Photo credit: ©I love coffee/Shutterstock
Hello everyone and welcome again for this today’s post and this time we will talk about our love on coffee. If you are a coffee lovers and have a strong passion with coffee, then don’t forget to tag your fellow coffee squad because this post is for you!
As a fellow traveller and coffee enthusiast, we always got excited on trying the new coffee in town especially when somebody tipped us that this is a must-try.
Recently, the Lonely Planet Food just released their first ever coffee book – The Global Coffee Tour which features the best of the best coffee shops and towns around the world, thanks for the contributions and recommendations of many travelers.
And I’m happy to share you the Top 3 Coffee Towns here in Asia, according to Lonely Planet Food!
Tokyo, Japan
Japan has always embraced new trends, and coffee is no exception. Its capital is the place to go for the highest proliferation of third wave-style coffee shops, but be sure to round out your education with a visit to a traditional kissaten.Where to try it:
Bear Pond Espresso, 2-36-12 Kitazawa, Setagaya, Shimo-Kitazawa, Tokyo,
Website: www.bear-pond.com
At Tokyo’s famous Bear Pond, espresso is a matter of intense precision: owner Tanaka Katsuyuki (and only Tanaka) pulls a limited number of shots a day, and only until 1pm, on the La Marzocco FB80 machine he modified himself to extract exactly one half ounce of his signature ‘angel stain’ espresso, named after the streaks, thick like paint, that lash the sides of the white demitasse. His tiny shop is in Shimo-Kitazawa, a neighbourhood known for its eccentric personalities. It’s a good fit, as Tanaka definitely plays by his own rules – a characteristic which has earned him a reputation for surliness (his passion is coffee, not customer service). If you don’t make the cut for the espresso, try Bear Pond’s other signature drink, the Dirty – a delicately layered parfait of espresso and cold milk.
Café De L’Ambre, 8 Chome-10-15 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo
Website: www.h6.dion.ne.jp/~lambre
Cafe de L’Ambre has a rare pedigree: Sekiguchi Ichirō first opened the shop in 1948, making it one of Tokyo’s oldest remaining coffee shops. He’s now more than 100, yet several days a week you can still see him, behind the window, roasting beans in small batches on an ancient Fuji roaster. Today, the shop is equal parts local gathering spot and pilgrimage destination. Cafe de L’Ambre has a spectacular menu. First there are the aged beans – say a batch harvested from Bahia in 1973. Sekiguchi stumbled upon aged beans through the kind of accident that might not happen today: decades ago, a shipment he ordered took five years to arrive. He roasted them anyway, and was pleased with the result; he’s been experimenting ever since. A tireless tinkerer, Sekiguchi designed much of what is used in the shop, including the enamel kettles, copper pots and cups. Then there are the speciality drinks, which reference a time before espresso machines became commonplace. L’Ambre’s signature concoction is the No. 7 Blanc & Noir Queen Amber – house-blended coffee sweetened and chilled in a martini shaker before being served up in a champagne coupe with a river of cream floated on top. MAP HERE
Glitch Coffee & Roasters, 1F 3-16 Kanda-Nishikicho, Jimbōchō, Tokyo
Website: www.glitchcoffee.com
Glitch stands apart from Tokyo’s other third wave shops, by literally standing apart. Rather than picking an obvious location in one of the city’s trendy indie coffee hubs, like Tomigaya or Kiyosumi, owner Suzuki Kiyokazu chose Jimbōchō, a neighbourhood more affiliated with coffee’s first wave and a classic student haunt filled with universities, jazz bars and second-hand bookstores, in which to site his small shop. Glitch, opened in 2015, fits in nicely; Suzuki wants his shop to be a community hub and invites other shops to use his gleaming Probat roaster (which takes up nearly a quarter of the small premises). He personally favours a light roast; sample the hand-poured Ethiopia Alaka Washed, with notes of citrus and jasmine. MAP HERE
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Thailand’s northern city of temples has exploded with coffee shops, many having the added bonus of serving single-origin roasts grown within just an hour or two of the coffee shop itself. Coffee tourists will be spoiled for great music, food and street life.Where to try it:
