(Photographed at KURO MAME TOKYO, Kamiyacho, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Image source: Ernest.)
About
Every time I visit Tokyo, I always want to explore specialty coffee shops that are different from the chain stores. This time, I heard from my friend living in Japan, yurenju, about this Swiss specialty coffee brand MAME that opened its first overseas branch in Kamiyacho. The “no-menu conversational” coffee experience immediately piqued my curiosity.
One of MAME’s founders, Emi Fukahori, was the 2018 World Brewers Cup champion. The concept behind opening this Tokyo store is to bring quality beans to Asia and let customers experience the nuances of these beans through conversation and immersion.
You need to make a reservation. After being seated, there’s no printed menu, no fixed price list. Instead, through dialogue with the barista, they understand what sensations, flavors, or preferences you’re looking for today, then the barista recommends the most suitable beans and brewing method. This experience was both novel and exciting for me (though the price is definitely not budget-friendly) (takeout is much cheaper).
Stepping through the door, I was immediately drawn to the atmosphere of this space. Minimalist and warm with natural textures, the walls are mostly light-colored clay or painted surfaces, creating a cave-like enveloping feeling that allows you to focus on the coffee itself.
The counter is the main seating area, where you can sit and interact with the barista. The entire space was designed by MHAA Architectural Design Office, emphasizing “quiet, settled, with the coffee experience as the core.” No excessive decoration, no noisy background music—just a place where you can truly appreciate coffee.
Next to the counter is a small display area showcasing various rare coffee beans, mostly Competition Lot (competition batches) or limited batches from unique farms. The barista will first have a conversation with you, asking about your usual flavor preferences (for example: acidity, fruitiness, fermented flavors, or smooth mouthfeel), then recommend suitable beans.
This conversational service makes the entire experience very personalized. It’s not just “ordering a cup of coffee,” but “exploring the cup most suitable for you today with the barista.” For those who enjoy exploring coffee, this interaction itself is a pleasure (of course, if you don’t know much about coffee, you might feel a bit pressured, but the baristas are very friendly and will guide you to gradually find the direction you like).
Directions
(Coming out of Exit 2 from Kamiyacho Station on the Hibiya Line, the weather outside is sunny. Perhaps a bit too sunny.)
(After exiting the station, walking into the residential area, it looks like a new development or commercial district? KURO MAME Tokyo is located on the first floor. About a minute or two walk from the subway station.)
(KURO MAME Tokyo has many plants outside, which looks very comfortable. I arrived a bit early.)
(My reservation was for 10 AM on a weekday, just as the coffee shop opened. Shu-san, who greeted me, said I was the only customer during this time slot and I could choose any seat. (Yay! Lucky!))
(While the staff were still busy opening the shop, I documented this takeout window on the left side facing the entrance. I had just visited Verve Coffee Roasters and STREAMER COFFEE COMPANY AZABU-JUBAN in Roppongi a few days ago and wanted to experience the magic of a reservation-only coffee shop.)
(Originally, my reservation was for an armchair, but since I was the only customer, full of curiosity, I immediately changed my mind and chose a counter seat closer to the beans and equipment.)
(Upon being seated, I was served a small, perfectly portioned cup of clear appetizer tea. The baristas’ English is excellent.)
Environment
(Before seeing the beans themselves, let me check out the equipment, space, and lighting. My reservation was for 10:15 AM, but since the barista was available and I was too, I was invited to sit at 10:00. (Outside it was a sweltering 37°C Tokyo.))
(Besides the spacious counter, there is also seating space by the floor-to-ceiling windows.)
(The interior uses beige tones as the base, paired with black equipment and green plant accents, making it very relaxing and comfortable.)
(The takeout machine has written on it “the best coffee is the coffee you like”, which is also the concept this shop wants to bring to customers.)
(The bean jars on the right wall in the photo—if not for the kettle on the left, you might think they were professional skincare products?! If I had the chance to come earlier or in the evening to photograph, the light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows combined with the coffee aroma filling the space might be even more magical.)
