Mr. Shinya Sakurai, an ex-Yakumo Saryo and Higashiya who expands his craft to not just tea, but also pairing with food and alcohol.

喜歡日本茶的人，可以來試試櫻井焙茶研究所。這家位于スパイラルビル五樓的茶館，是曾經在八雲茶寮和 Higashiya 擔任經理的櫻井真也于 2014 年獨立出來開的店，專注于茶和食物、以及茶和酒的結合。

l1165327

The shop, also designed by Simplicity Studio, fuses traditional Japanese design with modern metallic vibes. The counter displays a range of beautiful teaware, and beyond the counter is a tea roasting area.

店裏融合了傳統日式風格與現代金屬的摩登感，看得出來也是 Simplicity 設計的。入口處的櫃台上漂亮的茶具一字排開，透過玻璃可以看到烘培茶葉的區域。

l1165328

On the other side of the counter is the tea room. Tea and tea desserts are available a la carte as well as in sets (gyokuro, blended tea, hojicha, bancha, matcha, etc., 4,500~6,900 yen/set) and alchoholic versions like encha gin, hojicha rum, matcha beer (1,200~1,600 yen), which all sound quite interesting.

櫃台的後方是茶房，除了可以單點茶和甜品之外，也可以選擇包含玉露、混合茶、焙茶、抹茶、等4~6種茶以及和菓子的茶套餐（4,500~6,900日幣），另外還有以茶入酒的各種選擇，比如煎茶琴酒、焙茶朗姆酒、抹茶啤酒等（1,200~1,600日幣），聽起來挺有趣的。

l1165339

The tea room is small, with only 8 seats around the bar. I arrived during the late afternoon, so I can only imagine how beautiful the space must be during the day with natural light spilling in from the large windows. Upon being seated, I was handed presented a selection of tea leaves to choose from, accompanied by clear explanations about their origin, aroma, and flavor.

茶房空間不大，只有圍繞著吧台的八個座位。我到的時候已經晚上了，不過白天時應該可以享受透過大片玻璃窗進來的陽光。入座後店員遞上茶單，如果選擇的是焙茶的話，店員會再取出一排茶葉供參考。從選茶到泡茶，包括産地、味道、香味，店員都解釋的頗爲詳細。

l1165254

Continue Reading "[Tokyo 東京] Sakurai Tea 櫻井焙茶研究所" →

[Tokyo 東京] Rai-an 雷庵

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo 東京] Rai-an 雷庵

l1165390

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, and Wechat (id: sugarednspiced)!

Rai-an 雷庵

Add: 1F 董友ビル, 1-4-13 Shibuya, Tokyo
Tel: +81-3-5778-3379
Hours: 11:30am-3pm, 5:30pm-11pm
Price: 2,000~4,000 yen/person
Visited: Oct 2016

Located in Shibuya, Rai-an is a newly-opened soba noodle shop with a beautiful modern design: floor-to-ceiling windows, open kitchen, and an atelier to display the making of soba. The soba noodles delicious, and all the other small dishes we tried were surprisingly yum as well.

位于涉谷區的雷庵是今年剛開的面店，從整片的落地窗（白天應該很美）、開放式廚房等裝修設計上就可以看得出這是一家比較新式的摩登面店。令人驚喜的是這裏不僅荞麥面好吃，其他東西也做的可圈可點。

l1165345

Such as the soba tofu with sea urchin (900 yen).

比如海膽荞麥豆腐（900日幣）。

l1165353

Japanese omelet (800 yen).

厚燒蛋卷（800日幣）。

l1165360

Ginko nut sakura shrimp tempura (1,100 yen).

銀杏櫻花蝦天婦羅（1,100日幣）

l1165366

Continue Reading "[Tokyo 東京] Rai-an 雷庵" →

[Tokyo 東京] Mahakara Ureshii Purin マハカラ うれしいプリン

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo 東京] Mahakara Ureshii Purin マハカラ うれしいプリン

l1166026

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, and Wechat (id: sugarednspiced)!