Akha Ama, Hussadhisewee Rd, Soi 3 Chang Phuak, Chiang Mai
Website: www.akhaama.com
This cafe in temple-heavy Chiang Mai comes with a strong social angle. The Akha are one of many hill tribes found in northern Thailand, and for several decades have been producing coffee near the village of Maejantai, in Chiang Rai Province. The cafe was the brainchild of an Akha woman who wanted to provide a conduit for local farmers to sell, process and promote their coffee (Ama means mother in the Akha language, and her portrait now graces the cafe’s logo). Using only Arabica beans and 100% organic farming methods, Akha’s coffees are the definition of small-scale and sustainable. The cafe itself is simple (plain furniture, minimal frills) but it’s a world away from the chains, and its coffee tastes good (try the shakerato – a double espresso made in an ice-filled cocktail shaker) – and does good, too. MAP HERE
Photo credit: ©simonlong/Getty Images
Ipoh, Malaysia
Ipoh’s signature white coffee is famously hot, sweet and almost buttery in taste, and has spawned a chain of cafes that has found its way around Malaysia. For the authentic stuff, Sin Yoon Loong is adored for following the traditional recipe.Where to try it:
Sin Yoon Loong, 15A Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh, Perak
Within a scruffy shophouse in Ipoh, a legendary Malaysian coffee has been perfected. Peer behind Sin Yoon Loong’s green blinds and you’ll see only a canteen, where plastic seats spill from a chipped-tile interior on to the pavement. But Sin Yoon Loong doesn’t need style: it’s in this humble kopitiam (coffee shop) that the famous ‘Ipoh white coffee’ was created, a double hit of sugar and caffeine that’s slurped to this day. Coffee beans are roasted in margarine to give them a buttery taste. The resulting coffee is creamy, almost soup-like and best served with a sweetening splash of condensed milk. The phenomenon of Ipoh’s white coffee took on a life of its own, spawning a Malaysia-wide cafe chain called OldTown White Coffee, with no link to the humble café that first brewed the recipe. However, Malaysian foodies continue to pile into ramshackle Sin Yoon Loong (as well as nearby coffee shops with suspiciously similar names). After the trouble of fighting for a plastic chair, only the signature drink – white coffee – should grace your lips. And somehow, it tastes all the better when served in a traditional blue-and-white ceramic cup. MAP HERE
It was so exciting knowing these 3 coffee towns in Asia that I’ve been literally add them to my travel bucket list!
The other list of best coffee towns from other parts of the world can be found everything from the Global Coffee Tour book. I was one of the lucky ones to get a complimentary copy and I would love to bring this book to all my trips, and learn everything from it.
Knowing these best coffee town in Asia gives me more enthusiastic mood to know more about the production of coffee, from planting to harvesting down to the coffee preparation in our cup.
It was only a bit pity that Lonely Planet haven’t found the best coffee town here in the Philippines, and I think it is a great challenge for many local coffee growers and community, to make our local coffee plantation and community the one to be included in the list soon.
I am from Ipoh and I am damn proud to see my city listed by Lonely Planet for coffee! We are known for many things and coffee is indeed one of them!
ReplyDeleteI was so happy that they included Asia in the list! Damn I must visit Ipoh soon!
DeleteWoohoo. My country's coffee actually made it into the list. Ha :D Then again I have yet to visit this coffee shop before. I should go there one day to have a sip.
ReplyDeletehahaha that's awesome! Now I have a mission to visit them all!
Deleteit is amazing to experience the best tasting coffee and also how it is prepared and manufactured
ReplyDeleteI agree! I want to learn more about coffee farming :D
DeleteWow! It's really nice to see people so dedicated to coffee. I've always wanted to visit these places anyway and enjoying a good cup in any of them would be awesome!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting Alison! Where is your favorite coffee shop?
