Coffee Culture: Streamer Coffee

Lightly used decks on the bar at Streamer Coffee Shibuya.

Although hardly a secret anymore (owner Hiroshi Sawada opened an outpost in Chicago's West Loop late last year), we'd be remiss if we didn't experience the beautifully crafted pours coming out of Shibuya's Streamer Coffee. In addition to their reputation for high-quality coffees and espressos, they are known for the exceptionally ornate free hand latte art that graces the tops of their lattes (which are poured in wide soup-like bowls to provide a large canvas).

The shop is tucked away on a quiet side street and is fairly unassuming. Inside we were greeted by a long communal table, plenty of charging outlets, and thrashed skateboards for art. We stepped up for a late afternoon cup.

Can you see it? The famous Military Latte.

We decided to order their popular Military Latte. Made from matcha, espresso, vanilla syrup, and cocoa powder, the ingredients combine to create a cup that resembles military camouflage. After marveling at it's beauty, we took a sip and were pleased to find the vegetal (and sometimes bitter) flavor of the matcha was expertly complimented by the espresso, and the vanilla syrup made it just sweet enough that we were left wanting another.

Come here if you like Instagram-worthy lattes, and stay for the free WiFi.

1F 1-20-28, SHIBUYA, SHIBUYA-KU
TOKYO 150-0002
OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS

WORDS BY SAM GEAN