Good morning! This is a wake-up call from Head Barista Tsubasa.
I tend to toss and turn around during the night, but manage to get out of bed swiftly on my workdays.
First thing in the morning, I wash my face and brush my teeth. Once I’m feeling fresh, I then close my eyes and fill up my lungs with clean, morning air.
Now I’m ready to pedal my way to Kurasu Kyoto Stand; I like to ride at a steady and high pace.
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You may have guessed already, but today I’m sharing a bit of my personal side: Head Barista Tsubasa’s day at work.
By the end of the day, hopefully you’ll feel closer to Kurasu and our passion for coffee.
Let the day begin!
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Morning
I arrive at Kyoto Stand 0.5~1 hour earlier than the opening time to get ready for the day. (I like having natural sunlight in the room, so I don't turn on the lights. Sometimes it’s too dark and I struggle to find the things I need.)
I set up everything in 15 minutes and use the remaining time to taste some coffees. (Too good to be true, I know.)
Here’s a secret tip to share with coffee-lovers.
- Brushing your teeth will directly stimulate your sense of taste.
- Exercising and improving circulation will stimulate your sense of smell.
As a professional coffee-lover, my morning routine all builds up to drinking a delicious cup of coffee. I hope you try these tips before your coffee breaks and meals, too!
Open
The opening hour is my favourite time of the day when I get to chat and serve morning coffee to local customers and tourists visiting Kyoto. If you need some advice on where to visit in Kyoto, I’ve got my recommendation list ready so come in and start your trip at Kurasu Kyoto Stand!
A pleasant morning puts a smile on your face for the rest of the day. This is also the time of the day when an inspiration strikes; no matter how busy I am, I always pursue my curiosity for coffee. Perhaps I’ll ask our customers to join in my experiments and discussions on coffee. Morning is indeed always the fun time of the day.
As the busy and exciting opening hour goes by, another barista arrives to join me for the rest of the day. It’s always nice to share coffee moments with another team member!
Before Lunch
The morning rush often settles down and I take this quiet time to communicate with staff members in Kurasu Ebisugawa and Nishijin Roastery.
In particular, I share as much feedback and comments as possible with the roasting team to provide our customers with the highest quality coffee we can offer. It’s my job to ensure our customers have the best coffee experience in our cafes.
I also give some tips and advice to our baristas and hold some training sessions. Practice makes perfect!
After Lunch
Another peak comes around from late lunch to about 3 o’clock in the afternoon; everybody needs a coffee break. Time flies while I serve cups after cups of coffee.
Afternoon
Closing hour approaches and the cafe turns quiet again. It’s always a delight to see customers who visited us in the morning return for another cup of coffee or to purchase coffee beans for their home-brews. Of course, I strive to serve quality coffee until the very last cup of the day.
Close
Once a week, I do maintenance job to keep our espresso machine nice and clean. I also make necessary adjustments on the machine for all of our baristas to be able to pull an espresso shot on point.
There used to be a time when I was super sensitive to every step of the operation and often made very subtle adjustments to blooming time, pour-over techniques etc.
I quit, realizing that this was making coffee nothing more than plain liquid. This black substance surely tasted delicious, but I believe that there’s more to coffee than just how it tastes; the hospitality of a barista and atmosphere of the cafe are all part of customers’ coffee experience. I now focus on how to brew a delicious cup of coffee in minimalistic operation. I calibrate day after day with this mission in mind.
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That was a long day - thank you for staying with me till the very end. Are you interested in trying a cup of coffee from Kurasu? Well now that you have spent the day with me, I’m sure you’re ready for it.
See you soon in our cafe. Looking forward to chatting with you!
Tsubasa
Kurasu Kyoto Stand
〒600-8235
552 Higashiaburano-koji cho
Kyoto, Japan
MON-FRI 12pm-6pm (Closed on WED)
SAT-SUN 8am-6pm
