With the recent extreme heat, Kato can't let go of his all-weather umbrella or parasol.
How long will this heat last?
Did you know that there is a coffee shop near Komiya Shoten where you can drink carefully made iced coffee that is perfect for the summer?
Today I would like to introduce you to Cafe Alps, located two doors down from Komiya Shoten.
This time, we spoke with valuable people from the owner of Cafe Alps, who has been running the cafe for over 50 years, and Sawako, who used to play with the store's president, Komiya, on the second floor of Komiya Shoten as a child.
Cafe Alps has a history of over 50 years, and the name "Alps" is a harbinger of the time when the previous owner was a tailor shop that tailored suits.
Tailor Alps also tailored clothes for department stores in Tokyo, and some of its customers included well-known announcers.
At the time, all suits and clothes were made to order, and the Higashi-Nihonbashi area was home to many wholesalers and was a very lively area.
Cafe Alps was opened in this wholesale district as a place to relax and unwind.
Upon entering the shop, you'll be greeted by a retro-modern red wall and rows of beautiful Japanese-made coffee cups and ice cream plates reminiscent of the Showa era, making you feel nostalgic.
As I was sipping the hot coffee made by the proprietress and listening to the exchange of orders between a regular customer and Sawako, I heard a conversation that caught my attention.
"Iced coffee, sweet or unsweet? Which do you prefer?"
At Alps, they offer two types of iced coffee - one with a little added sugar and one without sugar - which are made by the owner in the shop every day.
Of course, you can add gum syrup later, but when you try the "sweet iced coffee," you can see that it has a light sweetness that is different from that of gum syrup!
I'm very interested in the depth of iced coffee that only a few people know about.
We also recommend "tonic coffee," which is refreshing in the summer.
The summer menu will also include a "coffee float," a dish unique to coffee shops.
What was even more surprising was that they also pay special attention to the ice.
At Alps, we still purchase cubed ice from an ice maker and break it up with a pick, just like in the old days.
Famous Kyobashi ice
"Pure ice from the ice shop doesn't melt as quickly and is tastier," said the owner.
It's cool that they casually discuss something so time-consuming, which is rare these days in a coffee shop that isn't even a bar, as if it were a given.
I normally have good relations with my neighbors by passing around the notice, but having had the opportunity to carefully try the iced coffee on the menu, I have become a big fan of Cafe Alps.
The long summer is still continuing. I left the shop determined to try a coffee float next time.
If you visit Komiya Shoten, be sure to try a traditional iced coffee in the retro, loving space behind the door of Cafe Alps, two doors down to the left.
