Chicago’s Specialty Coffee Scene

#coffee #chicago #kurasu

Yozo recently visited Chicago during the SCA event and explored some amazing coffee shops. Dive into the details of the shops he visited and hear his thoughts on the coffee scene in Chicago.

0:00~ Welcome to Chicago
0:33~ Chicago Coffee Scene
1:06~ Standart Party
1:43~ Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea
2:16~ Intelligentsia Coffee
3:17~ Metric Coffee
4:05~ Sawada Coffee
4:53~ Dark Matter Coffee
5:31~ Drip Collective
6:07~ Dayglow Coffee
6:37~ Chicago Coffee Review!

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"Kurasu" is derived from the Japanese word that means “to live” or “lifestyle.” What began as an online homeware venture has evolved to become an internationally recognized leader in Japanese coffee brewing equipment. We also offer a subscription service in collaboration with specialty coffee roasters from across Japan.

You can savor our specialty coffee at our locations in Kyoto, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, and HK. In 2021, we relocated our roastery cafe from Fushimi Inari to Nishijin. Currently, we roast using Loring S35 Kestrel.

Our mission is to introduce the world to Japanese coffee culture. This includes showcasing coffee products, partnering with roasters, and sharing our signature roasts. Kurasu is not just a retail store for coffee equipment, but also a cafe, a coffee roaster, and a beacon for specialty coffee culture.

[KurasuKyoto]

Thank you so much for all the recommendations! It was a short trip for us this time, but we appreciate all the comments encouraging us to visit again soon and explore more of the city.

[fernandoherranz]

Being a Chicago native, I'd say Intelligentsia was once one of the best known with decent coffee, but now they're mediocre, and there are so many other spots to check out all over the city outside of downtown. Downtown gets the volume of customers which helps a new business but I could see a great Japanese coffee shop like yours opening up in River North, Logan Square, or even Andersonville. Best of luck and hope Chicago becomes a new home for you!

[antonylai]

4:02 OMG ！You caught a star Ebon Moss-Bachrach ！🙌🏻🙌🏻

[itohagan]

My wife and I live in Chicago and spent our honeymoon in japan last October. The coffee was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I am glad you made it to Dark Matter while here, a lot of restaurants here that serve coffee make it a point to state that they serve dark matter coffee on their menus. If I am ever back in Kyoto I will be sure to make it to Kurasu

[goobgoobity]

I am a barista in a specialty shop in Chicago. Visited Kurasu back in 2018 and it was a super positive and memorable experience. Japan’s coffee scene is an inspiration for many people here, myself included. If you ever opened a Kurasu in Chicago, I’d definitely jump at the opportunity to be a part of the team! Cheers!!

[victorsladkowski]

The algorithms must be working. I’m currently drinking Metric Coffee, living in Chicago, and have my first trip to Kyoto planned in October. Will check out your shop while I’m there! Hope you had a good time in Chicago!

[marissablee]

I visited Kurasu in Kyoto back in 2018, and will forever remember the level of customer service we received. Everyone in the shop had a genuine smile on their face and we felt so welcome. I'm currently living in South Korea, maybe a potential spot for a future Kurasu store 😀

[JoshuaRuffolo]

5:07 hey that's me! thanks for stopping in, hope you enjoyed your stay in Chicago :)

[samaronson]

The best coffee is from Four Letter Word and Gaslight out in Logan Square. They blow the socks off most spots

[JayZeke]

Hopefully if you come back to Chicago you can hit up the neighborhoods. Downtown is nice but most of the charm of Chicago is outside the Loop.

[alannazaritz]

as a chicagoan, it’s interesting to hear your perspective. if you make it back, i recommend some smaller spots, like Soloway, Bueno Days, Wormhole, Doma, Hexe…. Thanks for visiting!

[delgadogarces]

I am glad you enjoyed your visit to Chicago! I learned about new coffee shops from this in my own city! Best of luck!

[fyevalentine]

I love dark matter coffee light roast beans!!😍

[Recline]

Lived here in Chicago for ten years. You captured the coffee culture here very well! Hope you enjoyed your trip!

[naurrr]

I grew up by the original Intelligentsia and unfortunately the tourist-heavy locations are underwhelming. Thankfully the original location still makes excellent coffee and the baristas are very good at their jobs! Sawada makes awesome drinks and I loved going there when I worked nearby. Glad you enjoyed your time in my home city.

[eljung]

lol dude from the bear photo bombing at 4:03 🤣

[SerreNameless]

I was excited to see this in my recommendations. I absolutely adore Sawada's Military latte...thank you for coming to Chicago. It was cool to see you visit the Intelligentsia in this video--I only visit often due to convenience, but I agree it can be inconsistent. Still, I think our cafe culture is wonderful here. Would love to see a Kurasu here!

[kippcozad]

Though in the suburbs, you should do a dive into the Yemeni coffee scene in the SW burbs - Qamaria in Chicago Ridge and Haraz in Orland Park

[RutzMusicWorks]

We are Chicagoans and just watched this video. We found your commentary spot on! We would love to see you here or even if we have a chance to visit Kyoto again.

[JamesElkins]

Sorry I'm late to this, and I don't know if anyone is around to answer... but I'm a long-term Chicagoan, and I do most of my work in coffee shops, so I've sampled all the ones in this video and most that are in the comments. I have two questions:
(1) I wonder why there's no mention of the pourovers, and especially the choices of single-origin pourovers in the different coffee shops. For me, that's the most interesting part of the scene, and it's how I often decide where to go.
(2) Except for a brief mention of the flavor profile of Dark Matter, there's very little comment on taste. Is that just Kurasu Kyoto's amazing politeness and generosity? Or is there an idea of the perfect espresso? I know from trips to Japan that the service, the cleanliness, the cups and silverware, are absolutely stupendous, and the level of barista expertise is very high. But at the same time I have an idea that there's a general consensus on what comprises an ideal espresso. Or is that just my own experience?
Love to know what others think.