(Chair for spacing out. I sneakily asked if I could take out my laptop to work a bit, but was politely declined. When you come to Kuro Mame Tokyo, just focus on spending this reserved time with coffee :))
(The consistent color scheme inside the shop, compared to the colorful scenery outside the window, sometimes you just need some me time isolated from distractions.)
(A four-panel selfie?! Oh no, look closely—this is not an ordinary hand drip kettle, this is the 2018 World Brewers Cup first place trophy (trophy kettle?!).)
(It is a bit of a pity that the ceiling was not specially treated, but the overall space has been very carefully detailed. Drawing a horizontal line on the wall and adding plants—a masterful stroke :))
(A few good friends, gathering for coffee? Maybe need to compete for seats together on weekends? Not sure. But I prefer weekdays, avoiding all kinds of crowds.)
(From this angle, you can better appreciate the contrast between the outdoor hustle and bustle and the indoor focus on enjoying coffee, surrounded by coffee with that sense of care and immersion. (Or maybe I accidentally had the place to myself, making it easier to be immersed?! With more people, there might still be hustle and bustle?! Maybe, depends on the vibe that day.))
(But anyway, I want to go drink coffee now :p)
Dishes
Hand Drip Coffee (¥4,000)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
After being seated, barista Shu-san explained that the shop has no menu and recommends beans and brewing methods based on the customer’s taste.
I told him that I used to think coffee had to be bitter and always ignored acidity, but recently I’ve been wanting to practice and learn about acidity. I told him I wanted a bit of acidity, hand drip, hot. He recommended a bean from Colombia.
The entire brewing process took place right before my eyes, allowing me to see the barista’s meticulous control over water temperature, pouring speed, and extraction time. (Hmm, as detailed as my usual workflow interviews (self-praise XDD))
The first sip—I got it! This was exactly the hint of acidity I wanted. While chatting, as the temperature gradually decreased, I could sense floral notes and a subtle sweetness. I believe the beans selected by Kuro Mame have relatively rich flavor layers, so I slowly tried to experience the changes sip by sip.
We talked about coffee, about food, and I mentioned I had a blog post documenting breakfast in Roppongi. I pulled it up on my phone to show Shu-san, scrolled to a photo of Fulgen coffee, and said I loved the experience of going to Fulgen coffee early on a winter morning to drink hot Americano where you could adjust the concentration yourself. What a coincidence—Shu-san said he used to work at Fulgen coffee too.
(The hand drip equipment is prepared first.)
(Grinding beans, weighing)
(There’s a small cup to smell the aroma after grinding)
(At first, I thought the cup was a bit small, but looking back, it was a measured perfection. Similar to when we plan business workflows and technical architectures for clients, it is all about measured perfection.)
(Shu-san starts the hand drip. At home, I can spend hours preparing ingredients and simmering stock, but I have never dared to challenge hand drip coffee. Better to come to the shop and appreciate the craftsman’s hand drip.)
(The rock zone view from the counter.)
(Actually, we were chatting and exchanging various experiences about coffee, food, and travel, and perhaps all of that also blended into the taste of the coffee. When you are very focused, something always forms.)
(On the ratio of light and shadow to cup size.)
(“Do you know the last drop costs 40 yen?” No, we did not talk about any numbers at that moment. Rather, in the process of travel and life, do we all care so much about each drop in the moment? Or for beautiful memories, would we also hope for just the right small cup, just enough to remember.)
(Kuro Mame Tokyo. My first no-menu coffee dedicated to Tokyo.)
(Looking at such a large counter space, I really wanted to take out my reMarkable Paper Pro and Macbook Pro to work, haha.)
(Documenting bean jar number 11. El Placer. Geisha White Honey.)
(Pink number 11.)
Espresso (¥4,000)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
After finishing the hand drip, first, I really enjoyed the private atmosphere for chatting, much like when I walked into an old gentleman’s winery in Bordeaux years ago, listening to his various wine stories—how Arabs came to make offers many times but he did not want to sell, he only wanted to pass it on to someone who loves grapes with their life.