DeleteWOW! The pic of the alley way - is that in Chiang Mai? That looks heavenly! Definitely have to make my way there!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing :))
Yey! Please share your coffee experience soon!
DeleteI've read plenty about the Malaysian coffee, so would love to try the Ipoh place out. Japan and Tokyo are high on my bucket list, so it's so great you have listed 2 places on here! I love a good coffee, so this is perfect for me.
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful Lisa!
DeleteThis is an awesome post. I am sure anyone visiting will find this really helpful indeed!
ReplyDeleteThat's nice :) I would definitely love to visit them all for coffee ;)
ReplyDeleteMe too! I would love to add this to my travel itinerary, one coffee shop at a time.
Deletei love coffee but always got headache after drink only cup of coffee .. huhu..
ReplyDeleteOh you have low tolerance for coffee. Maybe you just minimize your coffee dosage.
DeleteI'm not a coffee fan but I don't hate it. I might even give it a try if I were given the opportunity to be in the area.
ReplyDeleteAre you a tea lover?
DeleteI do love a good coffee. These sounds like really great places to visit for coffee lovers. The butter tasting coffee sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteI agree. This book would help to boost the coffee tourism!
DeleteI'm more of a tea drinker, but I enjoy a good cup of coffee every now and then. I also wouldn't mind visiting these coffee shops in the future.
ReplyDeleteThanks Hillesha, I love drinking tea as well. Hope Lonely Planet features all the tea farms of the world!
DeleteYou've definitely convinced me to add these towns to my bucket list, also because I've always wanted to visit these countries. And I'm a coffee junkie, I can't live without it!
ReplyDeleteOh this is perfect then! Hope you explore these cities and share your adventures soon!
DeleteI wanted to go to Japan this summer, but I had to change my plans. But I do know Chiang Mai and Ipoh - whereby Ipoh is much more famous for a fantastic tea place; and I would definitely add Hanoi - Vietnamese coffee is the best!
ReplyDeleteYeah that's true! I want to visit Vietnam as well!
DeleteThis looks like such a fun coffee tour to some pretty amazing places out there. I know I would have really enjoyed it. If I can visit them someday it would amazing.
ReplyDeleteSoon I will share the top coffee town in US!
DeleteI've never been to Asia but I'm a big fan of coffee and Tokyo is on my bucket list, so now I have places to visit when I'm there!
ReplyDeleteOh you definitely visit Tokyo!
DeleteI’m not a coffee person myself but this is an interesting read for anyone. Great to see these places from Asia making their name. Would not ha e expected Tokyo and Chang Mai to be featured but guess they deserve it. Would live to visit the cafe in Chand Mai as I visit Thailand often. Thanks for sharing a knowledgeable post. Amar singh
ReplyDeleteCafé L'Ambre in Tokyo is very significant since the owner is already 100 years old and still brewing his coffee :D
DeleteI want to meet him!
Jeez, I am craving an iced coffee after reading this! I hope I have the chance to check out some of these coffee shops one day.
ReplyDeleteCoffee... my elixier of life. I am always very thankful for great tips where to get great coffee, whenever I travel so here I find some very good recommendations. The Akha Ama in Thailand sounds really nice, especially in that surrounding with all the temples. Would be the best place to regain energy by drinking a perfect coffee. But also the other places sound very interesting, I will put them on my Coffee-list.
ReplyDeleteThank you Hendrik! Hope you can share your coffee adventure to us!
DeleteI’m not a coffee fan, but I love to try different types of coffee while travelling. Ipoh signature coffee sounds like something I would enjoy, the flavour is perfect. Lovely list of coffee shops, will make sure to visit them when travelling. Thanks for the share.
ReplyDeleteThank you Suma! I can't wait to visit them all very soon :D
DeleteFirst of all thanks for that book recommendation, now I know what I am gonna get my husband for birthday :) he loves coffee so much, so maybe this book will inspire him to visit more cool places in the world :) Especially Ipoh as that coffee sounds amazing! I don't really drink coffee because I like it, I do it to stay awake but I feel like I would really enjoy that hot, sweet and almost buttery in taste coffee :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Adrianna, your husband will appreciate this book!
