coffeehouse – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Tue, 24 Dec 2019 03:00:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/en_rocket_1024.png?w=32 coffeehouse – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 “World’s most beautiful Starbucks” gets a makeover in Japan, but is it still beautiful? https://soranews24.com/2019/12/24/worlds-most-beautiful-starbucks-gets-a-makeover-in-japan-but-is-it-still-beautiful/ https://soranews24.com/2019/12/24/worlds-most-beautiful-starbucks-gets-a-makeover-in-japan-but-is-it-still-beautiful/#comments Tue, 24 Dec 2019 03:00:33 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=480590 
We visit the award-winning Starbucks to see if it’s still worthy of its title after a facelift.
From Bali to Shanghai to Kyoto, we’ve visited a lot of gorgeous Starbucks locations both abroad and in Japan over the years. However, amongst all the many thousands of branches around the globe, there’s one that’s so impressive it’s been called “the most beautiful in the world”, and it’s located here in Japan.
This very special Starbucks in Toyama Prefecture, about 360 kilometres (224 miles) north-west of Tokyo, blew us away when we first visited it three years ago. However, after hearing it had closed in October for a two-month renovation, we decided it was time to make the trip out to see it again, to reassess its beauty after the interior overhaul.
When we arrived on 19 December, its first day in business after the redesign, we could see that it didn’t look all that different from the outside. The only thing that had really changed on the outside was the updated sign, which stood out more in white instead of green.
▼ Exterior in 2016
▼ Exterior in 2019
The outside of the building was just as sleek and modern as before, but this store’s most beautiful aspect is said to be the view from inside, so we headed in for a closer look.
Stepping in through the door we were greeted with this gorgeous space, which strangely seemed noticeably brighter than it did on our last visit.
The views out to the adjacent canal, and the 9.6-hectare Fugan Unga Kansui Park surrounding it, also looked even better than we remembered. With the view appearing a lot nicer and the space inside a lot bigger, we contacted Starbucks to ask them more about the details of the redesign.
According to a Starbucks spokeswoman, the renovations mainly revolved around replacing kitchen equipment, air conditioning, and furniture. And while the floor space and glass windows hadn’t changed, the new furniture has been specially designed so that all customers can now enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding park from any seat in the coffeehouse.
Previously, all the chairs and tables inside had been the same height, regardless of where they were placed in the store. Now, the setup is similar to theatre or arena seating, where taller tables and chairs are set up furthest from the main-stage windows, tiering down in size to the lowest seating, located right in front of the glass panels.
The former furniture, photographed here in 2016, was also much bulkier, taking up a lot of floor space and creating a cramped environment.
▼ The change in furniture opens up the space brilliantly now and allows the light to flow freely inside.
▼ Whether you choose to sit inside looking out of the windows…
▼ Or out on the sun-filled terrace at a table or on a bench seat with your dog…
▼ The inside and outside spaces merge beautifully to create an incredibly relaxing environment.
So has the recent overhaul affected the beauty of the Starbucks that once won an esteemed Store Design Award when it opened in 2008? Absolutely, and in a great way. It’s even more beautiful than before, and as this store sign explains, the staff here hopes the renewal will allow customers to enjoy their coffee experience even more, bringing them “the best smiles” in the process.
The revamp is as impressive as the store itself and the beautiful park in which it’s located. It’s certainly worth a visit if you’re in the area, and if you pop by from 26 December, you’ll be able to enjoy Starbucks’ first-ever jiggly “lucky” Frappuccino, which is available for a limited time over the New Year period.
Cafe information
Starbucks Toyama Fugan Unga Kansui Park/スターバックス富山環水公園店
Address: Toyama-ken, Toyama-shi, Minatoirifune-cho 5
富山県 富山市 湊入船町5
Open 8:00 a.m.–10:30 p.m.
Website
Photos © SoraNews24
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2019/12/24/worlds-most-beautiful-starbucks-gets-a-makeover-in-japan-but-is-it-still-beautiful/feed/ 0 480590 Worlds most beautiful Starbucks best travel Toyama Fugan Unga Kansui Park interior design redesign 1 We visit new retro Starbucks in Japan for a taste of classic kissaten breakfast menu items https://soranews24.com/2019/05/16/we-visit-new-retro-starbucks-in-japan-for-a-taste-of-classic-kissaten-breakfast-menu-items/ https://soranews24.com/2019/05/16/we-visit-new-retro-starbucks-in-japan-for-a-taste-of-classic-kissaten-breakfast-menu-items/#comments Thu, 16 May 2019 01:00:49 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=452367 
Before Starbucks existed in Japan, there were kissaten coffeehouses. Now there’s the Starbucks kissaten.
