Visited Otaru Canal Blend around 12:00 PM on June 30, with no customers inside. Initially felt anxious as only single origin menu was available on the tables, making me wonder if it was a high-end establishment. However, I was relieved when the menu arrived. Ordered the Otaru Canal Blend. As it was lunchtime, more customers started coming in, and the lone staff seemed quite busy. The coffee arrived in about 10 minutes, brewed using a paper drip method, probably a Kalita with 3 holes. The taste had a distinct bitterness but a short, refreshing aftertaste. It was quite easy to drink. The atmosphere was great, with smoking allowed throughout, and the place seemed to focus on coffee with their own roasting. Overall, a nice coffee shop.

I got lost looking for a place to have lunch while working in Otaru. I always end up having lunch after lunchtime, so most places are already closed for lunch. It's a common occurrence when working in Otaru... ( ´^` ) Feeling a bit tired from the heat, I decided to take a coffee break at "Coffee House Kohaku no Yakata" after a long time. The inside of the shop was cool with air conditioning, which was nice. I had been wanting to try the cake set for a while, and although the apple pie I wanted was no longer on the menu, I ended up choosing my favorite baked cheesecake. The set came with coffee or tea, and for an extra ¥100, you could have it iced. The moist and refreshing cheesecake, not too sweet with a nice acidity, paired perfectly with the easy-to-drink coffee. It was a soothing experience. The shop allows smoking and there is no designated smoking area, so non-smokers should be aware. (Note) Next time, I'll try the coffee cream banana cake. Thank you for the meal ◡̈*.。

I came seeking coffee before work. I'm glad this place is open early. The atmosphere with jazz playing is nice, and it feels like a classic coffee shop. They use premium and specialty coffee beans. I tried the Otaru Canal Blend for ¥600. It was advertised as having a unique bitterness and richness, but the bitterness was not strong and it was refreshing. It had some acidity, which I like, but I prefer a stronger taste in the morning. This blend seems more suitable for drinking in the late afternoon. I wish there was a bit more coffee beans in it. It's a shame. Thank you for the meal.

Counter 4, table 6. There were magazines available. A variety of coffee options were listed on the menu, but I was too tired to choose, so I opted for iced coffee. I added a hint of amber-colored syrup to make it slightly less bitter and more mellow. The sound of stirring blended with the background music, making me feel a bit dazed. I was intrigued by the decaf Colombian coffee, but I'll try it next time. I knew of this place and always thought I'd visit someday, and that day turned out to be today. Feeling mentally and physically exhausted, I didn't have the energy to wander around, so I spent some time here to relax. This old-fashioned coffee shop without Wi-Fi or charging outlets provided a perfect nostalgic escape from reality. Or maybe I'm just really tired. Thank you for the meal.

I finished my work in Otaru and I'm heading back home. It only takes about thirty minutes on the express bus to get home, but before that, let's have some coffee at "Kohaku no Yakata," a coffee shop on the first floor of the Station Front Building that has been in business for a long time. On the same floor, there are also a soba shop, a bakery, a bento shop, a fish cake shop, and a dumpling shop, making it very convenient. This is my third visit before starting my Foodlog activities, and they also sell freshly ground coffee beans. The cozy atmosphere of this small retro-style shop seems to tell the history of Otaru, making it a very relaxing and comforting place to be. There were two groups of two customers before us, and although only the counter is non-smoking, there were no customers smoking in the other seats. We sat at a two-person table and ordered a "Colombian" coffee for 580 yen from the straightforward and friendly female staff. The beans were ground with an electric mill and brought to us in a few minutes. I prefer a bit more beans, but the coffee brewed with care and sincerity had a refreshing aroma and a taste that I could truly appreciate. I quickly checked the departure time of the bus on my smartphone, but since the buses to Sapporo leave every 15 minutes at this time, there was no need to worry. This is a coffee shop that I hope will continue to thrive in this location. Thank you for the meal.

I tried coffee from a long-established coffee shop, with beans from Brazil Carmo de Minas and Sumatra Mandheling Lintong Tobaco. The atmosphere was nice, and I could feel the Showa era vibe.

