Komeda’s Coffee

There is one thing unique to Western Japan and I pray to all the Gods that it never spreads Northeast of Yokohama: the Komeda’s Coffee chain stores. Everywhere central and western Japan you’ll find their coffee shops, cafes and restaurant, for years and years they have persisted in serving absolutely the same old menu and the same old coffee, at reasonable prices. This is, to my knowledge, the only place in the world still serving the kind of coffee you could have 20-30 years ago: no thrills, nothing special, drip coffee pot coffee served without anything fancier than some chilled skim milk and white sugar. The taste is so remarkably bland that I get goose bumps just thinking of it. If you’re the nostalgic kind and visiting western Japan, you just must go. The best time of the day is in the morning when they serve what they call simply “morning”. Yes, it is just that kind of place. Morning is a cheap simple set of a boiled egg (yes, just a boiled egg, and salt if you must), buttered toast and a hot cup of black coffee.

If I sound lyrical, it is because I am. I just love this restaurant, and I love the fact that it is absolutely local, there is just no way to get this coffee in Tokyo. In this day and age, this fact alone is rather fantastic. And do try to ask your friends in western Japan to take you if you ever visit. Komeda’s coffee is almost like a point of national pride for them. And they’ll love you forever if you praise their old style menus, great deal morning sets and absolutely back to basics, simple, hot, black coffee.

This is the place I would take Denis Leary for a coffee if I was cool enough to be his friend!