Mahakara Ureshii Purin マハカラ うれしいプリン

Add: 1-17-5 Aobadai Meguro Tokyo
Tel: +81-50-5590-4510
Hours: 11am-6pm
Website: www.happypudding.com
Price: ~350 yen/pudding
Visited: Oct 2016

I was strolling along the Meguro River the other day and passed by a super cute pudding shop called “Mahakara Ureshii Purin”. It’s a tiny store with not much other than a kitchen and a counter, displaying a myriad of delicious-looking puddings in glass jars – matcha, coffee, pumpkin, chestnut, yam, cheese…though eventually I went for the classic custard pudding with caramel. Sitting on the bench in front of the shop, eating the soft and fragrant pudding by the spoonful…what a lovely, lovely neighborhood vibe.

某天在目黑河邊路過一家可愛的布丁店 “マハカラ うれしいプリン”。店面小小的，除了廚房和櫃台之外幾乎沒有空間放其他東西，冰櫃裡排列著各種誘人口味的布丁 － 抹茶、咖啡、南瓜、栗子、番薯、起司…不過最後還是選擇了經典焦糖雞蛋布丁。店門口放了幾張椅子，坐在街邊吃著香濃柔滑的布丁、邊感受著中目黑悠閑的步調，很是惬意。

l1166018

l1166015

l1166013

Mahakara Ureshii Purin uses a high grade Japanese eggs from Hyogo Prefecture called “日本一こだわり卵” (kodawari tamago), and doesn’t add any preservatives in their pudding.

マハカラ うれしいプリン的布丁裡完全無添加防腐劑，而且使用的是兵庫縣產的 “日本一こだわり卵” 高級蛋，格外香濃。

l1165995

Continue Reading "[Tokyo 東京] Mahakara Ureshii Purin マハカラ うれしいプリン" →

[Tokyo 東京] Mikawa Zezankyo みかわ是山居

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo 東京] Mikawa Zezankyo みかわ是山居

l1166136

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, and Wechat (id: sugarednspiced)!

みかわ是山居 Mikawa Zezankyo

Add: 1-3-1 Fukuzumi, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: +81-3-3643-8383
Hours: 11am-1:30pm, 5-9:30pm
Website: mikawa-zezankyo.jimdo.com
Price: [lunch] 11,340 yen+ [dinner] 18,360 yen
Visited: Oct 2016

I’ve been hearing about Mikawa Zezankyo for years, and finally got to taste this legendary tempura restaurant on a recent trip to Tokyo. Chef owner Tetsuya Saotome entered the trade at the age of 14, and has been making tempura for over half a century. Along with Jiro Ono (a.k.a. the god of sushi) and Kanejiro Kanemoto (the god of eel), Tetsuya Saotome (the god of tempura) is one of the three major representatives of Edomae cuisine. On a side note, apparently Jiro Ono and Tetsuya Saotome are good friends, and often visit each other’s restaurants.

久仰みかわ是山居多年，這次去東京終于嚐到了。店主兼主廚早乙女哲哉從十四歲開始做天婦羅至今已過了半個世紀，和壽司之神小野二郎以及鳗魚之神金本兼次郎被視為江戶前料理三大代表（聽說早乙女哲哉和小野二郎還是惺惺相惜的好友，經常去對方的餐廳吃飯呢）。

l1166095

l1166102

Mr. Saotome moved into this current house in 2009. The first floor is the restaurant, the 2nd and 3rd floor are exhibition spaces, and the 4th floor is where he lives. The house is filled with artworks, and even the tableware used by the guests are ceramics made by famed contemporary artisans. Fun fact: what looks like a huge hat on top of the work station is actually an exhaust modeled after the shape of the “Borsalino” hat Mr. Saotome wears when he goes out.

早乙女先生在2009年搬到了現在這座小房子，一樓是餐廳，二、三樓是客室與展覽廳，四樓是他的家。這整棟房子裏都是藝術品，連餐具也是當代名家所作的珍貴陶瓷器。下圖工作台上方長的像大帽子的吸油煙機，是按照早乙女先生平時外出時會帶的意大利品牌 “Borsalino” 黑色禮帽特別定制的，有點可愛。

l1166233

Having devoted almost his entire life to tempura, Mr. Saotome has developed a most particular way to make tempura, from the coating to the  frying process. Apparently he varies the coating and frying methods according to each ingredient. He may look stern while he’s busy at work, but is actually very friendly when he starts chatting.

