CROWD ROASTER coffee, made from carefully selected beans roasted by leading roasters in the Japanese coffee scene, is used in discerning restaurants and cafes.
This time we will introduce "merachi", an Italian restaurant with a counter made of a single piece of keyaki wood, located on a quiet street in Nishi-Azabu, Tokyo, where famous restaurants are crowded. Owner chef Kosuke Sugimoto trained in Italy for seven years and gained experience at Michelin-star restaurants in Copenhagen, Bangkok, and Tokyo before opening Meraki in 2021.
"I have trained in Southern Italy for a long time, so my cuisine is based on the local cuisine of Southern Italy. In addition to that, I have been actively Manabu my experience and my relationships with many chefs to learn techniques other than Italian cuisine, and I hope that you will enjoy my original Italian cuisine, the kind of Italian cuisine that can only be made in Japan."
Japanese ingredients are essential to Chef Sugimoto's cooking.
In particular, the restaurant has a producer in Kiyose, Tokyo produce "San Marzano tomatoes" for the store, and once a year they work with the producer to make tomato sauce that is then bottled.
"I serve it as pasta with a simple tomato sauce, but people are surprised by the acidity that's different from regular tomatoes and the umami that comes out when it's cooked. I think it's very important that people can be surprised and impressed by familiar Italian dishes that they all know."
Pasta, which is handmade in front of the customers, is also one of Meraki's signature dishes. When we visited, it was porcini season, and they introduced a flan (a French appetizer made by steaming eggs and cream) that uses porcini as a seasonal dish.
Japanese ingredients are essential to Chef Sugimoto's cooking.
In particular, the restaurant has a producer in Kiyose, Tokyo produce "San Marzano tomatoes" for the store, and once a year they work with the producer to make tomato sauce that is then bottled.
"I serve it as pasta with a simple tomato sauce, but people are surprised by the acidity that's different from regular tomatoes and the umami that comes out when it's cooked. I think it's very important that people can be surprised and impressed by familiar Italian dishes that they all know."
Pasta, which is handmade in front of the customers, is also one of Meraki's signature dishes. When we visited, it was porcini season, and they introduced a flan (a French appetizer made by steaming eggs and cream) that uses porcini as a seasonal dish.
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CROWD ROASTER coffee perfectly matches the concept of the shop
Chef Sugimoto's dedication can also be seen in the origin of the restaurant's name, "merachi," which is originally a Greek word meaning that a craftsman makes something with his soul and love.
This reflects Chef Sugimoto's idea of creating dishes together with the many "artisans" involved in the restaurant.
The reason Chef Sugimoto was interested in CROWD ROASTER is because it serves coffee made with love and care by different, unique roasters.
"I think roasters are also artisans, so I'm very happy to have them involved with Meraki. I think their coffee is a perfect fit for the Meraki concept."
For an Italian restaurant like Meraki, espresso is an important drink, and when they first tried espresso at CROWD ROASTER , it completely overturned their preconceived notions.
"I've always drunk Italian espresso, and I had a preconceived idea of what espresso should taste like, but when I used CROWD ROASTER coffee, the espresso was completely different from what I had before, with a clear and delicate aroma, and I was impressed. I wanted my customers to experience that, so I introduced it."
Compared to CROWD ROASTER 's coffee, Italian espresso is stronger, but also has a slightly rough flavor.
In Japan, many ingredients are delicate, so Chef Sugimoto felt that the clear and delicate flavor of CROWD ROASTER coffee was well balanced with the food.
"We want our customers to realize that this espresso is different from any they've had before.
I'm very grateful that they are happy with it."
Chef Sugimoto wondered if there were other ways to use this fragrant espresso blend.
He invented a cheesecake using finely ground espresso powder in the batter.
It's a unique menu item that has been very well received by customers.
Of course, coffee and dairy products go together perfectly, and this delicious cheesecake allows you to really taste the characteristics of this blend.
Come try Chef Sugimoto's unique Italian cuisine along with a CROWD ROASTER espresso at Meraki in Nishi-Azabu.
You can find places where you can drink CROWD ROASTER coffee using the app's "MAP" function.
If you are a restaurant or retailer who would like to serve CROWD ROASTER coffee in your store, please contact us using the form below.
We will suggest top-class Japanese coffee that will suit your shop.
<Store details>
merachi
Address: Argo Nishiazabu 1F, 1-4-23 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-6762-8001
Business hours: 17:30-24:00 (a la carte only after 21:00)
Closed: Sundays, irregular Mondays
merachi
Address: Argo Nishiazabu 1F, 1-4-23 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-6762-8001
Business hours: 17:30-24:00 (a la carte only after 21:00)
Closed: Sundays, irregular Mondays
