Specialty Coffee Mametora 注文焙煎 豆虎 @ Akasaka

Located along the backstreet of Akasaka is a small little cafe that one would not notice if you are not looking. I am talking about Mametora.

Central to the Japanese coffee culture is the traditional kissaten (喫茶店). Here, you are served pour over coffee – each cup is individually hand-dripped, every cup is hand made with love by the coffee masters (they are not baristas) that have perfected every move, from grinding the beans to boiling the water and pouring it over the coffee powder in the drip filter. Here at Mametora, every cup of coffee is hand made with love.

You can choose to purchase different coffee in conveniently packed single serve version with a disposable paper filter, for you to replicate the drip coffee at home. Or you can opt for convenience and bring home a drip bag coffee that has become so popular in recent time.

Unlike chain coffee shops, they roast their own coffee beans in the shop. This is quite amazing given that the shop is so small! But they manage to pack a roaster, a mini prep table to make those single serve and drip bags, and a small kitchen squeezed into the 400 sq feet.

There’s only space for a single row of 6 seats and 2 soft stools at the back. There’s no smoking in this place unlike most kissaten, so most of the orders are for takeaways.

And they have a special formula of roasting for different coffee around the world. And by their order counter, you can see the introduction for the special roasts of the day, and the temperature (hot or cold) that you should order them.

Besides great coffee, they have a quirky sense of humour. Besides some “famous people” looking at you while you drink your coffee, one cannot help but notice the owner’s infatuation with the classic three wheeler van.

Every cup of coffee is only made when you order it. There are always different coffee on offer, so look out for their specials. The single roast comes as a black coffee. You add those little capsule creamer if you want. But I always drink my coffee black.

If you need the washroom, look out for this little instruction on the wall. Even if you don’t understand Japanese, this sign will lead you to the place.

By the way, besides coffee they also sell soft serve ice cream, ice cream floats (in summer months), puddings and home made cookies and cakes. I always enjoy a quite walk to nowhere on a weekend in Tokyo, and I am glad to find this place to rest my tired legs.

Mametora 注文焙煎 豆虎
東京都港区赤坂3-6-18
赤坂ニューロイヤルビル101
Tel : 03-6435-5353

Date Visited : Sep 2019