把畢生精力投入到天婦羅的早乙女先生從面衣、沾粉、下鍋都有嚴謹的方法，炸不同的食物的時候要考量哪個部份含水多，具體想要達成何種油炸效果從而決定沾粉的位置和多寡。你看他做料理時神情嚴肅，不過和客人聊天時笑起來非常和藹可親哦。

l1166136

The word “mikawa” in kanji is “三河”, an area of Nagoya in which Mr. Saotome was born. On the menu, “mikawa” is written in another form of kanji “美川”, which literally means a beautiful river, signifying Mr. Saotome’s vision to serve tempura dishes one after another, like the flow of a river, in front of his guests. For lunch, one can choose the lunch course (11,340 yen) or the omakase course (18,360 yen), the difference being that the omakase course includes uni and matsutake mushrooms.

“みかわ”（mikawa）的漢字是 “三河”，是位於名古屋的一個區域 ，也是早乙女先生的出身地。菜單上寫的則是日語發音相同的 “美川”，表達早乙女先生的意境：讓天婦羅料理如同美麗的流淌的河水一樣一品一品呈現在客人面前。我在中午到訪，有御夕食コース（11,340 日幣）和おまかせコース（18,360日幣）這兩種可以選擇，其中的不同是おまかせコース包含了海膽以及松茸這兩樣高級食材。話說，菜單上的圖示都是早乙女先生自己畫的呢。

l1166124

l1166112

Continue Reading "[Tokyo 東京] Mikawa Zezankyo みかわ是山居" →

[Tokyo 東京] Higashiya

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo 東京] Higashiya

l1166298

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, and Wechat (id: sugarednspiced)!

Higashiya Ginza

Add: 2F Pola Bldg Ginza, Chuo Ku / 中央区銀座 1-7-7 ポーラ銀座ビル 2F
Tel: +81-3-3538-3240
Hours: [Tue-Sat] 11am-10pm [Sun] 11am-7pm
Website: www.higashiya.com
Price: [tea] 1,400~1,500 yen
Visited: Oct 2016

My favorite spot for Japanese tea and sweets on this trip to Tokyo was Yakumo Saryo, but if your itinerary is too rushed and don’t have time to venture out to this neighborhood, perhaps you can try Higashiya, another Japanese sweets establishment by the same designer Shinichiro Ogata, conveniently located in Ginza. Higashiya was established with the goal of creating modern wagashi (Japanese sweets) that can be enjoyed on a daily basis, hence the name “higashiya” (“hi” means day in Japanese).

如果你在東京的行程很趕，沒有時間到目黑區去尋找八雲茶寮的話，那可以試試同樣出自緒方慎一郎之手，位于銀座的 Higashiya。Higashiya 原本是家沿著目黑川的小店，品牌的初衷是將和菓子帶回到人們日常生活中，做出 “每天吃也不會膩的果子”，因此名爲 Higashiya（日菓子屋）。

l1166346

The Ginza shop opened in 2009, composed of a boutique space and a 40-seat tea salon. A white canvas noren hangs at the entrance, and walking through it is like entering another space, leaving all earthly worries out behind. Unfortunately photos are not allowed inside the shop, so here’s a quick sneak peek. If you would like to see more, take a look at their beautiful website.

2009 年開幕的 Higashiya 銀座店位于ポーラ銀座ビル的二樓，首先穿過似乎可以把煩惱擋在門外的布簾，先看到的是和菓子的櫃台，往裏走才是茶室。店員表示緒方先生不希望客人在店裏拍照，所以在這裏就沒有太多照片可以放，喜歡的話可以上官網瞧瞧。不過總之茶館裏的裝潢風格結合了現代和日式傳統，桌椅均為木質，沒有太過華麗的擺飾，簡單大方。

l1166350

l1166354

In addition to seasonal desserts, Higashiya offers a diverse selection of Japanese sweets and original tableware, 30 varieties of tea, as well as lunch menus and afternoon tea using seasonal ingredients.

店裏根據季節的不同更換精致的和菓子，另外也有自己設計的餐具、30多種茶、以及用季節食材烹調而成的日式午餐和下午茶。

l1166282

Continue Reading "[Tokyo 東京] Higashiya" →

[Tokyo 東京] Bar High Five

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo 東京] Bar High Five

l1166442

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, and Wechat (id: sugarednspiced)!

