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.
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!
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
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!!
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!
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 😀
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!
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!
Next time, be sure to check out Avondale Coffee Club featuring Reprise Roasters - they always have 8 or so pour over options from single origin farms that they work with directly.
Hey, former SCA member, Chicago native, and barista. I've been technical judge for competitions before, and while I'm no longer in the industry Coffee and Chicago are two passions of mine. 1) Shout ot to Metric; I think the best Chicago roaster. I don't brew a lot of their coffee actually, but enjoy every cup I get from them. 2) The best coffee shop in the city isn't well known, but it's called Beans & Bagels. If you engage with this reply let me know if you want me to write up a detailed explanation for why, because I can absolutely pop off and tell you so much you'll want to book your flight back just to see it. 3) Intelligentsia had such a sad fall from grace. It's not just that they got bought by Peets though... the same company bought Caribou, Peets, Intelli, Stumptown, and more. The company JAB Holdings is just the investment wing of a super rich family of Germans who made their fortune selling chemicals in Germany in 1930/40s... I'll let that speak for itself. Mostly just thank you for visiting our city and checking out the coffee scene.
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.
As a local, Metric is hands down my favorite coffee in the city. I buy their beans to make at home too. Also worth noting Sawada is tucked inside one of the city’s best BBQ joints, Green Street smoked Meats
I have to agree with you about Intelligentsia. I used to go to their Lakeview location all the time since I live in the neighborhood, but they are now overpriced, coffee is subpar and customer service is terrible. There are just too many other great coffee shops around to put up with Intelligentsia.
U really should go to wicker park next time, they have a very vibrant coffee scene and I think you’ll like a lot of the coffee there. Espresso and Milk in the civic opera house is also a good place to check out
Oh hey nice! It looks like the bean was open! The last few times I've been to Chicago the beans been under renovation and closed for a while. Happy your trip to the US went well!
@KurasuKyoto next time you are in Chicago you need to try Printer's Row Coffee. They have a location in Lincoln park that always has a line out the door. Good coffee, good people.
If you're ever back in Chicago, you need to check out Hansa Coffee up in Libertyville and Tala Coffee's cafe in Highwood - They're both world class roasters that I prefer over anything (expect maybe metric) in Chicago proper.They're about an hour north of the city, feel free to reach out to me if you're in town and need a ride! lol
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.
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.
Chicago retail customers definitely seek out and support smaller local coffee roasters and beer brewers making them kinda mainstream. That also comes with less experimentation and more just focusing on consistency. Intelligentsia has definitely become less consistent since the sale to Peets unfortunately.
Bro really said “the costumer experience here is largely shit I might just have to come back here and show yall how it’s done” in the nicest way possible
Consider Sparrow Coffee Roasters. Only retail location is 45 min drive from downtown Chicago but they ship beans and may allow visit of Chicago Roastery
Love these comments. Everyone has their favorite roaster. There's a ton of them, and not a bad one in the bunch! I'm partial to Gaslight, but I used to live in the neighborhood. The downtown Intelligencia has always been a waste of time though. Pourovers in a location that busy just results in rushed work and staff burnout. That was true even in the years before the buyout.
Thank you for the comment! Its unfortunate to miss shops when you only have a few days including the expo. This will be on our list when we visit again!
As a local, you missed out on Printers Row! Their coffee is fantastic. Another fantastic roaster who doesn't have a brick and mortar store is Kikwetu. They sell mostly at farmers markets but their beans are great. Metric is great though. I used to work across the street from them and their staff is great. My criteria for a great coffee shop is this: 1. If I order a black cup of coffee at any time of day, will it be fresh. Too many coffee shops have coffee that's luke warm or I can tell it's been in a thermus for several hours. Coffee flavor does degrade 30 minutes after roasting. 2. Are the beans smooth? It shouldn't have a bitter back of mouth feel. This is typically from the water temperature it's brewed at. Diner coffee (even with good beans) typically tastes this way because they brew it with boiling water instead of around 200F. I've had coffee at diners that serve Dark Matter and it's a stark contrast for what is served in the coffee shops.
The Kurasu people are being so polite with this video by allowing Chicago coffee and Japan's coffee to even exist in the same sentence together. Absolutely miss Tokyo's pourover shops.
I find Intelligentsia has the most consistent quality beans, but yea their customer service at their coffee shops is brutal. It’s like they go out of their way to hire baristas and cashiers that hate people.
