Sawada | Bon Appétit
"GO HERE: for all of the lattes (and Doughnut Vault cake doughnuts) at the only US outpost of Hiroshi Sawada’s cult Tokyo coffee shop. ORDER THE: just-sweet-enough military latte, of course. Made with grassy green tea, espresso, and a bit of cocoa powder and vanilla syrup to balance it out, it’s perfect for dunking chunky buttermilk doughnuts. But if the Black Camo latte is available, go for it. The blend of hojicha, an inkier, charcoal-roasted green tea, with espresso is our new favorite. THE VIBE IS: very, very Tokyo. Behind a black door with a cartoon portrait of Sawada and through a graffiti-covered stairwell, you’ll find the coffee shop in what was once the beer storage room for barbecue joint Green Street Smoked Meats. Walls were knocked out, then arcade games installed and a Nuovo Simoneli machine parked at the counter for churning out local Metropolis Coffee-powered espressos. It all adds up to a wonderfully quirky all-day space where you can hang out by the window counters, quietly sipping a latte and reading the paper in the morning, then wander over to the boisterous Green Street section for juicy, wobbly brisket. PRACTICAL STUFF: Open every day, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. —Elyse Inamine" - Condé Nast