DeleteOoh I completely agree with Tokyo! That city has amazing coffee. I'm going to have to check out Chiang Mai and Ipoh one day! I'm obsessed with coffee. :) Great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Lindsey! Don't forget to visit that famous coffee shop in Tokyo, owned by a 100-year old barista.
DeleteI will definitely have to visit the next time I'm there! :)
Deleteyou had me at coffee. i need to check it out at some point in my life.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome Katrina!
DeleteI haven't traveled in Asia much so I have not been to any of these coffee towns. All of the shops look amazing!
ReplyDeleteOh you must visit soon and add these coffee towns to your Asia itinerary.
DeleteWe are huge coffee drinkers in this house, and we love to travel. So after reading this, my travel bug is biting hard lol! Going to make a cuppa and pretend for now :) I have this page as one of my favorites should I ever get the chance to visit any of these cafes!
ReplyDeleteThank you Tiffany, that is so touching!
DeleteI would love to visit these spots! I love trying different coffees.
ReplyDeleteYou must! You will enjoy the coffee here in Asia.
DeleteI'm not quite sure if I've been to that coffee shop in Malaysia, Sin Yoon Loong but I sure did try OldTown White Coffee in Kota Kinabalu. Love coffees! You can also add Vietnamese coffee! It's one of the best! Guaranteed!
ReplyDeleteThe famous Oldtown Coffee is inspired by Sin Yoon Loong coffee.
DeleteAll of these places sound so good! I'm a huge coffee addict so I would definitely check out these coffee shops.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ada! What kind of coffee do you usually consume?
DeleteI haven't been to any of them but I'd love to see them! I hope they can recommend a coffee town in the Philippines too.
ReplyDeleteI agree, quite pity that they haven't feature a single Philippine based coffee town. Well this is a challenge for our local coffee industry.
DeleteI dream of Tokyo (and Japan in general) and I would really love to visit the city. I am such a coffee fan so this is another reason to go!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome! Don't forget to pay a visit soon at Café De L'Ambre
DeleteI want to try all of these - especially the kissaten! It was interesting hearing about the different places and types of coffee. Definitely adding to my bucket list!
ReplyDeleteThank you for appreciating our post!
DeleteYour work here is done. Added to my bucket list!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathleen!
DeleteBear Pond Espresso? I'd like to visit that when I go to Japan again!
ReplyDeleteNever forget it Aurora :D
DeleteI am a coffee fan and would love to visit these spots. Including them on my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteThank you Clarice!
DeleteI'm a big time coffee lover.
ReplyDeleteAs dejected as you are that Philippines didn't get featured, I'm too, that India didn't get featured. We too have some fantastic coffee here in places like Coorg from where coffee gets exported worldwide..
We should invite Lonely Planet to India and Philippines!
DeleteFor all those coffee lovers out there this is for them. We don't drink coffee. We have friends who can't live without their coffee.
ReplyDeleteI can't live without coffee! I think God showered me coffee :D
DeleteI do drink coffee during weekdays but not really good in tasting and enjoying coffee! But I would always enjoy cafe hopping for some nice and chilling ambiance. Don't mind trying out their coffee =)
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think the coffee tourism is getting bigger these days.
DeleteI always wish that I was into coffee, because there is so much variety around the world. Sadly, I have to live vicariously through other people. I am sure my coffee buddies would absolutely love these spots.
ReplyDeleteAre you a tea person?! That is cool as well.
DeleteThese look like fabulous place to stop at to try different types of local coffee when travelling. I've been to the Malaysian white coffee shop and we loved it!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome! I would love to visit that place as well.
Deletewow, coffee is my thing and Asia another one!
ReplyDeleteHigh five Freire!
DeleteI am a caffeine addict and my mind doesn't start working in the morning unless it is caffeinated. So I am definitely adding them to my list.
