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| - While awaiting for my car to be repaired down the street, I decided to do a quick stroll around the block for a cup of coffee. To my delight, I felt like I stumbled onto a set for a Korean/Japanese drama when I entered this dimly lit oasis of coffee/Japanese diner heaven.
The first thing that catches your eye are the funky beakers lining the bar which have coffee boiling or funneling their way in various directions that seem to defy the laws of physics. This is an old school technique of brewing coffee called siphon coffee, which fell out of favor in the 60's but like it's fashion, was destined for a comeback. Pushing up my metaphorical glasses a little higher, the process essentially involves expansion and contraction of water vapour which allow full saturation brewing at ideal temperatures on top of a cushion of air that seemingly defies gravity. The end result is a pristine cup of coffee that is fragrant, aromatic, and clean on the palate. I enjoyed both the hot and cold forms equally and I appreciated the considerate touch of being presented with a vial of honey to go along with the iced form for better incorporation of sweetness.
The savory dishes (served with a simple house salad) all seemed like more sophisticated renditions of Western diner food ranging from the Neopolitan (Japanese spaghetti) to the hamburg steak with daikon and shiso (Japanese salisbury steak). At the recommendation of the very gracious hostess, she suggested I get the Hayashi rice, or Japanese beef stew over rice. Consisting of tender shredded beef, mushrooms, and onions likely slow cooked in a demi glace sauce, it reminded me of a cross between beef bourguignon and beef stroganoff: nice buttery richness with notes of red wine and sweetness from the caramelized onions. Nice stick to your ribs comfort food that makes you forget you are eating out.
The desserts unfortunately did not seem all that impressive, with an assortment of puddings and a "coffee jelly". I tried a special green tea spongecake with taro cream and vanilla bean ice cream which sounded great conceptually, but didn't necessarily blow my mind and came in at a steep 7 dollars.
In general, portions are adequate and the prices are slightly higher than what you would expect for a quick lunch (coffee is $5 and entrees are $8-9) but the staff is very attentive to their customers from the moment you walk in to the time you leave, and watching the chef add his little touches to the dishes behind the counter, you can really sense the pride in his work so I am willing to pitch in a little extra to help push this unique concept forward.
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