Cafe Morihiko 森彦

Sapporo, Japan

Japan, coffee?

Coffee is rarely associated with Japan, yet Japan is one of the top coffee importers globally, and most likely the topped the list for Asia.

  • In 2006, Japan was the 3rd coffee importer, based on the weight imported.(Source)
  • In 2016, Japan accounted for 4.8% of the global coffee import purchases.(Source)
With the flourishing and competitive coffee market, the quality and standards of the coffee must be awesome! There’re readily accessible Japanese UCC coffee in most of the convenience stores, but I’ll like to appreciate some freshly brewed coffee.

I did some research prior my trip and decided on Cafe Morihiko due to its proximity to Maruyama Park and its quaintness.

We were expecting a 5 mins walk to the cafe but we took 15 mins instead; the snow and the cranky GPS (due to the cold) were bringing us in circles. Upon reaching the cafe, we spent another hour waiting in queue to get seats. We were standing throughout the hour in queue, and experienced 3 phases of waiting in winter:

  • 1st – Bitter Cold: Waiting outside the cafe, literally out in cold
  • 2nd – Fairly Cold: Waiting between the 2 doors
  • 3rd – Warm: Waiting inside the cafe
The queue wasn’t long but the seats were limited. Thankfully, it was quite therapeutic watching the barista brewing the coffee while waiting in queue.

Cafe Morihiko was remodeled from an old residential house, which explains its nostalgic charm. It was a wooden little house, hidden inside an alley, that contrast with its surrounding buildings. This cosy little cafe will be a good option to retreat from the bustling town.

We ordered MORI no SIZUKU (JPY 680), Milk Cocoa (JPY 680) and a slice of chocolate cake to share (JPY 480); we spent JPY 1,780 in total.

MORI no SIZUKU was mild bitter, with a unique aroma, and had pleasant aftertaste. In short, it was good coffee! I’ll love to go back for another cup. The milk chocolate and cake were average though.

Morihiko has few stores within Sapporo, each of these stores has its unique concept and coffee blend. For more information their stores, refer here.

Verdict & Information

Cafe Morihiko 森彦             (4.5/5)

Address

26 Chome-2-18 Minami 2 Jonishi, Chuo, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0062, Japan | 札幌市中央区南2条西26丁目2-18
Nearest Train Station: Maruyama Koen (円山公園駅), Exit 4

Operating Hours

Daily: 10am - 9pm

Spent

JPY  890

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