Bar High Five

Add: B1F Efflore Ginza 5 Bldg.,5-4-15 Ginza, Chuo Ku / 中央区銀座5-4-15 エフローレギンザ5ビル B1F
Tel: +81-3-3571-5815
Hours: 5pm-1am
Website: www.barhighfive.com
Price: cocktails ~2200 yen
Visited: Oct 2016

Bar High Five is no newcomer to Asia’s 50 Best Bars, and this year it’s ranked #3. (On a related note, Shanghai’s Speak Low is ranked #2). The location is in the basement of a building in Ginza, with about 10 seats at the bar and a couple of small tables on the side. No reservations. We arrived a little before 9pm on a Thursday, and luckily got the last 3 seats at the bar.

銀座的 Bar High Five 是“亞洲50最佳酒吧” 的常駐軍，今年也毫不意外的出現在榜單上，名列第三（順帶一提，上海的 Speak Low 是今年的第二名）。地點在銀座某建築的地下一層，只有吧台10個位子加上後面幾張小桌，不接受訂位。我和朋友八點多抵達，幸運的拿到了吧台最後三個空位。

l1166408

Bar High Five’s founder Hidetsugu Ueno began his career in 1992, and is kind of a big deal in the cocktail world both in Japan and abroad. He previously worked at another Japanese cocktail institution – Star Bar – before starting out on his own, moving location once before settling in Ginza. There’s no menu here, his drinks changing according to the mood of his customers – whatever makes them happy.

Bar High Five 的創辦人上野秀嗣在 2004 年獲得了世界 Martini 大賽冠軍，現在也是日本調酒師協會國際部總監。他的酒吧裡沒有酒單，調酒隨著顧客的心情而變：“我調不同的酒，希望客人可以有一段美好時光，這是我的工作。如果他們快樂，我也快樂。”

l1166390

l1166445

Unfortunately Mr. Ueno was not there when I visited, perhaps the busy man was doing a pop-up or workshop somewhere around the world. Taking care of us that night was Kaori Kurakami, the Japanese representative for World Class 2014. After a few questions – Which base liqueur do you prefer? Do you like refreshing? Citrusy? Creamy? Strong in alcohol flavor? Etc., she got started on the mixing.

很可惜我到訪的當晚上野先生不在，可能在世界的某地做 pop-up 或講座吧？留著當家的是 2014 年 World Class 日本代表倉上香裏，在遞上了熱毛巾之後，她問了我們幾個問題 － 喜歡什麽基酒？喜歡偏好帶柑橘清新口味的、creamy的，還是酒味比較強及直接的？Etc. 然後就開始了。

l1166392

Continue Reading "[Tokyo 東京] Bar High Five" →

[Tokyo 東京] Shinbashi Shimizu 新橋清水

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo 東京] Shinbashi Shimizu 新橋清水

l1164975

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, and Wechat (id: sugarednspiced)!

新橋 清水 Shinbashi Shimizu

Add: 2-15-10 Shinbashi, Minato Ku / 港区新橋 2-15-10
Tel: +81-3-3591-5763
Hours: 12pm~, 5:30~9:30 (L.O.)
Price: [lunch] 8,800+ yen [dinner] 15,000+ yen
Visited: Oct 2016

Among the myriad of high-end sushi restaurants in Tokyo, what foreigners are most familiar with are probably Sushi Jiro and Sushi Saito. Sushi Shimizu, on the other hand, is also highly ranked by the local Japanese (#34 on Tabelog’s top 50 sushi restaurants in Tokyo, just 6 spots after Sushi Jiro), but one can hardly find any non-Japanese information or reviews online. Why?

在東京衆多高級壽司店裡，一般外國人比較熟悉的不外乎是壽司之神すきやばし次郎（Sukiyabashi Jiro）和鮨さいとう（Sushi Saito）。而我這次去的新橋清水，雖然在當地人的圈子內是一座難求的名店，不過在網上卻很難找到非日語的信息和評論。爲什麽？

l1164956

Let’s take a look first. The tiny sushi bar is located in a small alley not far from Ginza. It’s a space that fits only 8 customers, and inside the sushi bar is chef owner Kunihiro Shimizu. There are no fancy decors, just a simple bar, and behind it hung wooden boards listing today’s freshest ingredients.

先進來瞧瞧。小店藏身在離銀座不遠的狹小巷子裡，招牌也（不令人意外的）毫不顯眼。入門後是個能容納八個人的壽司吧台，站在裡面的就是主廚清水邦浩先生。沒有華麗的設計，只有簡潔的吧台，以及後方用來示意當日新鮮食材的板子。

l1164985

Shimizu-san entered the trade when he was 18, and after 11 years of working at Shimbashi Tsuruhachi, he started out on his own in 1999. In fact, he was awarded one Michelin star in 2012, but as someone who doesn’t want his restaurant to be on any food guides, he complained to Michelin and had his star taken away the next year. Instead of running a sushi bar that’s world-famous and becomes impossible to book, he’d rather have it stay as a casual place where his regulars can come as they wish.

