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Specialty Coffee With Japanese Style At Omotesando Koffee

The original Omotesando Koffee was an oasis in bustling Tokyo with its relaxed vibe and excellent coffee. Discover the origins of the global coffee enterprise.

Entrance to Omotesando Koffee in Tokyo Japan
Entrance to Omotesando Koffee | Image: ©2foodtrippers

We were pleasantly surprised by Tokyo and the city’s love of coffee. Japan certainly has wonderful teas, but coffee is popular with Tokyites of all ages too.

This is a city with great coffee shops everywhere, even inside train stations. While we really liked the coffee chains like Beck’s for a quick latte on the go, we fell in love with Omotesando Koffee for its more complete coffee experience.

The Original Omotesando Koffee

Coffee Shop Oasis at Omotesando Koffee in Tokyo Japan
Coffee Shop Oasis | Image: ©2foodtrippers

We headed to Omotesando Koffee for an afternoon pick-me-up on our way to Harijuku after reading about the tiny coffee shop in the Omotesando neighborhood. However, it wasn’t so easy to find.

We wandered through streets laced with hair salons and boutiques until we found the coffee oasis. The coffee shop was so small that we almost past its entrance, but we found it with the help of google maps and Daryl’s eagle eye.

Kashi Treat at Omotesando Koffee in Tokyo Japan
Kashi Treat | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Without question, the coffee shop was an exercise in Japanese minimalism.

It pretty much consisted of a La Cimbale espresso machine, a few items for sale and a tastefully manicured garden with two benches. The cafe’s stylish yet tranquil vibe provided serenity in the Tokyo megalopolis.

Minimalistic Omotesando Koffee in Tokyo Japan
Minimalistic Omotesando Koffee | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Eiichi Kunitomo expertly crafted each coffee without assistance. Kunitomo honed his barista skills in Italy and Osaka, however Omotesando’s beans were specially roasted in Kyoto.

Our First Visit

Dusting the Iced Cappuccinos at Omotesando Koffee in Tokyo Japan
Dusting the Iced Cappuccinos | Image: ©2foodtrippers

We both chose iced cappuccinos during our initial visit.

In an aesthetic twist, Kunitomo lightly dusted the foamy drinks with espresso powder to create a fun fuzzy layer at the top.

Iced Cappuccino at Omotesando Koffee in Tokyo Japan
Iced Cappuccino | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The quality of the drinks was enhanced by the serene garden where we drank them. Those drinks energized us for the rest of the day and motivated us to return for another round.

Our Second Visit

We shared an iced mocha latte during our second visit.

Finishing Touches at Omotesando Koffee in Tokyo Japan
Finishing Touch | Image: ©2foodtrippers

We simply had to order an iced mocha after watching Kunitomo prepare one during our first visit. In fact, we obsessed about the iced beverage between visits.

Iced Mocha Latte at Omotesando Koffee in Tokyo Japan
Iced Mocha Latte | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Our obsession was justified. The iced mocha latte was a work of typical high Japanese design craftsmanship. It was delicious too.

Starbucks Disclosure

Yum! at Starbucks in Tokyo
Yum!

We visited Starbucks several times on our initial Tokyo trip for two reasons – free wi-fi and refreshing frappuccinos. There must be a thousand Starbucks shops in Japan and they have different flavors compared to Starbucks in the US.

We fell in love with Matcha Frappuccinos made with green tea powder, milk, ice and whipped cream which was new to us at the time. Since prices were comparable to Starbucks in the states, we shared several throughout the week. Yum!

Important Update

Omotesando Koffee is now permanently closed in Tokyo. However, Kunimoto has opened locations in Hong Kong, London and Singapore. We’ve visited Omotesando shops in Hong Kong and London with positive results. While the Tokyo shop’s closure is bad for Tokyo, Kunimoto’s global expansion is good for the world of coffee.

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About The Authors

About The Authors

Daryl & Mindi Hirsch

Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website. Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers their unique taste of the world.

Disclosures

Article Updates
We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.

Funding
We self-funded our trip to Tokyo and purchased all coffees featured in this article.

Original Publication Date: April 27, 2013

Divya

Monday 10th of April 2017

What a stunning cafe! I have heard so much about the coffee culture in Japan. Can't wait to explore it!

Daryl and Mindi Hirsch

Monday 10th of April 2017

Although you will love the coffee culture in Japan, you will have to visit Hong Kong to experience Omotesando Koffee. As we noted at the bottom of this article this coffee shop has relocated to Hong Kong.

Alison

Friday 13th of January 2017

OMG this just killed me. I was just freaking out about how much I used to love this place and then came here for the read... only to see that it's been closed?!?! So sad. And so scary to think that it's been that long since I was last in that part of Japan. But thanks for the memories.

Daryl and Mindi Hirsch

Friday 13th of January 2017

We'll have to find new coffee shops when we return to Tokyo, though it will be hard to beat Omotesando!

Sarah

Sunday 12th of October 2014

Love this! I literally get excited to drink coffee the night before as I'm going to sleep. Love hearing about new flavors around the world too!

vetsbeyondreason

Monday 29th of April 2013

I also enjoyed the Shibuya coffee lab, which seemed to produce its coffee in chemistry beakers, and Ogawa coffee found somewhere in the maze that is the Kyoto railway station.

chebandbecky

Sunday 28th of April 2013

Omotesando looks really different. I love it! Great photos. Thanks for sharing.

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