A Saturday weekend in July, just after noon. I went to Irumando, a popular coffee shop just a minute's walk from Kodenmacho Station in Tokyo, which is constantly announcing that its products are sold out.




Although it only opened in April this year, the shop has steadily gained a fan base through word of mouth, with queues and sellouts becoming commonplace. (By the way, on this day we arrived in the afternoon and waited for an hour and a half.) Once you pass through the shallow orange noren curtain and open the sliding door, you'll find yourself in a small universe. You'll be invited into a room of modern classic and futuristic tranquility.




Once inside the restaurant, you order at the entrance.




Since it was my first time, I chose the popular standard menu items: iced cafe au lait (800 yen) and pudding (600 yen), as well as the seasonal summer mandarin marmalade scone (600 yen). This time, I'll share the sweets with a friend.




After ordering, I took this numbered card and headed to my seat.




Actually, this store was originally a camera shop called "Irumando." Now that I think about it, you can see traces of that name in the cool, darkroom-like atmosphere and adjustable lighting. Perhaps the store's roots are to blame for its tolerance of photography? And perhaps that's also the secret to its immediate popularity.

As we chatted and lost in thought, our order arrived. We were instantly captivated.

The cafe latte and Western-style pastry evoked the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. How can you not remember this sight?




Needless to say, Irumando's iced cafe latte is beautiful, and even exudes sexiness. Enjoy the change in flavor as you gradually dissolve the rich cream into the coffee. This coffee has a deep, fruity taste.




The artistic pudding is topped with gold leaf, making it truly precious... Cut it diagonally and share it with a friend. The texture of the pudding is "firm." The caramel sauce served around the pudding is bittersweet and pairs deliciously with the sweet pudding. Fans of bittersweet caramel will love it.




The best part is the seasonal summer mandarin marmalade scone. I wondered if it would come with summer mandarin jam as a topping, but it turns out there is summer mandarin jam inside the scone. I loved eating it with the fluffy whipped butter (cream cheese is also available). It's the best!

As an aside, I love scones. I especially love Mariage Frères scones, but I love them so much that I can't decide which I prefer, Irmando or the other. I'd like to try the plain version next time.

Please come to Irmando on your next day off.  

That's all from the Weekend Cafe Club.

Photography: NATSUME TEZUKA