[ CROWD ROASTER introduction example] KEVELOS Meiji Jingumae store
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CROWD ROASTER 's coffee is also used by select restaurants.
I would like to introduce one of those stores.
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Omotesando is lined with many luxury brand shops, and if you turn a little side street from the main street, you will find unique cafes, select shops, and hidden gourmet restaurants.
Among them, ``KEVELOS'', which opened in 2014, is famous for its pizza baked in an authentic wood-fired oven and has long lines of customers.
This is a Neapolitan pizza shop where Nao Ohara, a pizza chef who trained at the famous pizza shop ``SAVOY'', has inherited the authentic taste and tradition.
Since 2023, CROWD ROASTER coffee has been used as the coffee served at KEVELOS.
We asked the owner, Nao Ohara, about KEVELOS, why he chose CROWD ROASTER , and the response from customers.
Among them, ``KEVELOS'', which opened in 2014, is famous for its pizza baked in an authentic wood-fired oven and has long lines of customers.
This is a Neapolitan pizza shop where Nao Ohara, a pizza chef who trained at the famous pizza shop ``SAVOY'', has inherited the authentic taste and tradition.
Since 2023, CROWD ROASTER coffee has been used as the coffee served at KEVELOS.
We asked the owner, Nao Ohara, about KEVELOS, why he chose CROWD ROASTER , and the response from customers.
The one and only "Marinara" that can only be found here
The pizza that is synonymous with ``KEVELOS'' and Mr. Obara is ``Marinara.''
Marinara, a popular local flavor from Naples, Italy, does not use cheese and is a combination of simple ingredients such as tomatoes, aged garlic, oregano, and olive oil to create a satisfying taste.
“We are very particular about the ingredients we use, such as letting the garlic we use mature in our shop for about 10 days to two weeks.When I was training as a craftsman, I only baked two kinds of things: margherita and marinara.For five years. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out just two menu items."
Marinara, a popular local flavor from Naples, Italy, does not use cheese and is a combination of simple ingredients such as tomatoes, aged garlic, oregano, and olive oil to create a satisfying taste.
“We are very particular about the ingredients we use, such as letting the garlic we use mature in our shop for about 10 days to two weeks.When I was training as a craftsman, I only baked two kinds of things: margherita and marinara.For five years. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out just two menu items."
The special feature of Mr. Ohara's marinara is the moisture balance of the dough, which has been pushed to the limit to ensure it can be formed into pizza dough. In the world of pizza, where no two days are the same, every day is a challenge.
``I don't think there are many pizza specialty shops that add water to this level before preparing the dough.By keeping the balance at the last minute and maintaining that state until the pizza is baked, we can adjust the moisture well. You can end up with a fluffy and soft pizza after baking."
The result is a "lightness" that is completely different from other pizzas.
``Even if it tastes good, I don't think it's light enough if it leaves a thump in your stomach after eating it. Even if you eat one pizza by yourself, it's not heavy at all. It's an impression that can only be obtained at KEVELOS.'' I think"
It may be rare to find a craftsman who has devoted himself to making pizza with such dedication. Many people visit the store in search of this marinara that can only be eaten here.
What I was looking for was a well-balanced espresso that would rival pizza.
Mr. Obara is such a craftsman, so naturally he is more particular about his coffee than anyone else. The most important thing was a well-balanced coffee that would go well with the pizza. However, for the past six months, he hasn't been able to find good coffee.
``The coffee we used before had become unstable due to changes in the owner of the farm, and as a result the balance of the roasting had become unbalanced.The freshness was good, but... When I opened the package, the crema was too strong, and after a few hours, the condition had completely changed.Since we don't have a barista, we had a hard time getting the quality right.
That's when I came across CROWD ROASTER . After consulting with him, we were first given two types of coffee beans to choose from, and through trial and error, we tasted them and determined the degree of roasting, etc., and the result came very close to the ideal taste, just as we had envisioned.''
At CROWD ROASTER , we make adjustments based on not only quality, but also listening to our customers' requests, such as what kind of beans should be roasted by what kind of roaster, what kind of flavor, and what degree of roasting they are looking for. At KEVELOS, we mainly serve espresso, and while listening to the store's requests, we checked the taste with Mr. Ohara and got closer to our ideal coffee.
``In terms of compatibility with food, marinara has a pretty strong flavor, so I needed a strong enough flavor to match that.However, that doesn't mean it doesn't go well with light dishes, and it goes well with hot coffee. I think it has a good balance of bitterness and sourness."
``The coffee we used before had become unstable due to changes in the owner of the farm, and as a result the balance of the roasting had become unbalanced.The freshness was good, but... When I opened the package, the crema was too strong, and after a few hours, the condition had completely changed.Since we don't have a barista, we had a hard time getting the quality right.
That's when I came across CROWD ROASTER . After consulting with him, we were first given two types of coffee beans to choose from, and through trial and error, we tasted them and determined the degree of roasting, etc., and the result came very close to the ideal taste, just as we had envisioned.''
At CROWD ROASTER , we make adjustments based on not only quality, but also listening to our customers' requests, such as what kind of beans should be roasted by what kind of roaster, what kind of flavor, and what degree of roasting they are looking for. At KEVELOS, we mainly serve espresso, and while listening to the store's requests, we checked the taste with Mr. Ohara and got closer to our ideal coffee.
