For A Cup Of Coffee

Tokyo's answer to Starbucks is in the form of the self-service Doutor and full-service Excelsior Cafe. Stepping into them is alright, but the coffee is just as bad as its American counterpart. Their sandwiches don't look appetizing at all.

It's almost like how we hopped into the maid cafes in the city and the friends warned us not to have any sort of expectations about the quality of food and drinks at the cafes. You're paying for a concept, not quality. I did some serious eye-rolling there. It's just so weird man. Saying "Mo-e, mo-e, kyun!" doesn't endear you to me and it isn't going to make your food or drinks taste any better.

Quick fixes are grabbed from Starbucks and Tully's. They're everywhere! Much better than crap coffee from random cafes or even from the hotel's machines. On mornings when I really want a good cup of caffeine, I make the trek to Cafe de l'Ambre at Ginza and Paul Bassett at Meguro-ku. Those, serve real coffee that hits a spot.

I'm in a metropolis, so I demand coffee which doesn't taste like muddy water. There must be good coffee found somewhere. As usual, the internetz and the friends are a great source of information. Trust me, it's worth the trek to these 2 cafes. However, bear in mind that I judge cafes based strictly on their cafe latte, cappuccino and flat whites. No sugar. I like my caffeine to arrive in a basic form. That rich creamy coffee with its beautiful beans wake you up with its aroma before the first sip. Fortifying. Their coffees are fabulous.

We've been really lucky with the weather. The rainstorms have held off and it's been rather sunny and warm throughout. The rains are scheduled to return over the weekend and next week. Currently, it's just cool and comfortable. Perfect coffee weather, I call it.