00:00
Welcome to Kevin's English Room Podcast!
Yeah!
*singing*
Alright!
That was nice. Hip-hop.
Yeah. *singing*
The scratchy thing.
Those sirens, right?
Yeah.
Whatever you call them.
*singing*
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Those can-
Yeah, yeah.
Whatever they are.
So, in the last episode...
Yeah?
We...
You all know that we have tried to visit the coffee shop called Kohimameya.
Yes. I remember.
Yep. But it was a long journey.
It was a long journey.
And ended up with...
The store was closed.
Yeah.
And sadly we couldn't enter it.
Mmm. I remember.
Actually, I went to the Kohimameya.
Yeah.
By...
Sorry. By myself.
Yeah. You told me that the other day. I was excited.
So, you need to tell me what happened and the stories.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
So, this is the bag.
They gave you a bag?
Yes. A little.
That's the beans bag, actually.
I bought some amount of beans.
It's a small pouch.
Yeah.
For Kohimameya.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, actually that shop itself was really, really small.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Much smaller than my...
This room...
Yeah.
Smaller than my room.
Yeah.
Because I kind of saw through the window.
I did see the inside because we went to the place and it was closed.
We got to see through the inside from the window and I did kind of get the feeling that it was small.
It was actually small.
There was only a little counter and there were three professionals, coffee professionals, were inside.
Yeah.
So, there were only three people who can be inside.
Only three customers?
Yeah.
Nice.
So, what they provide us is explain about coffee and...
Wait, but three customers only but there's three employees, right?
Yeah.
Isn't that over-employing?
No?
No. One by one.
It's a one by one service.
Yes.
Wow.
So, once you get inside of that shop, the one professional is waiting for you and, "Hello, sir."
He was like that, "Hello, sir. What is your favorite and what are you trying to find?
And do you have any specific coffee favorite that you're using?"
03:00
And I was like, "I prefer the light one. Okay, here's our list."
And he showed me like 15 of beans and he started to explain about one by one, one by one and this is taste like this.
Could you try this one? And a little cup.
So, it's like a coffee consultation place.
Yeah.
How many list of selections do you think there were in total?
In total, 20.
20?
Yes. Like 16. 4-4. It was 4-4.
4-4.
16.
Ah.
And yeah. In the shop, I ordered a little light coffee because I wanted to have light one.
That's your favorite?
Actually, my favorite is deeper one but I wanted to try the new light-tasted coffee.
And we discussed about which one should I take and I finally ordered that one.
It was 500 or 600 yen. It was really good.
But I prefer having deeper beans at my house.
So, I bought deeper darker beans.
Right.
And he explained how should I make the coffee.
The amount of beans should be 14 grams.
Okay.
And boiled water should be 90 temperature and put and have to take like 4 minutes and you know everything like that.
Ah.
Do you think it's difficult for an unexperienced coffee person to go in there and have the experience?
No.
Do you think it would cause some sort of awkwardness?
No.
Not at all?
Not at all.
Not at all.
Not at all.
Like if you have knowledge about the coffee, then you will have much more enjoyable time though.
Even if you don't understand at all, they will be really kind.
They will be not like cold professionals.
They are really kind and try to explain as easy as they can and try to invite you into the coffee world.
So, there is one customer who wasn't, you know, was kind of really the beginner of coffee world and didn't know about nothing.
And I have actually no preference and don't know.
That's what she said.
Or he.
Yeah.
Okay.
And that was no problem.
And then they took care of that person.
Yes.
Oh.
They tried to find that the favorite.
But like what do you think from a person like me who doesn't really understand?
Well, that's like what we actually do.
06:00
I don't know.
An average, I actually do not know the average coffee skill around the world.
So, like I don't know if I'm above or below average.
I think you are much completely above.
I'm starting to think I am because I was below average in the Starbucks world.
But like in the whole like Japan community, I think I'm above the average.
I think I should stop calling myself a...
You know a buddy.
You are professional.
Yeah, I am a professional.
So, from a person who doesn't, I'm not confident with their taste buds.
Do you think that's okay?
Okay.
You know, when somebody gives you a tasting cup of a light coffee, acid light fruity coffee,
like I actually do not know anything about it.
Like I taste it and it's a little bit nigai, but that's all I get.
So, like the comment, the commenting pressure is there, right?
Like I have to say something that's relevant.
Yeah.
That's pressure for me.
