Coffee addicts were awarded a pleasant surprise last week with the arrival of star Japanese java brand %Arabica in Taikoo Li North.
While we dodged the morning rush, there was still quite a crowd on the afternoon we stopped by
The food-truck style stand immediately attracted – and has been unable to shake – a line of patrons, thanks to the brand’s homegrown popularity, leading it to be recently dubbed as Kyoto’s most popular coffee shop by beloved American blog Travel Caffeine.
%Arabica founder Kenneth Shoji has also become a local celebrity for his singular dedication to serving great coffee: as Travel Caffeine reported, he borrowed a small fortune to buy a coffee farm in Hawaii and became the sole exporter of top-notch Japanese roasting and espresso machines. Shoji’s reputation, along with some savvy marketing and branding, has led the % logo emblazoned cups to become a fixture of Kyoto’s dining scene, and the %Arabica cafés to draw throngs of locals and tourists alike.
Expect to wait at least 20 minutes for your morning brew
On the downside, this success means that %Arabica is as renowned for its queues as it is for its coffee. Their new Beijing pop-up is no different, and you should factor in a wait of at least 20 minutes between placing your order to sweet, sweet caffeination. On a recent visit, the queue was full of chicly dressed Chinese, snapping pics of their beautifully poured RMB 30 espresso macchiatos, rich café lattes (RMB 30 for short or RMB 40 for tall), and pricier RMB 50 Spanish lattes, which is so thoroughly creamy you’ll want to savor every sip.
The pours are as masterful as you’d expect from this celebrated café chain
We immediately appreciated how focused %Arabica’s menu is, and the offbeat option to add shots of soy or oat milk (for RMB 3 or 5, respectively) will be a welcome to those who prefer their coffee non-dairy. The bright emerald matcha lattes and sparkling or still lemonade (RMB 35-55) are other highlights.
You’ll savor every sip of the (pricey) Spanish latte
%Arabica’s food truck setup is also charming, especially as summer looms and our hankering for ice coffee on the go grows. We also don’t have to worry about it disappearing on us anyone time soon, with management telling the Beijinger that they are here to stay, not only at this location but also at a brick-and-mortar café a few blocks to the south that is due to open in October.
Hopefully, that second location will ease demand and shorten the cumbersome queue, but judging by their delicious coffees and deft branding, we expect that %Arabica’s popularity won’t die down for a good while to come.
%Arabica
Daily 10am-9pm. 11 Sanlitun North Road, Taikoo Li North Plaza, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳区 三里屯北路11号北区广场
READ: Eggee Hatches Sanlitun’s Hottest New Brunch Dishes
More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
Instagram: mullin.kyle
Photos: Kyle Mullin, Citihorn