It’s never a dull day at Starbucks in Japan, especially now when they’re redesigning their logo and menu items to resemble the good old days of a bygone era.
For a limited time, Starbucks is turning the clock back at their modern coffeehouses, with some clever elements that hark back to a time before the global coffeehouse chain existed in the country, when people frequented kissaten coffeehouses with dark wood interiors and classy vibes.
▼ This new Starbucks logo resembles the signs usually seen outside local kissaten, which had their heyday in the Showa era (1926–1989).
As well as creating an old-school look with their dark brown logo, Starbucks is adding some classic kissaten items to their menu, in the form of coffees, desserts, and sandwiches.
These new offerings are being advertised as “Starbucks Morning” menu items, so we decided to head out and try the range for breakfast, first picking out a Pizza Danish and a slice of French Toast, for 350 yen (US$3.18) and 240 yen, plus tax.
We were torn between the Meat Sauce and Ham and Egg sandwiches, but eventually we decided to go with the Ham and Egg, for 380 yen.
Once everything had been heated up by the staff, we had a pretty mean breakfast platter laid out in front of us.
We started off with the Pizza Danish, which is quite a rare treat in Japan, where Pizza Toast is more common. The danish was delightfully soft and chewy, while the pizza topping was full of flavour, thanks to a winning combination of cheese, bacon, tomato sauce, pepper, and pistachio nuts.
The Ham and Egg Sandwich was another brilliant choice for breakfast, with the grilled brown bread making it very different to other sandwiches in Japan, which are often made with sweet white bread.
A perfect partner to the sandwich was the Vienna Coffee, which really had us feeling like we’d gone back in time, as this type of drink and sandwich combination is a kissaten mainstay.
▼ To finish, we enjoyed the French Toast, which came in a small but satisfying serving size.
Staff recommend eating the French Toast with a side of whipped cream and a honey drizzle. We skipped the whipped cream, but the honey drizzle added just the right amount of sweetness and freshness to the toast.
Despite being billed as morning items, these menu options are available all day, so you’ll be able to enjoy them for lunch and dinner as well. The only restrictions on your Starbucks kissaten experience is the fact that these offerings will only be available for a limited time, until 18 June.
After that, Starbucks will be returning to the present day, with their mermaid reappearing as the star of the show, alongside a range of summertime drinks to match their new ocean-themed drinkware!
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2019/05/16/we-visit-new-retro-starbucks-in-japan-for-a-taste-of-classic-kissaten-breakfast-menu-items/feed/ 0 452367 Starbucks Japan Pudding Frappuccino Retro Purin A la Mode drinks coffee Japanese cafes kissaten coffeehouses breakfast menu food 7 Starbucks Japan goes retro with Purin A la Mode Pudding Frappuccino, kissaten coffeehouse items https://soranews24.com/2019/05/08/starbucks-japan-goes-retro-with-purin-a-la-mode-pudding-frappuccino-kissaten-coffeehouse-items/ https://soranews24.com/2019/05/08/starbucks-japan-goes-retro-with-purin-a-la-mode-pudding-frappuccino-kissaten-coffeehouse-items/#comments Wed, 08 May 2019 14:00:29 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=451550 
New lineup will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the heyday of Japanese coffeehouses.
Starbucks is a brand that’s constantly striving to be new and innovative, whether it be with their jaw-dropping never-before-seen Frappuccino releases or their shiny new Roastery complexes, which are filled with the most modern appliances and furnishings.
Now though, they’re taking a walk down memory lane in Japan, and it comes at an appropriate moment, as the ascension of a new emperor and the start of a new era has people around the country looking back at the past with a wistful sense of nostalgia.
To really amp up the old-school atmosphere and make customers feel like they’ve stepped back in time, Starbucks will even be adding a new retro logo to their outlets with special signboards outside stores for a limited time.
▼ The brown-and-white logo changes “スターバックス”, which is the usual rendering of Starbucks in Japanese, into “スタアバックス珈琲” (“Starbucks Coffee”).
