Yakumo Saryo - Baishinka Tea House

Yakumo Saryo - Baishinka Tea House

Thursday, 27 October 2011

I never knew what I recognise as "that old and huge house on the corner" which I have passed countless times ever since I was a child has been turned into such an exquisite tea house until I saw this amazing post by uponafold who seems to have the best eyes for finding the best designs and places in Japan than anyone from Japan (seriously!). Baishinka - Yakumosaryo is produced by the same people of HIGASHIYA which I never got a chance to visit before they closed it, so I was really happy to find that this beautiful space is within an easy bike riding distance from my apartment.

I think I have said it many times here before but I love old Japanese house. Sadly many of the beautiful and big old houses get demolished because of the high inheritance tax in Japan, but what they did to this house is truly admirable.

Yakumo Saryo - Baishinka
3-4-7 Yakumo, Meguro-ku Tokyo (google map)

It's in a little tricky location but there is a bus from Jiyugaoka that goes here. Take Tokyu Bus #11 that goes to Shibuya, get off at Yagumo Koukou and walk back a couple of minutes. Or you can walk from Jiyugaoka or Toritsudaigaku station, both a 15-minute-plus walk. If you prefer to walk it's easier from Jiyugaoka, just walk along Jiyu-Dori Street.

Comments: 12

OMOTESANDO KOFFEE

OMOTESANDO KOFFEE

Thursday, 11 August 2011

All above photographs were taken by me (with a permission from the shop owner of course - in case you wonder). If you are re-blogging any of these images please remember to give me credit, thank you :)

Good coffee makes me smile. So does an old Japanese house. So OMOTESANDO KOFFEE became my recent favourite coffee spot in Tokyo, naturally!

OMOTESANDO KOFFEE is a pop-up cafe opened earlier this year hidden in a backstreet of Omotesando, in a beautiful 80 years old Japanese house that is going to be demolished. (80 years old probably doesn't sound so old if you live outside Japan, but for us it is considered very old. Old buildings are very often knocked down and new ones are built in Japan - this is sad but you know this has got a lot to do with far-too-many earthquakes we have in this country!)

Anyway.... so this cafe is open only for one year (it opened sometime in January this year) which means if you are in Tokyo before January 2012 Apparently the owner of the building decided to postpone the demolishing of the building so it is still there!! but I don't know for how long so you should make sure to pay a visit whenever possible to enjoy a lovely cup of coffee made by one of the most famous baristas in Tokyo before it is gone! Well, I'm sure he will move to somewhere and serve more good coffee but this set up is definitely not to miss!

OMOTESANDO KOFFEE
4-15-3 Jingumae Shibuya-ku (google map)

Open: 10:00-19:00 CLOSED NOW
http://ooo-koffee.com/menu/

Comments: 21

rose bakery

rose bakery

Saturday, 5 March 2011

Rose Bakery is in Tokyo now!

Looking at Tommy's lovely photos of Rose Bakery in Paris and London, I always dreamed of going to this cafe if I ever go to Paris or London again. How could I ever imagine there to be one in Tokyo? But yes there is, in Marunouchi.

Last week, I had a chance to see Stephanie who was back in Tokyo briefly and we met in Ginza. I thought it would be too western and not so interesting to take someone who was in Tokyo for a short visit, but it was the coldest day (it snowed!) and we just wanted to grab some hot drinks so we went. The cafe is actually inside a Comme des Garçons shop, and was designed by Rei Kawakubo -the designer of Comme des Garçons who apparently is sister-in-lows with Rose of Rose Bakery. (that explains!) It was nice, the orange&lemon cake we shared was so delicious, it's just that I wish it was somewhere closer to the area I normally hung out so I can visit more often. I actually thought that it would suit a lot better in the area like Aoyama/Omotesando than Marunouchi which is very business-like though has become become one of the major shopping areas now, but too bad.

More than anything, I had a really wonderful catching up with Stephanie and gosh it was such an inspiring afternoon it's great to meet and talk to someone who is amazingly creative, professional and full of ideas like herself!

Happy weekend to you all! ;)

Comments: 11

Good Cafe Days

Good Cafe Days

Tuesday, 18 January 2011

photos1&2* my favourite jiyugaoka lunch place - cafe ohanaya,
3&4* D&Department Dining Tokyo,
5&6* fabulous little darling cafe margo in yutenji,
7* japanese cafe - cocoocen,
8* cafe&antique, cafe 6-chome,
9* JIYUGAOKA BAKESHOP - top of IDEE shop,
10* vietnamese cafe in kamata

Comments: 22

Cafe 6-Chome

Cafe 6-Chome

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

I realised that I haven't posted about nice cafes and shops in Tokyo for a while now, and I found these photos I took a while ago at another of my favourite cafes in the neighborhood so here it is! It is called "cafe 6-chome" and it's a lovely little cafe&shop in an old showa-period atmosphere. They sell Japanese antique furniture and it is fun just to go in and check out what new items they have every now and then. They are open in the evening during the week and open from the lunch time on the weekends. It's a good 15 minute walk from Jiyugaoka and there is nothing much around so it may not be so attractive for people visiting from other areas but I want to share my favourite space :) (My favourite cafe ikanika is not so far from this one, about 5 minute walk.)

cafe 6-chome
6-6-1 Todoroki
Setagaya-ku Tokyo 158-0082 (google map)

Comments: 9

INODA COFFEE イノダコーヒー本店 (Kyoto)

INODA COFFEE イノダコーヒー本店 (Kyoto)

Thursday, 24 June 2010

INODA COFFEE is one of the oldest and the most famous coffee chains based in Kyoto. And I went to their head store for a morning coffee. Going into the machiya-style Showa-ish cafe, non-smokers are taken to the smaller building at the back of the main building walking through the lovely courtyard. I really loved all what was there, the cute red coffee pot logo, the coffee cup, the very polite waitress who looked as if time travelled from 50 years ago, the air and the light and...everything. It was quite relaxing just being there, I wished there was a coffee shop like that near my house so I could visit every morning before starting work. But then I realised that I was there having coffee at 8:30 in the morning because I was on a mini holiday having so little time to spend in Kyoto, and if this was in Tokyo I would not be able to do that anyway. Ha!

INODA COFFEE HONTEN (MAIN STORE)
140 Doyu-cho, Sakaimachi Dori Sanjo Kudaru (google map)
Open: 7：00 - 20：00


P.S. Do you know that HELLO SANDWICH now lives in Tokyo? Yes she does!!! Check out what she did on her first day in Tokyo as a Tokyo resident!!

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Comments: 12

More from my favourite space.

More from my favourite space.

Wednesday, 17 February 2010

I'm so in love with this cafe I posted earlier it's my favourite space in Tokyo right now. The bottom 2 shots are from when I went there with Hello Sando when I met up with her while she was in Tokyo, it was a great fun. I have a cute shot of lovely Ebony standing in front of the cafe, but I will keep it to my memory, ne :)

Comments: 26

At Cafes / Tokyo

At Cafes / Tokyo

Tuesday, 5 January 2010

These are taken at my favourite cafes in Tokyo. I like spending my time alone in a cafe examining every little detail of the space and smile to myself (in my heart), but it's also lovely to share it with someone of course i need to have that as well :)

Comments: 18