清水先生十八歲入行，于名店 “新橋鶴八” 工作11年後，1999年自立門戶。清水其實曾經在2012年被米其林評爲一星餐廳，不過他並不希望出現于任何餐廳指南上，所以氣憤的向米其林投訴，隔年隨即被撤銷了星星。長年來低調經營的清水先生，希望自己的餐廳不要成爲高高在上，需要好幾個月前就要訂位的拘謹名店，而是他的熟客可以隨意進來享用美味壽司的輕松地方。

l1164971

l1164972

Continue Reading "[Tokyo 東京] Shinbashi Shimizu 新橋清水" →

[Tokyo 東京] Cobi Coffee 古美珈琲

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo 東京] Cobi Coffee 古美珈琲

l1165717

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, and Wechat (id: sugarednspiced)!

Cobi Coffee

Add: 5-10-5 Minato, Minami Aoyama, Tokyo / 東京都港区南青山 5-10-5 第一九曜ビル 1F
Tel: +81-3-6427-3976
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 8am-8pm [Sat-Sun] 9am-8pm
Website: bloom-branch.jp/shop/aoyama
Price: coffee 450~750 yen
Visited: Oct 2016

Before we talk about Cobi Coffee, let’s take a look at Bloom & Branch, the select shop that houses the cafe. Bloom & Branch is a boutique with a curated selection of clothing and housewares, highlighting craftsmanship whether it’s a pair of jeans or a coffee cup. Curiously, it’s also got a shoe shine bar called  “The Bar by Brift H” installed right at the center of the boutique – very stylish.

南青山有一家非常漂亮的 select shop，名為 Bloom & Branch。這裡除了有服飾、雜貨、咖啡之外，非常有意思的一點是裡面的 “The Bar by Brift H” shoe shine bar（擦鞋吧）。想要保養皮鞋的，不論是擦拭，清理劃痕還是補色，都可以在這裡得到服務，這個一般的合集店可是沒有的。

l1165657

l1165667

In the right corner of Bloom & Branch is Cobi Coffee, a sleek little cafe done in seasoned wood, aged brass, and copper. The seating arrangement is modeled after a Japanese tea room, where the host sits at the center and prepares tea in front of the guests. Cobi (古美) translates roughly to “beauty in age”, and this is reflected in many parts of the coffee shop, such as the beautiful copper pot and the ceramic cups in which coffee is served.

而位於 Bloom & Branch 入門口角落的 Cobi CoffeeCobi 也很有自己的風格。（こび）意思是 “古美”，很有味道的一個名字，店裏的裝修和杯具也都是如其名的沈穩古典風格。

l1165691

The coffee is from Obscura Coffee Roasters, and though they offer espresso drinks, the pour-over coffee prepared through a cloth filter is what they most excel at.

而 Cobi Coffee，則是由位于三軒茶屋的咖啡名店 Obscura Coffee Roasters 打造。這裡有義式咖啡也有手沖咖啡，不過手沖咖啡似乎比較出色。

l1165677

Continue Reading "[Tokyo 東京] Cobi Coffee 古美珈琲" →

[Tokyo 東京] Yakumo Saryo 八雲茶寮

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo 東京] Yakumo Saryo 八雲茶寮

l1165048

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, and Wechat (id: sugarednspiced)!

Yakumo Saryo 八雲茶寮

Add: 3-4-7 Yakumo, Meguro Ku, Tokyo / 東京都目黒区八雲 3-4-7
Tel: +81-3-5731-1620
Hours: 9am-9pm
Website: yakumosaryo.jp
Price: tea 1,090~2,300 yen
Visited: Oct 2016

It took us a little while to find Yakumo Saryo. This restaurant, hidden inside a quiet residential neighborhood in Meguro, was about a 15-minute walk from the closest station Toritsu Daigaku. After some exploration and retracing of steps (even with Google Map), we arrived at the restaurant, which looked more like a private mansion with a large yard, all ensconced in shades of green. The calming ambience is immediately soothing, and all of our worldly worries seem to be left at the door.

