First Look: Find Japanese Pour-Overs, Pastries and Ceramics at Ashgrove’s Kimino
A husband-and-wife team from Kyoto is behind this beautiful light-filled cafe. Alongside pour-over brews, expect house-baked sweets like sable cookies filled with buttercream and rum-soaked raisins, canelés and financiers.
by Elliot Baker · BroadsheetAsk Kyoto native Minekazu Hirayama why he’s opened a cafe dedicated to pour-over coffee, and his answer is straightforward.
“Just simply, I love pour-over,” says Hirayama, who has been working at Florence Cafe and Cavalier Coffee Roasters. “But good pour-over is expensive, and I don’t understand [why]. I just want good pour-over at a good price – this is my goal.”
That’s exactly what you’ll find at his new cafe, Kimino, which quietly opened in Ashgrove last week. The space, formerly home to Macchiato & Me, has been transformed into a bright, airy space with plenty of natural light. Here, it’s all about the coffee.
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For pour-over options, Hirayama rotates through some of his favourite Japanese roasters, including Kyoto’s Weekenders Coffee, Osaka’s Aoma and Coffee County from Fukuoka prefecture. To start, there are around four varieties from Weekenders on offer, including a washed Kenyan and a pulped natural from Brazil. There are also selections from Hirayama’s former employer, Cavalier, including a custom blend he uses for espresso drinks.
The attention to detail extends beyond the coffee. Hirayama’s wife Haruka imports kintsugi ceramics from Japan, which will soon be displayed and available for purchase.
“The details are very important,” Hirayama says. “In Japan, everyone pays attention to the details. Everything I’m using has a reason and that makes a huge difference.”
Some baked goods are made in-house, including Hirayama’s signature sable cookies filled with buttercream and rum-soaked raisins, canelés, financiers and Basque cheesecake. Croissants and sourdough are sourced from Danny’s Bread.
Soon, you’ll be able to order toasties: tuna melts, spiced chicken, or a miso, mayo, and mushroom combination. Hirayama is considering offering sandos down the line – once he finds the right shokupan bread. It would have to be perfect.
Kimino
71 Wardell Street, Ashgrove
No phone
Hours
Mon to Fri 6am–1pm
Sat & Sun 7am –midday