``In terms of compatibility with food, marinara has a pretty strong flavor, so I needed a strong enough flavor to match that.However, that doesn't mean it doesn't go well with light dishes, and it goes well with hot coffee. I think it has a good balance of bitterness and sourness."
Another thing I was particular about when tasting was the balance when adding sugar.
``I believe that when you add sugar, it becomes like a cacao drink only if the beans are of a very high quality.It's not just bitter, it has sourness, richness, umami, and a lingering taste that hits your nose. Furthermore, the compatibility with my pizza is exactly as I imagined, including the nuances when adding sugar.”
In fact, as he created the flavor of his coffee, he remembered the commitment and passion he had when he first opened the shop.
“About six years ago, I started using Neapolitan beans, and for the first time I decided to change beans. At that time, I was really particular about creating the flavor. I still remember the inspiration from that time, and I tried various things. I've been using CROWD ROASTER coffee for a long time and it just didn't sit right with me, but as I tried and compared CROWD ROASTER coffee, I was able to remember, ``This is what I was aiming for six years ago!''
``I believe that when you add sugar, it becomes like a cacao drink only if the beans are of a very high quality.It's not just bitter, it has sourness, richness, umami, and a lingering taste that hits your nose. Furthermore, the compatibility with my pizza is exactly as I imagined, including the nuances when adding sugar.”
In fact, as he created the flavor of his coffee, he remembered the commitment and passion he had when he first opened the shop.
“About six years ago, I started using Neapolitan beans, and for the first time I decided to change beans. At that time, I was really particular about creating the flavor. I still remember the inspiration from that time, and I tried various things. I've been using CROWD ROASTER coffee for a long time and it just didn't sit right with me, but as I tried and compared CROWD ROASTER coffee, I was able to remember, ``This is what I was aiming for six years ago!''
The result is a blend unique to KEVELOS that matches KEVELOS pizza.
A regular customer says, "It's even more delicious than before."
Mr. Ohara told us about an episode where the customer's reaction clearly changed after switching to CROWD ROASTER coffee.
"After switching to CROWD ROASTER coffee, one day a regular customer who really loves coffee and always orders hot coffee said to me, ``The coffee here isn't really coffee in the best sense of the word.'' When I asked him, ``What do you mean?'', he said, ``It's like a refined version of espresso,'' and ``It's even more delicious than before.'' I think they understand the flavor we're envisioning. I was really happy about that. He always gives me his honest opinion about pizza, and he complimented the coffee, so I think it was really delicious."
Finally, we once again asked Mr. Obara about CROWD ROASTER .
``First of all, I think the main feature is that the quality of the beans is high and it doesn't change.It's difficult to handle when the condition changes day by day.Also, when I sampled the coffee to choose it, There were also coffees with good acidity.Often coffees that are just sour have a rough aftertaste or lack a sharpness, but this was completely different.CROWD CROWD ROASTER 's coffee is very expensive. I really felt that it had hidden potential. CROWD ROASTER is roasted directly by Japan's top roasters, so I think it's definitely true in that sense."
"After switching to CROWD ROASTER coffee, one day a regular customer who really loves coffee and always orders hot coffee said to me, ``The coffee here isn't really coffee in the best sense of the word.'' When I asked him, ``What do you mean?'', he said, ``It's like a refined version of espresso,'' and ``It's even more delicious than before.'' I think they understand the flavor we're envisioning. I was really happy about that. He always gives me his honest opinion about pizza, and he complimented the coffee, so I think it was really delicious."
Finally, we once again asked Mr. Obara about CROWD ROASTER .
``First of all, I think the main feature is that the quality of the beans is high and it doesn't change.It's difficult to handle when the condition changes day by day.Also, when I sampled the coffee to choose it, There were also coffees with good acidity.Often coffees that are just sour have a rough aftertaste or lack a sharpness, but this was completely different.CROWD CROWD ROASTER 's coffee is very expensive. I really felt that it had hidden potential. CROWD ROASTER is roasted directly by Japan's top roasters, so I think it's definitely true in that sense."
This time, CROWD ROASTER is pursuing a flavor that matches Neapolitan pizza, and has commissioned the most suitable roaster from among Japan's leading roasters. CROWD ROASTER can always provide high quality beans and roasts. Please come and try the world-class combination of Mr. Obara's signature marinara and espresso, which has been created in pursuit of the best combination, at KEVELOS Meiji Jingumae store.
If you are a restaurant or retailer who would like to serve CROWD ROASTER coffee in your store, please contact us below.
We will help connect shops with top-class coffee in Japan.
<Store information>
KEVELOS Meiji Jingumae Store <br />KEVELOS Meiji Jingumae Store Hidano Building 1F, 6-12-4 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Mon-Fri 11:30-14:30, 18:00-22:00
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 12:00-21:30
Open every day (closed during summer and year-end and New Year holidays)
KEVELOS Meiji Jingumae Store <br />KEVELOS Meiji Jingumae Store Hidano Building 1F, 6-12-4 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Mon-Fri 11:30-14:30, 18:00-22:00
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 12:00-21:30
Open every day (closed during summer and year-end and New Year holidays)
