*Due to various circumstances, the opening has been canceled. (Editor's note, July 28th)
Japan's first soda specialty store, "SodaStream in BC426," will open in Omotesando, Tokyo, for a limited time from August 1st to 17th. The address is Harajuku Piazza Building 1st and 2nd floors, 4-26-18 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. Business hours are 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
SodaStream, founded in 1903, developed home carbonated drinks machines. Currently, they are sold in approximately 60,000 stores in 45 countries around the world. They arrived in Japan in 2011. SodaStream opened this shop with the aim of spreading the L.A. trend of "the culture of freely enjoying soda" to Japan. This marks the company's first attempt at opening a restaurant.
At the tasting event held on June 19th, Luke Bison, a soda bartender at the Santa Monica restaurant "True Food Kitchen," appeared. He gave a demonstration, sharing tips on how to make delicious sodas from the menu.
The "Cucumber Lemonade," a classic flavor in L.A., is a healthy drink made with refreshing lemonade topped with sliced cucumber. It provides a refreshing feeling perfect for cooling down. "Bright Eyes" is characterized by its vibrant orange color. Ginger, carrot, yellow beet, lemon, and pear syrup are put through a juicer and mixed with slightly carbonated soda, making this soda a great way to enjoy the flavors of the ingredients. "Rhubarb Strawberry Soda" is a refreshing drink made with rhubarb syrup and strawberries, with a tart taste. The "Coffee Soda" is an unexpected combination of espresso, syrup, and soda. It's sweet, but with a hint of coffee bitterness in the aftertaste. The "Strawberry Lemonade" is a fruity drink made with strawberry kiwi syrup. It's served with strawberry-flavored ice cream and is meant to be consumed while melting. The menu will include 20 drinks (starting at ¥250 each), including the five non-alcoholic drinks mentioned above, as well as 10 alcoholic drinks (¥650 each). You can also customize your soda by combining soda water (starting at ¥100) with 26 syrups (¥20 each), including strawberry and cola. The carbonation level of all drinks can be adjusted to light, medium, or strong. There will also be an "Eco Discount" option, offering discounts for those who bring their own plastic bottles.
To go with your soda, they also offer the "Hamburger Plate" (700 yen) with avocado and jalapeno, and the "Hot Dog Plate" (500 yen) with your choice of toppings: paprika or jalapeno. These menus come with side dishes of sweet potato fries and kale salad.
