monozuki

Unilocal 100 Challenge 2015 — ¹⁷⁄₁₀₀
Sometimes, you DON’T want to review a place because it may mean the experience you treasure is better preserved as a well-​kept (selfish) secret. However, you also want to shout to certain people in the world who would appreciate your perspective. This is one of those places.
Short story:
+ Atmosphere: 5+ (antique, LOTS of clocks, oil lamps, dark wood, jazz BGM, incandescent bulb lighting)
+ Menu: 4.5 (blends avg ¥450; single origin avg ¥500; cake selection available)
+ Service: 4 (straight-​forward, no B.S. but polite)
+ Value: 4.5 (the atmosphere pulls up everything else but the coffee is damn good — see below)
+ Quality: 5 (each cup ground upon order, then poured by hand)
Long story:
A short six minute walk along the road going away from Nishi Ogikubo station on the north side of the Chuo line, lies this semi-​hidden gem (it’s on the left side — check the photo. You can’t miss it.) Peering in from the outside gives only a hint of what awaits you inside. The interior will surprise you once inside.
I visit this coffeeshop for coffee. Cakes and other menu items are available if you feel like a snack but it’s almost as if the coffee should not be served with anything, including sugar or cream — enjoy hand dripped coffee from freshly ground beans in the manner it was intended. Cake? Sugar? Cream? Sacrilege!
Different varieties of beans yield a rich palette of taste experiences. You’ll have to try them all, unless you are locked into one origin.
What else makes this special? Well, it’s a small, intimate interior containing VERY unique amenities that fill the space with visual and aural enhancement.
Feeling brave? Good! No more hints. Just remember it’s a pure coffee experience. The owner has been running the shop for over 40 years. Don’t piss him off. He takes coffee seriously and so should you.
P. S. Absolutely NO smoking inside. Nishi Ogikubo is part of Suginami-​ku and has also implemented no smoking on the streets within a certain distance from the train stations. The fee, if a policeman is having a bad day, and you get caught, the fee is 2,000 yen.
P. P. S. You’ll see a wide range of patrons but as you might guess from the age of the owner and shop décor itself, the majority of people will be middle to senior aged. Don’t let that bother you if you appreciate carefully prepared coffee. Show some curiosity and he’ll be happy to tell you about the beans, blends and how to enjoy coffee.