I finally made it to Chatei Hatou in Shibuya, after hearing about it from The Random Show with Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose. Kevin talks about an “old beans" coffee which is a pour-over that takes 20 minutes, and I’ve been meaning to try it ever since.

The closest exit is the 13a elevator from Shibuya station on the Fukutoshin line. It’s on a side street and the very small and unassuming sign almost made me miss it. It’s all in kanji, which made it harder. The kanji for “Hatou" is “羽當"

The inside is very bar like. A long counter with the back wall lined with cups and saucers. The lighting is dim. All the male staff are in ties and the female staff in bar staff uniform (white collared shirt, black vest and apron).

Since I was alone, I was seated at the counter, which gave me a view of the workings of the brewing process. The main barista, a middle-aged man with an almost expressionless face, did most of the drink making. His helpers took orders, prepped the food, boiled the water and washed the dishes around him.

Each of the drinks were prepared in a meticulous process. All the brewed coffee was carefully hand poured, with the beans ground just before brewing. The paper filter was folded just right. Hot water was used to heat all serveware (carafes, cups, teapots, etc.) before the coffee added. Milk and coffee for the cafe au lait were heated in long handled pots before being poured, simultaneously, into a cup with whipped creme.

Cold drinks had their serveware chilled with ice and cold water before liquids are added. The iced cafe au lait was served in wine glasses and has the cold coffee floated on top of the milk using a curved bar spoon. They were then chilled in the fridge again before serving. Ice cubes, for iced coffee, etc., were broken into smaller pieces with an ice pick.

The Japanese menu didn’t have an “old beans", but there was an “Aging Coffee", which was the most expensive coffee on the menu. I ordered that and was told that it would take 15 minutes. Jackpot!

The barista told me that he could make it less bitter if I wanted, but I told him bitter was fine. Instead of a paper filter and ceramic cone, the barista put the grinds into a cloth filter with a handle. He tapped the handle a few times with a wooden dowel to settle the grinds and then used a pointed end of the dowel to swirl a small well into the middle of the grinds.

For the pour, it was a literal trickle. Dribbles of hot water dripped onto the grinds while the barista made gentle swirling motions with the pot. The motions were ever so gentle. At one point, the barista was looking away to check in the other staff. The gentle swirling motion continued, but no water came out of the spout until he returned his attention to the task at hand.

The coffee grinds expanded as the hot water soaked in. With all the grinds soaked, the barista turned to serving other customers’ orders for a bit. Upon returning, he continued the gentle swirling motion and slowly coffee began to drip into the carafe below. Back and forth, the barista would go between dripping water onto the grinds and making other drinks. It was mesmerizing watching him work with economy of motion. Each movement deliberate and with meaning. Not rushing, but not too relaxed either. No banging or beating like you hear in an espresso bar.

By the time the brewing was complete, the grinds had grown from below the top of the filter to bulging a centimetre above. A slow dribble took the coffee into the carafe, which the barista then poured into a demitasse cup.

The coffee was smooth with just the right amount of acidity. I drank in black, like I do with all coffee, and it wasn’t bitter at all. It was well-rounded and had a great finish. No astringency at all. While not an espresso, it tasted like how I imagine a perfect espresso would taste like. It was gooooood… and matched the maple chiffon cake perfectly.

I wanted to stay longer to watch and to write, so I also ordered a regular drip coffee, the Hatou Original Blend. Again, it was a smooth cup of coffee that I could drink forever.

Chatei Hatou (茶亭 羽當)

1 Chome-15-19 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tōkyō-to 150-0002

〒150-0002東京都渋谷区渋谷1-15-19

11AM - 11:30PM