這次在東京探訪的第一家茶館隱身於目黑區安靜的住宅區內，門口看上去像是個有大庭院的私宅，低調的寫著 “八雲茶寮”。要不是事先打聽好，路過就算注意到，也不敢貿然入內吧？穿過庭院來到入口處，靜谧的氣氛讓人心自然沈澱，所有令人煩惱的思緒，都遺留在布簾之外。

screen-shot-2016-11-07-at-11-09-48-am

The founder of Yakumo Saryo is designer Shinichiro Ogata, whose design studio Simplicity has put together well-known interior design works throughout Japan, such as Aesop Shinsaibashi and Andaz Tokyo. His style inherits, preserves, and adapts traditional Japanese culture to contemporary designs, often merging the old and new to reveal a refreshing outlook on the traditions.

八雲茶寮的負責人緒方慎一郎本身是位室內設計師，他的設計事務所 Simplicity 出品了非常多知名的店鋪，比如京都和東京的 Aesop 門店（很美，沒看過的速速去網上搜圖），以及之後要介紹的 Higashiya 和櫻井焙茶研究所。他的風格是簡約設計的美學概念裏融合日本文化的細節，讓人能感受到傳統的新觀感。

l1165011

At Yakumo Saryo, breakfast and lunch are by reservations, dinner is by invitation (from an existing member), while afternoon tea is open to walk-ins. The number of guests accepted is limited as they wish guests to enjoy the time with as few disturbances as possible; on the afternoon of our visit, there were only 2 or 3 other guests in the tea room.

八雲茶寮有早茶、午飯、下午茶、以及晚飯，午晚飯是必須事先預訂的，招待方式大多是由熟客介紹。這次我們前來用下午茶，被服務人員領到了茶室裏；由于希望客人不受太多打擾，茶室接受的人數不多，除了我和朋友外也就兩三個客人。

l1165023

l1165019

Continue Reading "[Tokyo 東京] Yakumo Saryo 八雲茶寮" →

[Tokyo 東京] Cafe Kitsuné

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo 東京] Cafe Kitsuné

l1165639

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, and Wechat (id: sugarednspiced)!

Cafe Kitsuné

Add: 3-17-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato Ku, Tokyo / 東京都港区南青山3-17-1
Tel: +81-3-5786-4842
Hours: 9am-8pm
Website: www.kitsune.fr
Price: coffee ~500 yen
Visited: Oct 2016

French music + fashion label Maison Kitsuné’s cafe in Paris used to be one of my go-to places with friends when I lived there – the outdoor seating under the green shades of Palais Royal is simply perfect on a nice day. But even before Paris, the first Cafe Kitsuné was actually opened in Tokyo back in 2013, located in the stylish Minami-Aoyama area. We explore.

Maison Kitsuné 是個日法混血的音樂＋服飾品牌，這幾年來也開起了咖啡店。我住巴黎時就很常去 Palais Royal 裡的 Cafe Kitsuné，簡單有型的小店面加上舒服的露天座位，是我和朋友們聊天的不二選擇。不過早在巴黎之前，Cafe Kitsuné 的第一家店其實開在東京，地點就在潮店雲集的南青山一帶。門面相當低調，一不注意就會錯過，得多多留意。

l1165592

The entrance is not especially noticeable to the passerbys, though most people come looking for it specifically, so it’s difficult to miss. The Tokyo cafe was transformed from a Japanese house, and much of the traditional elements have been kept intact or reinforced, such as by installing tatami and fusumi sliding doors custom-made from a 70-year-old studio in Shimbashi.

和巴黎的裝修風格不同，東京店將一個和式空間稍做改造，保留了濃濃的日本味。從門口開始就以竹子爲主材料，室內用了定制的榻榻米和日式拉門（聽說是在新橋一家70多歲的老工作室特別定做的）。

l1165620

The baristas are all clad in Kitsuné fashion, and the music is likewise Kitsuné. The vibe is cool, and business is good – the space has always been filled during the few times I passed by, weekends or not.

咖啡師們穿著 Kitsuné 的衣服，店裡的音樂也是 Kitsuné 發行的專輯，風格從頭到尾貫徹的很徹底。咖啡店生意非常的好，我幾次經過時店內都幾乎坐滿了，不論平日還是周末。

l1165621

l1165603

Continue Reading "[Tokyo 東京] Cafe Kitsuné" →