And I'm...
That's the concern I have right now.
Okay.
I'm sorry, I feel like I have to say something that's relevant.
No, there's not a place like you have to say, "Oh, this tastes like nutty and sugary."
Like, "Brown sugar toast is insane."
No, it's not like that.
So, you don't have to worry about that.
You have to say it's just, "Oh, I like it."
Okay.
And not...
It's like coffee.
It tastes like coffee.
Do you have to lead them or do they lead you to...
Like...
What?
Okay, they serve you coffee and can you just be like, "Meh."
Yeah.
Do you have to...
Do you have to take actions to say, "I brought a more acid one."
Do you have to do that or do they...
You can say that, but also they will be asking you, "What was that?
Do you want some more acid one or deeper one?"
Got it.
Gotcha.
Okay, so then ultimately it's going to lead up to the best one, right?
Yeah.
They're going to be like, "Oh, this is the perfect one for me."
And can you just be like, "But I'm not going to buy it today."
Is that possible?
Of course, of course.
Like, of course, like under the law it's possible, but like...
Atmosphere-wise, is that possible?
Right, right.
At least you have...
I think you have to drink a coffee at least.
One cup of coffee.
So, that's different from the tasting coffee.
No, no, no, difference.
You have to pay for that.
Yeah, 500, 800, 600.
And do you have a place to sit down and drink?
No, it's standing in the counter.
With the professional in front of you?
In front of you, yeah.
Still with you the whole time?
Like, not waiting for your comment though.
He works in the counter and, you know, making coffee for other customers
or cleaning up the desk or I don't know.
You told me that they were making a line, right?
Oh yeah, in front of the shop.
Yeah.
It was a huge line.
A huge line?
09:00
How many people do you think?
At the time when I went there, there were 15 people.
That's a lot of people.
Yeah.
It took me like more than 30 minutes before I entered.
I am amazed.
Not only as a customer, but also from like, I used to run a store,
so the marketing is amazing, right?
So when you have 15 people behind you and you buy that 500 yen coffee
and there's no seat where you just have to stand in the counter,
you're blocking everybody's chances.
Isn't that a pressure?
Like, not.
I did feel a little bit, but I'm not a person that I feel that much pressure.
Right.
So not a problem for me, but I really do understand that there are some people
feeling the pressure and have to think that I have to finish this as much as possible,
fast, fast, and without tasting.
Which ultimately is not the goal of the coffee, right?
Right.
I don't think I can go there alone.
Why?
That's just...
I'm just not relaxed.
Not so relaxing to me.
I like shopping at my own pace.
Right, you don't prefer having lines behind you?
Or be in communication with the professional at all times.
You don't like that?
I have to turn my switch on.
Then I could, but that takes energy.
But when I'm with somebody else, that's so much easier.
But I bought a beans, which was a seasonal blend.
And that was really good.
Oh, you liked it?
I really loved it.
Dark roast?
A little bit dark roast, but it was really sweet, actually.
It was really sweet, like sugar.
So that was what was enjoyable, what was different, you thought, from the other beans you've experienced.
That was really nice.
The sweetness.
That's interesting, because I've never...
Working at Starbucks, I've never experienced a sweet bean.
What do you mean, like chocolatey?
Sugary.
Sugary. That's interesting.
That was good, really.
What makes a bean sugary?
I don't know.
How?
Roast...
Roast-wise?
Oil?
12:00
Bean itself, I don't know.
But you know, coffee itself is a fruit, so it must be sweet.
But it was good.
So the experience you had at the coffee mameya was a pleasant one.
I really, definitely want to visit there again.
So glad you enjoyed it.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
And you recommend it to the other people, too?
Of course, of course.
Of course.
But I don't want to be in a line again, so please avoid visiting.
When did you go?
It was a...
Sunday, Saturday?
No, it was a Friday.
Friday afternoon?
Friday afternoon.
Okay, yeah.
So maybe like...
The professionals told me that please visit here like weekdays, 8am.
It opens from 10, so that's the best timing.
10, 11, 12 maybe.
Got it.
Thanks for the info.
Thanks for sharing the experience.
Yeah, that was really nice.
But please avoid visiting there when I visit there.
When you visit there.
Yeah.
Because you're in your zone.
Yeah, I don't want to be in traffic.
Gotcha.
Alright.
Thanks for listening, guys.
Yeah, thank you.
Bye-bye.
Bye.
