Coffee Omakase: Sip Whatever the Barista Pours

Coffee omakase asks customers to surrender control. They do not know which coffee they will taste, what beans the barista has selected or how each drink will be prepared. Everything is entrusted to the person behind the counter, in keeping with the Japanese meaning of omakase.

The trend grew from Tokyo, the birthplace of the format, and reflects specialty coffee’s move toward a more luxurious, ritualized experience. Taylor Bond wrote in Sprudge Coffee that bringing omakase into coffee was a natural progression as the industry pursued a deeper form of luxury and ceremony.

Koffee Mameya Kakeru, in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, a major specialty coffee district, is one of the model’s pioneers. Prices start at 5,000 yen, about 830,000 Vietnamese dong. Baristas lead customers through different roast levels and preparations, including cold brew, pour-over and creative cocktails.

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We see coffee as an ingredient, combining it with seasonal products from nature in Japan to create an entirely new experience.

Cokuun offers an even more intimate version. The hidden space on Omotesando accepts reservations for no more than four people. Barista Magazine Online described its entrance as quiet as an old meditation garden, with the sound of a single drop of water falling into a stone basin. Guests must bow before entering, a gesture the magazine’s Tanya Nanetti said expresses respect and sheds the ego.

The bar at Cokuun is staffed by renowned coffee professionals including 2014 World Barista Champion Hide Izaki and 2017 world runner-up Miki Suzuki. Izaki said, “We see coffee as an ingredient, combining it with seasonal products from nature in Japan to create an entirely new experience.”

A Cokuun session includes five drinks and a sorbet to cleanse the palate. It begins with warm nonalcoholic sangria made from fruit and herb syrup blended with concentrated coffee. A pour-over follows, extracted over Paragon ice to cool it instantly and preserve volatile aromas, then served in an Arita ceramic glass shaped like a whiskey-tasting glass. The menu continues with an espresso mocktail and other carefully staged preparations.

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Everything forces diners to bow their heads to show respect and shed the ego before entering.