Old School, New School, Kyoto Brew School
Kyoto coffee joints tend to pour neatly into one of two distinct cups. They’re either resolutely old school or decidedly new school.
In the old school camp are the wonderfully warm and mellowed (sometimes yellowed) cafes that have been around for a few decades or more. The fact that they’re often called coffee shops is the first indicator they’re of another time. I mean, who shops for coffee? Isn’t it the original impulse buy? Signage is another cue. Remember when there were only eleven fonts—in the world? I don’t, but these places sure do. As for the interiors, sensibly furnished would be a better descriptor than interior designed. The patrons, mostly seasoned locals from a few block radius, sometimes smoke, always sip slowly, and really seem to love the ritual of it all. These coffee shops are sprinkled around the city, and although I imagine them to be something of an endangered species, add gravitas and character to the Kyoto coffee scene. They are the originals. Kyoto Coffee, Version 1.0.
The new school genus are a substantially different beast. Crisp, clean, white (with woody touches), and cool (without being cold). They have clever names like Arabica, Wife & Husband and Weekenders. They wreak of (I can’t believe I’m about to use this word). . .intentionality. Nothing is left to chance. Not the location, not the signage, not the decor, not the teeny sign by the tiny Zen garden that says “Please Don’t Step On The Moss”. They are super styly—a reality reflected in the crowd that call these cafes home.
Notwithstanding some deep differences, the old school and new school share a lot of common ground (so to speak). Both hold the bean in reverentially high regard. Both have a penchant for smooth jazz, the kind that seems to make the coffee vibrate with mojo. Both have a penchant for opening after 10:00 am (which my North American mind still grapples to understand). And both keep Kyoto in conversation, providing a place for residents and visitors alike to hang out and enjoy the magic of caffeine.
