Staying on top of the food scene at Tokyo has become much easier with social media. Ten years ago when I started research for my book, Food Sake Tokyo, I relied heavily on Japanese food magazines and tips from food writers, chefs, sommeliers, and other industry insiders. I still rely on these same sources, but more and more staying connected with these friends on social media helps me to see where things are trending. Some of
One hot spot with friends who are baristas and coffee shop owners is Glitch. Located in Kanda it is just between three subway stations, Jimbocho, Ogawamachi, and Takebashi. Although the street it sits on has a lot of traffic, the area itself is pretty quiet. The shop is spacious and on the corner there is a take-away window where the drip coffees are made. On the other end of the shop is a roaster. There is a small communal table that seats six and a few other seats around the brightly lit shop.
Glitch offers cuppings and other seminars. I assume these are in Japanese. I stopped by about 9:30 on a weekday morning and most of the customers this morning were women in their 20s and 30s. Some stayed but most of them took their coffee to go. Behind the counter, Machiko-san chatted up the customers, many who seemed to be regulars. We even had a friendly chat about our mutual friends and on being a mother.
Machiko-san recommended a drip made from Kenya beans that had notes of fruit tomatoes. The Japanese fruit tomatoes have a lovely bouquet that is sweet and with a hint of acidity, which was what the coffee offered. The selection of magazines on the communal table included some I have at home, like Hanako, but also a few not in my usual reading list so it was a nice way to pass time over the coffee.
The Glitch facebook page has gorgeous photos from the shop. A haven for hipsters. I wish I were half that cool. Even more awesome to be young and have a slick coffee shop like Glitch to hang out with friends over good coffee.
Glitch opens from 7:30 a.m. on weekdays, which is actually on the early side for coffee shops in Tokyo. It’s a lovely coffee shop and worth a special trip.
Glitch
Chiyoda-ku, Nishikicho 3-16 千代田区錦町3-16
Food Sake Tokyo 