Big statement, I know. But hear me out on this one (I think I ask that a lot of you… thanks for being trusting dear reader)! Of course there may be better that I have not tried, but in my travels so far, the best coffee I have had (and my coffee-snob fiance agrees!) was in a little coffee shop in the Ginza district of Tokyo called Cafe De L’ambre. A recommendation from my barista in Brisbane at Reverends (which is amazing for your Brisbanites by the way), we managed to check it out on our very last day in beautiful Japan. The coffee-only cafe has been around for a very long time, with the owner a little old man pushing 110 years old. While he doesn’t seem to make the coffee now, he still sits in the front and watches over everything. But let’s get right into the good bit: the coffee.
What we had
No 7
Blanc et Noir “Queen Amber”
Served in a champagne glass, sweet and iced with milk afloat
How it tastes
A rich coffee with sweet notes, this cold brew is all coffee and no bitterness! The milk afloat is very sweet, reminiscent of sweetened condensed milk, giving the perfect balance to the rich coffee flavour. Surprisingly, the coffee ended on a salty note. No bitter aftertaste at all. We took our time with the coffee and there was nothing we could have complained about – except perhaps wanting more!
Final thoughts
If you love coffee, Cafe de L’ambre is for you. While our choice was expensive, it was well worth it. The atmosphere of the cafe and the taste of the coffee is something you don’t want to miss if you are in Tokyo. Make sure to get one of the home brewed drinks and enjoy it thoroughly.
Where else should I try coffee around the world? I want to see if anything beats this one! I will be going to Hong Kong and Thailand next year, with America’s west coast, more of Europe and Egypt on the horizon for future years so give me your favs!
The Hungry Sidekick 