For people in Japan, this type and logo has an old kissaten coffeehouse look to it, and even though Starbucks wasn’t around in Japan before 1996, this clever limited-edition rebranding gives customers a taste of what the modern coffeehouse chain might’ve been like if it existed here in the ’70s and ’80s.
And for a true taste of yesteryear, Starbucks is offering an exciting lineup of retro menu items, with the star being a new Frappuccino that contains all the flavours of a very retro dessert: Purin a la mode.
In Japan, “purin” is a term used for a type of no-bake pudding that resembles a Creme Caramel. And back in the ’70s and ’80s, purin a la mode became a trendy dessert in Japan, with ice cream and various fruits added alongside the pudding, which was often served up at kissaten coffee houses.
▼ Purin a la mode can be served in a variety of different ways, depending on the coffeehouse, but the core ingredients remain the same.
Image: Flickr/emi moriya
Image: Flickr/ume-y
Starbucks’ new drinkable purin a la mode is said to contain a base of caramel sauce, layered beneath a purin-flavoured mix, and topped with a mixed fruit jelly made from mango, apple and strawberries. Finished with a mound of whipped cream and a cherry garnish, the beverage is said to resemble the original retro dessert in both looks and flavour, taking customers back to a time when purin a la mode was on trend.
Joining the new Frappuccino is a range of equally nostalgic menu items, including a coffee jelly cake (440 yen [US$4]), a hot ham and egg sandwich (380 yen), and a Vienna coffee (Short to Venti sizes from 340-460 yen).
▼ Starbucks will be turning retro in Japan for a limited time from 15 May to 18 June.
#スタアバックス珈琲
5/15(Wed) START！ pic.twitter.com/Z1RzB7YSs4— スターバックス コーヒー (@Starbucks_J) May 5, 2019
The Purin A La Mode Frappuccino will also be available from 15 May to 18 June, sold in a tall size only for 620 yen. And if you prefer to look forward rather than back, Starbucks’ regular menu items will be on the menu during this time, including a brand new Royal Milk Tea Frappuccino, which goes on sale nationwide from 15 May.
Source: Starbucks Japan
Featured image: Starbucks Japan
Insert images: Starbucks Japan ( 1, 2)
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2019/05/08/starbucks-japan-goes-retro-with-purin-a-la-mode-pudding-frappuccino-kissaten-coffeehouse-items/feed/ 0 451550 Starbucks Japan Pudding Frappuccino Purin Ala mode retro kissa kissaten coffee house cafe drinks food limited time 2019 6 Starbucks opens up new coffeehouse in traditional Japanese building near Tokyo https://soranews24.com/2018/03/05/starbucks-opens-up-new-coffeehouse-in-traditional-japanese-building-near-tokyo/ https://soranews24.com/2018/03/05/starbucks-opens-up-new-coffeehouse-in-traditional-japanese-building-near-tokyo/#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2018 05:15:55 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=406284 
Now you can enjoy your coffee with a side of Edo-style charm in this old castle town.
As one of the world’s leading global coffeehouse chains, Starbucks knows how to adapt their brand for international markets, with exclusive local products, limited-edition beverages and modern outlets that blend perfectly into exotic surroundings.
Now it’s time for Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture to get the Starbucks treatment, with a brand new outlet that pays homage to the town’s carefully preserved heritage. Kawagoe, which sits northwest of Tokyo, is a short 30-minute train ride from Tokyo, but when you step off at the station, you feel like you’ve travelled back in time to the Edo period (1603-1868), with old merchant stores lining the historic streets, and a stunning wooden bell tower that rings out the time across town.
▼ “Toki no Kane” (“Bell Of Time“) is the symbol of the city,
and has been telling time to the city’s residents for 350 years.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Be8EgOvjn2n/#author_ari3_phot
▼ Kawagoe is known locally as Koedo (“Little Edo”), due to its many historic buildings.
Japan’s capital of Tokyo was known as “Edo” during the Edo period.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf68gKVh99s/?hl=en&tagged=川越
The new Starbucks outlet set to open up in Kawagoe aims to blend seamlessly into the historic townscape with a building that uses the same rooftop style as the traditional “kura” clay warehouses that exist in the area.