Second, since I was already here and had no tight schedule afterward (until the afternoon when I had a packed online meeting), I curiously asked the barista if I could try an espresso from the same beans (ah, I am an experimentalist, using debugger logic to remember my coffee experiences). He said that the previous beans were not suitable for espresso and recommended another bean from Panama, with a flavor profile completely different from the hand drip.
The espresso extraction also took place right before my eyes, and I could see the rich crema slowly flowing out. A small cup, yet containing an extremely concentrated flavor. I have never pulled so much crema at home—I was amazed.
The first sip was very thick and layered, a bit bitter, but not acidic. Different from what I expected—maybe my mind was still thinking about the acidity and brightness of the previous cup, so I quickly cleared the context and switched to richness.
But after a while, the sweetness and acidity surprisingly emerged, a completely different flavor—fantastic! We continued chatting for a while (hehe, I got two coffee shop recommendations from Shu-san, next time I pass through Tokyo I will try them, one of them I almost passed by in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa a few days ago), and the third stage of flavor, possibly because too much time had passed and the temperature was too low, brought out all the bitterness.
I am very glad I ordered this extra espresso :)
(Using a different grinder, with different particle fineness.)
(So many serious equipment and components.)
(Pulling an espresso does not seem much simpler than hand drip. (I am usually too minimalist XDD) Oh, by the way, this WEBER Workshops machine has connections to Apple and Taiwan—founder Douglas Weber worked in product design at Apple for many years, and the machine is Made in Taiwan.)
(Super stylish espresso machine!)
(How did they achieve such a thick layer of crema!)
(I love this layer of crema, but the first sip was a heavy blast XDD Fortunately, Shu-san prepared water between the two cups to reset my palate.)
(This cup is a tribute to all the craftspeople who care about details behind the scenes. Details can be accumulated, but whether details can form a market also requires accumulation.)
(Documenting the beans. Esmeralda - Lot 7. Geisha Natural.)
Bottom line
The two cups of coffee had completely different styles, but both demonstrated extremely high quality.
If I use my shallow wine knowledge for comparison, the first hand drip’s brightness is like rosé wine—balanced acidity, pairs well with various foods, not necessarily found on regular wine lists, but a staple delicacy in villages or production areas. Only because it’s light-bodied, the hand drip process requires delicate care.
The second espresso’s richness is like Bordeaux—when first opened, the richness directly impacts your taste buds, immediately asserting its presence. After opening the bottle at a riverside table at dusk, as the sun sets and the candlelight on the table along with a faint bulb nearby bring out acidity and sweetness in the dim light, this is the youngest and most vibrant play of light and shadow. Until nightfall arrives with the last dessert course, you can’t help but order another espresso as the ending to this riverside French meal.
KURO MAME TOKYO’s no-menu conversational coffee experience was, for me, a very special journey. It’s not just about drinking high-quality coffee, but also the process of interacting with the barista, conversing, learning, reflecting, and savoring various flavors.
Finally, before leaving the shop, handing over the card and receiving the already-folded receipt (so customers can’t see the numbers) represents a certain emotional value and exclusive value of living in the moment, of craftsperson-to-craftsperson dialogue. This number may seem like an outlier from a price perspective, but from a value perspective, it’s worth revisiting.
Isn’t our business also pursuing customers with the same attributes? :)
(Thank you Kuro Mame Tokyo, thank you Shu-san, for recharging my energy.)
(After drinking coffee, I walked out to look at Tokyo Tower—let me transmit some radio waves! (Wait, what kind of engineer conversation is this?!))
(Let me go find food at Azabudai Hills!)
Information
- Name = KURO MAME Tokyo (Reservation Required)
- Address = Kamiyacho Place E1 Building 1F, 4-3-13 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (Approximately 2 minutes walk from Kamiyacho Station on Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
- Google Maps = https://maps.app.goo.gl/ruzcCk2zZNyS7UbS7
- Reservation = tablecheck