Japanese precision comes with every cup of Kohikan

Those whose idea of morning coffee is simply a cup of three-in-one will fail to appreciate the distinct flavor of Kohikan Coffee. Unlike other coffee blends in the world, Kohikan Japan takes pride in its charcoal roasted coffee. Unlike a gas-fired oven, a wood-fired oven roasts coffee beans to the core for a consistent and natural coffee flavor. And the firm claims that makes the difference.

The first Kohikan coffee shop in the Philippines opened late November last year. The local master franchise owner is moving slowly to open more Kohikan coffee shops in Metro Manila, even as the pilot branch at The Promenade in Greenhills has been attracting its share of coffee enthusiasts.

"There is no demand for us to open so many stores," explains Germin Espino, Kohikan and Teriyaki Boy general manager. "The Japanese are concerned with quality, not quantity. They are content to have just one store in the country now, so long as it serves quality coffee. We might open three or four stores in the years to come, but it will depend on location."

Kohikan was established by Kunio Manabe in April 1970, opening its first branch in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. As Kohikan grew, it also ventured into a franchise business. On August 1972, its first franchised shop opened in Chuo-ku, Tokyo. It now has 550 outlets around the world, with about 400 of them in Japan. The rest are in South Korea, China, and Taiwan. The Philippine branch is the first in any other part of Asia.

Espino describes Kohikan as the number one in its segment. With a cup of its Sumibi blend, described as "strong and full of body," going for P95 a cup, this is definitely not fast food coffee.

Yes, the coffee market is saturated, but Espino says their studies showed that there is still room for one more player in the market.

"Our market study says that there is a growing market that wants good coffee but who do not want to line up for their coffee," he says. "They would rather sit down and be served."

Kohikan serves premium straight coffee, and a couple of espresso concoctions. If you want a fancy coffee beverage with cream and chocolate, this is not the place to go. Its menu of six of Kohikan’s 12 coffee blends will definitely scare those scared of black coffee. But each blend is tailor-made to appeal to the palates of discerning gourmets.

Aside from the Sumibi, other blends available in the Philippines are the Kohikan blend, Tokyo blend, Emerald Mountain, Kageboshi and Blend No. 3.

Of these blends, a cup of Emerald Mountain retails for P135. It is made of top quality coffee beans with a twist of mildness and sourness. Espino highly recommends the Kageboshi (P130 for a cup) with its naturally light-sweet flavor with a mild body taste.

Of course, what coffee shop is complete without its menu of light meals and pastries? The Philippine outlet carries the Japanese menu of sandwiches, beefed up with a selection of pasta dishes and pastries. The portions follow the Japanese standard, so diners are sure of getting the real thing.

Nowadays, Kohikan is quite popular with the female crowd that keeps the coffee shop full from 2 to 6 p.m. Many businessmen around the Greenhills area often drop by for talks and business meetings, while many residents drop by in the morning after their daily exercise.

After some time, Kohikan will be introducing all its 12 blends of coffee at The Promenade outlet. Coffee enthusiasts will surely have six more reasons to rejoice.

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Kohikan is at the Promenade Bldg., Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan, Metro Manila. For inquiries, call 725-4661 and 725-5270.