With an exterior made from locally sourced cedar, the new Starbucks aims to maintain a modern aesthetic while blending into the traditional architecture of the town. Inside the store, customers will be able to enjoy a courtyard-like feel, in keeping with the historic warehouse style, and a bar area that uses the black-and-white stucco grid pattern seen on traditional storehouses.
▼ Traditional kura feature a distinctive black-and-white grid pattern.
At the back of the store will be a lush garden and terrace seating where customers will be able to enjoy “the scenery of the changing seasons” throughout the year, and the seats and benches will be covered in Kawagoe Tozan, a locally made fabric that was first created towards the end of the Edo period.
The 77-seater coffeehouse, which is due to open on 19 March, will be located on the same street as Kawagoe’s historic bell tower, giving customers the chance to enjoy drinking coffee with the sound of old Edo ringing in their ears. According to the company, this is just the latest offering from the popular coffeehouse chain, which aims to provide a “third place” for customers, in addition to their homes and office or school spaces.
If their “third places” continue to look like this one, as well as their stunning teahouse branch in Kyoto, then we’ll be more than happy to shack up there with a limited-edition Frappuccino in the future!
Coffeehouse information
Starbucks Coffee Kawagoe Kanetsuki-dori / スターバックス コーヒー 川越鐘つき通り店
Address: Saitama-ken, Kawagoe-shi, Saiwaicho 15-18
埼玉県川越市幸町15-18
Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Source: Starbucks Japan via Net Lab
Featured image: Starbucks Japan
]]> https://soranews24.com/2018/03/05/starbucks-opens-up-new-coffeehouse-in-traditional-japanese-building-near-tokyo/feed/ 0 406284 Starbucks Coffee Japan traditional Japanese building architecture Kawagoshi Starbucks Order Customization- Is There a Limit? https://soranews24.com/2013/03/30/starbucks-order-customization-is-there-a-limit/ https://soranews24.com/2013/03/30/starbucks-order-customization-is-there-a-limit/#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:30:43 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=46846 
Starbucks prides itself on letting customers customize their drinks and offers a lot of choices: no foam, no whip/with whip, double blended, two pump vanilla, extra shot and extra hot to name but a few. Never one to shy from a challenge, we decided to test just how far Starbucks was willing go in ensuring that visitors to its coffeehouses get just what they want.
Our request? A no caramel, no whip, and–are you ready for it–no coffee Caramel Frappuccino.
What’s in a Caramel Frappuccino anyway? This Starbucks stalwart consists of coffee (Italian roast), Frappuccino mix (a low-fat syrup), caramel syrup, ice, whipped cream, and caramel sauce. As we were requesting removal of most of the ingredients, we expected to get a cup containing nothing more than something similar to shaved ice.
After ordering (it went off without a hitch by the way), we took a look at the receipt as shown above. It was clearly marked “no syrup,” “no whip,” and “no sauce.” But wait, nothing was written about “no coffee.” Querying the always smiling staff member behind the till, she explained there wasn’t a key for inputting “no coffee”, and that was why it didn’t show up on the receipt. She added, however, that our request had been duly noted.
“Thank you for waiting,” the barrista called out, handing over a white, slushy concoction.
“Is there milk in this?”
“No,” replied the barrista, going on to kindly explain, “The low-fat Frappuccino mix cannot be removed. If it’s taken out the blender won’t spin properly.”
So how did it taste? Well, of course, it didn’t taste like coffee or caramel. The closest we can come to describing it would be shaved ice covered with a somewhat sweet, milky syrup, the result of the Frappuccino mix.
Unfortunately no discount was given for the removed ingredients. The price of our customized creation was exactly the same as a regular Caramel Frappuccino.
The outcome of our experiment proved to be no taste temptation, and with a hot summer coming just around the corner, it’s safe to say we’ll probably stick with the standard offerings from here on out. Or will we?
On the right: A regular Caramel Frappuccino. Left: A no whip/caramel/coffee Frappuccino
The regular one looks quite tasty!
The whipped cream and caramel provide a pleasing contrast
Ah, here’s our version with most of the ingredients removed
Consisting of only Frappuccino mix (low-fat syrup) and ice
It doesn’t look very tasty, to be honest
It tastes like shaved ice with slightly sweet milky syrup poured over it
Lots of stuff crossed out on the cup!
Well, at least Starbucks stay true to their word of putting the customer’s wishes first, eh?
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