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When assessing the quality of a kissa, I usually refer back to these standards:

1. Core menu – Black coffee and black tea are core drinks, with coffee undeniably being the best way to get a sense of a kissa’s quality (that being said, I’ve been known to overlook poorly brewed coffee if the 雰囲気 is appealing enough). Soda floats and hot cocoa are good as well if your palate leans toward the sweet side. I am strongly opposed to the idea that coffee is the only worthwhile staple at a kissa, as a syrup-based soda float or a true chocolate-based hot cocoa is undeniably pleasing to the senses (in no way is this influenced by my fondness for soda floats…).
2. 雰囲気 – Perhaps surpassing the core menu, the 雰囲気 is the soul of the kissa. Wooden furniture, velvet draperies, vintage cloth-upholstered seating, and a café bar abundant in ceramics and chinaware (whether European or Japanese is acceptably variable depending on the kissa). Anything laminate or marble is absolutely out.
3. Cleanliness – Circling slightly back to 雰囲気, I have a slight prejudice against kissas that are too clean to the point of being sterile. An excellent kissa should have a faint tobacco scent (regardless of whether smoking is allowed), the furniture should be gently aged, and the carpet should be subtly thinned along the paths where customers walk. Above all, a good kissa should, under every circumstance, fail any American FDA screening.
4. Music – The second soul of the kissa lies in the music selection. Whether the owner truly cherishes the kissa or is simply running it can be clearly felt through the music. In essence, kissas were designed as places to gather and enjoy music with like-minded individuals, and when this aspect falters, the integrity of the entire kissa is diminished.

I write this not with the intention of reviewing or critiquing a kissa, but rather to simply jot down my impressions.

Having arrived an hour early to my pottery lesson, I stumbled into 珈琲蔦家 to pass some time and drink something warm. A cold winter day is, undeniably, the most optimal setting to review a kissa- the shift from the bleak, icy exterior to the warmth of the kissa is, at once, both shocking and comforting to the senses.

I was originally drawn to this kissa for two reasons: the first being the large amount of vintage chinaware adorning the bar area, and the second being the simple but appealing menu. Oftentimes, I find myself trusting a kissa with melon soda and Neapolitan on the menu before I even step inside.

To accompany me, I brought along a selection of Oscar Wilde’s short stories. The kissa proved to be the perfect place to read- the lighting was easy on the eyes, and the music volume was loud enough to recognize the compositions yet quiet enough to focus on the book in front of me.

The music selection was also pleasantly surprising. As a self-declared lover of the Romantic era, I was pleased to hear Chopin shortly after taking my seat. That being said, I did find that at times the selected compositions were somewhat inconsistent, bouncing from Classical to Romantic to Contemporary. If you’re not a classical music enthusiast, you likely won’t notice this, and regardless, it isn’t necessarily meant as a negative point.

By the way, it’s a smoking kissa, although I didn’t find the odor to be too overwhelming (despite the salaryman fervently smoking two seats away from me…).

I’m so obsessed with kissa 雰囲気 that I almost forgot to mention what I ordered.

I went with hot cocoa and pudding. The pudding leaned toward a classic Shōwa-style pudding- your spoon glides through it, but not too easily, and it holds its form despite being halfway devoured. I believe the whipped cream was freshly made, and the hot cocoa seemed to be made with real chocolate (a true rarity nowadays). My selection was, admittedly, slightly too sweet. While the items are perfectly sweet on their own, I let my classic childish indulgence overtake my judgment when placing the order. Hot cocoa with pudding is, truly, diabolically, disgustingly sweet. Setting my own blunder aside, I did enjoy both menu items.

Overall, a kissa worth lingering in, even if only for a moment.