Customer service at Intelligentsia -- in particular the Millennium Park location you show here -- has tanked, a trend that I started noticing around 2017 or so. It's like the shop lost its heart. I can't tell you how many absolutely glorious moments I had at that shop. I don't consider the brand anymore -- basically, a last resort for me. I'll recommend Big Shoulders, Metric, Reprise Roasters / Avondale Coffee Club, Jackalope, Side Practice or Drip Collective, most of the Dark Matter locations, Passion House... sit outside on the river at The Kitchen and enjoy an espresso with orange peel. Or lemon. They'll do you 20/10 on service.
Nothing touches Crepe Shop Coffee period. Yelp top 100 coffees in America with the first mention in Chicago at #17 or something. I was told they’re not a coffee shop, but crepe shop! Yet, yelp says otherwise and smashed everyone else based off yelp. My favorite spot was an AZ company, but past few years my standards have changed to better coffee! Funny you mention some company’s with several spots, and missed many other companies that are better. Everyone’s experience is different I guess. Everyone submerges their coffee with flavor lol Go to a coffee bar and see how good the coffee tastes naturally without additives.
Appreciate the recommendation! Unfortunately due to the limited time there we could only visit these few. Looking forward to our next visit for more spots!
@dieselkid10 thank you for the insight! I looked up that article. The specialty lattes they mention was my creation. The Crepe Shop wanted to be known as more than a crepe shop, LOL! But also a place where you could get a great coffee as well. I use to work there with an amazing coffee professional name Eric and together we took their coffee to another level!
Personally the intelligentsia in the Murdock building near the Chicago Board of Trade building is a better location IMO. The baristas there often go above and beyond
Thank you! Yes we visited there as well and agree that it was a better expereince for us. Maybe because it was not as crowded at the time we went as well.
Such a big turnaround in the last decade. I was really disapointed when I first moved there. Little Milwaukee's coffee shops had a better vibe at the time. Milwaukee is still great but Chicago has surged.
Soloway Coffee in Lincoln park is my current fav, as Sawada has dropped in quality a bit in my opinion. I think the inferior beans are behind the quality drop though, not the actual coffee shop. They use beans roasted by Metropolis Coffee which in the opinion of many locals has seen better days.
all other coffee tastes bland after tasting dark matter's coffee. apart from having great coffee, the chocolates from sleepwalk are amazing. I'd suggest trying their mocha or drinking chocolate
Although Japans coffee seen is dominated by a handful of players it still offers a superior customer service experience that most coffee shops in America don't offer. Also, unlike in the majority of coffee shops in the U.S., there are many other countries, including Japan, that focus on their interiors and is an integral part of the coffee experience. Sadly, interiors are a second thought and many times are not even paid attention to in the U.S. -- the result is a hodgepodge of second hand furniture or hyper-corporate looking interiors that lack curation and attention to detail. The upfront cost and upkeep are part of the problem but perhaps the lack of creativity might also be the issue. Another saddening experience in U.S. coffee shops is the enormous amount of laptops -- Americans treat their coffee shops as work spaces or to-go centers rather than a place to meet up with friends or just sit and enjoy a delicious cup of coffee, espresso, and food in a vibrant environment filled with conversation. There are a handful of American coffee shops that have delicious tasting coffee & espresso beverages but due to our obsession with speed and work the end result is lacking. At the end of the day, you can hang up all the local art you want and write out an inspiring mission statement about community connection but if the vibe is lacking it just doesn't matter...
Thank you for your insights. It's always great to hear from a local perspective. The US is the foundation of the third wave coffee movement, which has inspired many, including us in Japan. We hope the US can be the inspiration for the next movement.
It's weird that you came to Chicago to explore its coffee scene and only stuck to Dowtown and based your opinions on that small demographic. Chicago is not just Downtown (and you barely visited any shops). Venture out.
Agreed! With only few days during our expo trip it's unfortunate we couldn't visit more. We tired our best with the limited time we had and looking forward to digging in deeper in the future!
Chicago coffee sucks! People are not passionate about, the girl with nose ring and green hair sell you $5.50 sour expresso🤢🤢🤢 that's why I don't even bother going there
Coffee in Chicago is pretty mediocre. In general, the US' food and drinks quality are pretty low, the venues will have high ratings but that's because Americans rate places based on the space and atmosphere, not the quality of the food/beverages. I've lived here for more than 30 years and they've all been pretty basic or bad. La Colombe is the only one that I like in Chicago. If I wanted good coffee, I make it at home. The best coffee I had are from Asia and EU. Most barista's in Chicago just care about you giving them tip for handing you your coffee. It's rare to see a barista that's actually passionate about coffee and giving customer's the best experience.
It's definitely rare but it's worth getting your coffee when they're working. When I don't see my favorites baristas, no matter where I'm at, I just turn around and walk out. Honestly it's better than being disappointed
