“There is nothing like a dream to create the future” Victor Hugo Tokyo R.
A fan of Starbucks in general, I thought I would make the famous Seattle coffee store chain part of my journey and go and photograph as many of the Starbucks as possible, but nothing prepared me for the awesomeness of Starbucks Reserve Tokyo edition. The size of a small department store stacked four stories tall each level was an impressive feat all its own.
Located in Shibuya city Tokyo Starbucks Reserve sits next to a river that makes for an amazing location. Only two bocks behind one of the main roads, the short walk from the train station made for a very pleasant experience, especially at night. Walking the short distant I was surprised to see that there was a Starbucks right outside the Train station not even 900m away from the Reserve Starbucks.Along the way there was even more local coffee shops along with other cute and amazing little boutiques. Along the river there was many places carved out where you could sit and joy a Zen moment seemingly away from the hustle and bustle of mainstream Tokyo. At night seeing people of all ages sitting there catching up, hanging out and enjoying life. I had a moment where I wished I had known the language better, because I would have loved to have sat down and joined them in conversation.
Every bean is freshly roasted in house and sent to the various floors at Starbucks Reserve to garentee the freshest and best tasting cup of coffee.
With a unique take on pour over, each cup of coffee was perfectly crafted.
Still not exactly sure with what method of brewing coffee this is, but an impressive cup of coffee none the less.
The employees at Starbucks are truly amazing and make the experience truly unique.
The ability to find a seat in the morning is easy, but half an hour into the morning and good luck in finding a seat. I was always luck to find a seat at the main bar and often found myself having a wonderful time talking to the barista along with making new friends.
This is the second rotasery found on the second floor.
Coffee is more then just a drink to me. Coffee is a lifestyle a sense of being and a way of life. What little time I do have people can often find me at the cafe or in search of the next great coffee shop. For me the Starbucks R was a special treat, being afforded the opportunity to lose myself to my note book and sketch pad I could also pas the time people watch the people of the world come and go.
For those who love coffee this is a dream come true. Not just because of the amazing ambience that the cafe offers but the many blends and varity of drinks not to mention the food rivals even the greatest of places that I have had the opportunity to have coffee and danishes.
Tokyo thought of everything
Not knowing a lot of Japanese many menus and signs are written in many languages. Not only written in English but a multitude of languages, I doubt anyone had problems ordering their perfect coffee.
I could have spent a life time eating the freshly baked food
I was overwhelmed with the verity of dishes pastries and various drinks you could order and have. There was no doubt that after spending some time at the cafe that I gained some weight. I failed to realize that there wasn’t only a breakfast menu but also a dinner menu. With every beverage often times I needed a complementary drink. With each cup of coffee you not only got an amazing cup of coffee that was freshly ground, smelled, and tasted before serving but also a beautiful piece of art.
With a partner ship with Italy for many of the amazing ingredients that go into many of the many dishes for someone who likes coffee and breakfasts items this nirvana.
There are few drinks that have impressed in my life time, and this espresso Mint Majito takes the cake. Elegance and class served in a cup with amazing sense of flair stands above the rest. The ability to have a drink while sitting at a Starbucks with the Tokyo sky line in the background I had a hard time not beleving I wasn’t in some dream and not at a cafe.
With the many layers to the cafe, so too were the layers of culture that came with it. The cafe bar not only served an impressive array of coffee and alcholich drinks but had in fact an amazing cup of cold whisky brew made from beans stored in whisky casks.
The world of tea.
Night life plus Tokyo and coffee was a magical thing, at least for me. If there was ever a reason for learning the language of Japanese being able to sit and converse with others was reason enough.
The first thing that comes to mind while I sit there at there in the cafe taking everything in at night is a cross of some Hemingway novel never written and some Casablanca film never made. At the end of my second Tokyo trip I enjoyed sitting there at the bar and thinking of my own story and the magic and happiness that I found.
Just a night in the life in Tokyo.