On a certain holiday, I went walking in Otaru and stumbled upon a coffee shop with a sign. It was a shop that roasts their own coffee beans. Located on the first floor of a building next to Otaru Station, the shop has a cool atmosphere with box-like tables and a non-smoking counter area. Jazz vocals played in the background. I was impressed by the wide variety of coffee options on the menu. After much deliberation, I decided to try the "Burundi FW (Fully Washed AA) (650 yen)" special coffee of the month. It was my first time hearing about Burundi, a country in Central Africa. The coffee was brewed using a paper filter and filled the room with a delightful aroma. Taking a sip, I tasted a light color with a complex aroma, a rounded bitterness, sweetness, and richness in my mouth. It was said to have a sweet acidity, mild richness, and a smooth aftertaste. It was a slightly luxurious and delicious coffee experience. Thank you for the meal.

Basically, straight coffee uses only the highest grade beans, so the blends are also delicious. I like my coffee on the bitter side, and I prefer the Otaru Canal Blend. It's bitter, but surprisingly light for a dark roast. I also enjoy Mandheling and Toraja, but they are also on the lighter side. I bet they would taste amazing brewed with a Nel drip. They also sell beans, and the owner is very helpful and will give you advice. They provide the beans in vacuum packs, so it's convenient to buy in advance even if you still have some left. They rarely roast in large quantities, and they roast frequently, which is impressive. The service from the female staff is also polite and good.

A café located in the First Building in front of Otaru Station. It is on the same floor as the Central Bus Information Center. I moved to Otaru in the spring of 1989. Since then, I have been passing by this shop almost every day after getting off the bus, but this was my first visit. I always thought I could go anytime, but maybe it was too ordinary that I kept my distance? The exterior looks like a "normal café" inside the station building. The reason I decided to visit this shop this time was because the restaurant where I had lunch earlier was very disappointing. On my way back, I wanted to calm my feelings, and that's when I noticed this shop. The interior of the shop is a calm space with dim lighting. Standard jazz music is playing in the background. The menu offers a wide variety of coffee types, each with detailed descriptions. There is no "American coffee" in such shops. "Pure café"... I'm not sure of the exact criteria, but this might be what a "pure" café is. There is a roasting machine inside the counter, and the expectations are high. I ordered the "Otaru Canal Blend" in Otaru style (?). The master started brewing the coffee with a paper drip. The "Otaru Canal Blend" is a blend of French roasted beans. It is not bitter but has a sweetness within the bitterness. This may be what richness is. It goes down smoothly. It is delicious coffee. The coffee is not overly hot. With a dark roast, the temperature of the water is kept low to avoid brewing any bitterness, which is evident in this cup. The 150 yen coffee from the convenience store coffee stand that I drink every morning before going to work is hot and bitter. That is also appreciated. The coffee this time cost 500 yen, but it was a satisfying and delicious cup. "This shop has been open for 39 years since it opened. It has been here since this building was built." I see, it was a cup from an established shop. It is recommended to wait for the train at such a shop if you have time to spare, as it is just a little away from Otaru Station. The jazz BGM I heard that day was a piano trio with saxophone called The Three Sounds. The song was "Willow Weep for Me." Listening to this song, I looked back on the year.

