An Indescribable Aroma

As the coffee, poured generously into an ecological cup made from corn, was handed to me, I brought it to my lips, thinking, "Now, what will it taste like?" But my hand stopped. I couldn't drink it. The aroma was too wonderful. It was so fragrant that I couldn't bring myself to drink it, wanting instead to savor the scent. Though I know it's impossible to capture this aroma in words, it was a refreshing, sweet-and-sour aroma, like that of fruit.

A coffee shop called "The Cream of the Crop Coffee" will open in Tokyo this April. The first, in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, opens on the 20th (Friday), followed by the second on the 26th (Thursday) on the first floor of Shibuya Hikarie. The preceding passage refers to the opening event at the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa store. While the Shibuya store has a typical "coffee shop" appearance, the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa store has more of a factory or atelier feel. Indeed, it serves that purpose: inside the two-story building with no partitions, a high-tech American roaster sits in the center of the concrete floor, and the loft is packed with burlap sacks of coffee beans. Beans roasted here will also be transported to the Shibuya store.


For now, four types of beans will be available. Which one you get is a delightful surprise for the day, but each is a special, world-class bean sourced through unique channels, offering a flavor you won't find elsewhere. These beans are roasted by Daiki Hayashi, a roast specialist who also works at "Pierre Marcolini Cafe."

As I mentioned earlier, the hallmark of The Cream of the Crop Coffee's brews is their exquisite aroma. It is said that 70% of a coffee's aroma is determined by the beans and 20% by the roasting. While the remaining 10% is not precisely defined, one staff member at The Cream of the Crop Coffee attributes it to love.

The coffee served on the opening day, imbued with that 10% of love, was made from the beans most popular among the staff. The taste was light and refreshing, easy to drink. Although the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa store resembles a factory, it also offers space to sit and enjoy coffee. Since it's also where the staff work, it's interesting to be in the environment where coffee is born, and the space is open and comfortable.

You can also take out coffee and beans in cups from the counter at the entrance, but the store also offers sandwiches and sweets from Pierre Marcolini, which are also delicious. For the coming season, I personally recommend setting this as a destination for your walks.