ReplyDeleteVisiting coffee shops is also an awesome experience to explore the world of coffee culture.
DeleteI would add them to my bucket list, however, I don't drink coffee!
ReplyDeleteOh what is your favorite drink Gigi?
DeleteI love me some Coffee so I will go anywhere to get the best!
ReplyDeleteI'm such a sucker for COFFEE! This review was really informative for me.
ReplyDeleteThis is so informative of top coffee places. If I am ever in Asia, I will have to check out some of these. The white coffee sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteYeah famous in Malaysia and its creamylicious!
DeleteFor someone who can't start a day without coffee, this post is amazing!. lol. I believe that the best coffee I've ever tasted was from Indonesia!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the coffee addict community!
DeleteIam never a coffee person but when my husband was reading into this he was amzed to see the variety of coffee in asia. we always thought asians are more tea
ReplyDeleteOh this is another reason to travel all around Asia and discover new coffee!
DeleteThanks for this list, we are world travelers, and always need our morning cup of coffee, this list helps.
ReplyDeleteHigh five on that! Where is your next destination?
DeleteI highly suggest
ReplyDeleteAmadeo in Cavite and the province of Batangas for the perfect blend of local coffee.
Yeah those seems promising. Hope Lonely Planet will stumble it.
DeleteYou seem to be a true coffee lover .Only reading your blog made me crave for a nice cup of Cappuccino
ReplyDeleteHahaha that's cool! Thank you :D
DeleteMalaysia is literally like on my top go to lists! and you've just cemented the idea in my head!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you! Please visit Malaysia and enjoy this gorgeous country.
DeleteI am not a coffee drinker but I loved the concept of your post in exploring other Asian countries to find the best coffee. Beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting dear!
DeleteJapan is my dream bucket list! Thanks to share your favorite coffee towns!
ReplyDeleteOh when you visit Japan, please visit these shops too!
DeleteI'm a coffee lover and would so want to travel to these places! Such dedication. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I will share other coffee towns soon!
DeleteOhh....enjoy your personal sharing here, I am a coffeee lover too & glad to see some of the cafes of my home country ~ Malaysia were being mentioned, thank you :D Cheers, siennylovesdrawing
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome right?!
DeleteIt is very interesting post bcoz I was उन aware of these places famous for coffee. I m a black coffee lover as it helps to improve my metabolism...
ReplyDeleteI love black coffee as well, and no sugar :D
DeleteVery unique post. Being coffee lovers, we actually feel like going on a coffee trip now! Have been to Chiang Mai and somewhat close to Ipoh, around Malaysia! When visiting Japan, would definitely keep in mind! A new perspective of travel indeed!
ReplyDeleteOh don't forget to pay a visit to the 100-year old bartender in Japan!
DeleteI had no idea about Malaysia being so big on coffee. Goo to know that.
ReplyDeleteYou should visit Malaysia one day :D
DeleteHi Blair,
ReplyDeleteI am one great coffee junkie and would always want my caffeine fix on a daily basis. Great read. Thanks for posting.
How do you like your coffee, Sheena?!
DeleteI love strong aromas of coffee and definitely I would love to visit all those coffee houses mentioned in the post. Global Coffee Tour is covering very unique and offbeat coffee spots, especially in South East Asia. I would love to taste Ipoh from Malayasia as it is white buttery coffee.
ReplyDeleteYes, you must taste the Ipoh's coffee, one of my favorite :D
DeleteI haven't heard of this coffee shops, but will definitely try them on my vacation. I love drinking black coffee and I bet they have the best ones.
ReplyDeleteI just learned that, when you are in Australia, never ever go to Starbucks and flaunt it. It is a mortal sin here! Only visit to local coffee shops.
DeleteIndeed, Tokyo has the finest coffee shops and cafes in Asia. I would love to visit Chiang Mai someday
ReplyDeleteYou should also try Australia's many coffee shops! They produces the finest coffee, that you will (almost) be shamed carrying Starbucks coffee.
Delete