After the Eg-Vive excursion on Saturday, I returned to Otaru, had some cake, and then visited this place alone (ノ´▽｀)ノ (Achieving my goal at Eg-Vive...) http://u.tabelog.com/000211118/r/rvwdtl/4678881/ (Also, I indulged in delicious cream pie at Marie Roland San to recharge...) http://u.tabelog.com/000211118/r/rvwdtl/4682108/ Sapporo R is speeding through the center of Otaru (Wooohooo!!) Walking through the center of Otaru with a baguette on my back for 10 minutes... Next stop is this shop (人´∀｀) Yay! I visited this shop simply because I liked the name, not because of any recommendations or introductions. Amber (Kohaku) is such a nice name, right? Even Licht coffee has a blend called Amber, right? Sapporo R's journey of home-roasted coffee... I have arrived at the second shop today! (人´∀｀) Yay! I liked the name of this shop, and they had a good selection of beans. The shop was cozy, and I could see regular customers relaxing. Ideally, the best way to drink coffee is to have someone make it for you, but... (I ended up gulping down the coffee and water at Marie Roland San) (I'm feeling bloated...) Deciding not to drink more water and realizing I couldn't hold much more, I bought some beans to drink at home. I purchased a peculiar bean called "Costa Rica Taras Fancy" on sale, as I haven't bought a grinder yet (which turned out to be a hassle later...). I decided to buy the beans for pour-over at home from the shop. The shop assistant asked, "Would you like us to vacuum pack it for you?" (´∀`) Oh, yes please! (´∀｀。)°゜. Oh, they can vacuum pack it for me? That's convenient if I'm not going to drink it right away (ﾟ∀ﾟ) (I ended up drinking the coffee at home today) ※ Two days after purchasing... Oh no, it was a coarse grind! It's been a while since I've had coarse grind coffee! Hmm? Is it called coarse grind? My expression is clumsy, I apologize! The aroma is strong, and the coffee has a refreshing aftertaste. Maybe it's not fully developed due to the coarse grind? Or is this how it's supposed to be? I left it to the shop to grind it for pour-over, but they ground it very coarsely with large grains (｀・ω・´) I would love to try it with a finer grind (lol) The strong aroma makes me want to try it with a different grind (´･∀･｀)ノ▽ (Returning to the story...) Sapporo R, who bought coffee beans to take home at the Amber House... (v_v)b With a baguette still on my back... I headed to the next destination, a new home-roasted coffee shop... (Oh... there's a third home-roasted shop...) ε＝ε＝ε＝(((( ´∀｀)ノ Thank you for the meal!! ===========

In Otaru's First Building, there are many shops with an unchanged atmosphere from the past, so I had been wanting to go there. Sometimes, the local newspaper in Otaru also had advertisements for the restaurants here, which made me even more eager to visit. I bought dumplings at Arishima-Do and kamaboko at Kamaei during a little time before getting on the bus. I always bought takeout, and I have never actually sat down and eaten at any of the restaurants. I only passed by this cafe as well. Its appearance has remained unchanged for a long time. This time, while I was at my parents' house, my father bought coffee from here for me. He seemed to have splurged a bit more than usual on the coffee, which is said to have been roasted in-house since 1973. The blend he chose was the American blend, which was easy to drink and refreshing. The coffee grounds swelled up nicely when brewing. I also offered some to my mother, who loved coffee, and we enjoyed drinking it. I want to visit the cafe next time to try the cake set.

In search of breakfast, I wandered around the town of Otaru. I had heard that there were few shops open in the morning, but I didn't expect that even the cafes wouldn't open until after 8 o'clock! Before I knew it, I had ended up near the station. Luckily, a cafe had just opened, offering a morning set for around 700 yen, available until 2 pm. It seems like people in cold regions eat breakfast later in the day. I ordered a morning set and a cake set for 1550 yen, a bit pricey unless you're on vacation. The owner, working alone, created a relaxed atmosphere. The coffee arrived first, followed by toast, boiled egg, and a rare cheesecake. The toast was delightfully thick, just the way I like it. The rare cheesecake was not the typical triangular slice, but a round, topped with mandarin and berries. Both the coffee and the cake were high quality. The coffee was to my liking, a sign of a true coffee shop. It was a slightly indulgent breakfast.

I waited for an hour at the Tatsunami Shokudo in Otaru Sankaku Market, so I decided to have a coffee time. The menu only had coffee, with light snacks listed on the sign at the entrance of the shop. I boldly ordered the Nicaragua Limoncillo Farm Bourbon Natural coffee for 700 yen. It was refreshing and easy to drink, but I prefer a stronger taste, so I found it lacking. This is a smoking-permitted establishment, so only adults are allowed in. As a result, it was quiet.