Coffee & Tea are our passion
With the global rise of the 'Third Wave Coffee Movement,' accessing a quality cup of coffee has become much easier than years past. However, even with the popularity, the ethos that is to become the backbone of the movement was not being shared; the kissaten coffee culture. Kissaten is not only a traditional Japanese-style coffee house with an emphasis on in-house coffee blends, but it is also a philosophy of meticulous craftsmanship of coffee roasting, brewing, and the art of blending by which only the best single origin coffee beans are used. Never bitter, bland or too bold, kissaten coffees provide an elegant and well-rounded mouthfeel with a great balance of acidity that can be enjoyed alongside a wonderful meal or can easily stand on its own. With great passion, Kohee was started and we now import the best roasted coffees from the best kissaten in Japan, Horiguchi Coffee, and we love sharing every cup with our customers!
We are also honored and fortunate to be able to carry one of the most prestigious tea offerings in all of Japan; Maiko no Cha Honpo. Based in the green tea capital, Uji City of Kyoto, Maiko no Cha Honpo utilizes precise, centuries old techniques of steaming and rolling only the best shaded teas that are sourced from the best farms. At the helm of the tea-making operation is a true tea master, who was awarded the honor of a living national treasure by the Emperor of Japan. In recent times, as the consumer palate has gotten ever more sophisticated, being able to purchase the best teas have become a true necessity for tea drinkers and we are pleased to offer our selections to our valued customers!
Our Unique Selection Process
Being San Francisco natives of Japanese decent, drinking Japanese tea is like second nature and exploring different kissatens during our travels back to Japan would always bring much joy and excitement to us. But as life would have it, our career paths first took a different turn. Wine being another great passion of ours, one of our founders had been fortunate enough to become a certified sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers and have been working in the wine and sake trade prior to this venture. Having personally known the similarities and intricacies between coffee, tea, and wine, we wanted to spread that knowledge to a wider audience and decided to kickstart this new chapter.
Using what we know, Kohee is uniquely positioned to source, select, and offer only the best quality Japanese roasted coffees and green teas to our customers, while making sure to do it in an approachable way. Whether you enjoy your cup first thing in the morning, as a tranquil midday break, or a relaxing cup to end the night, we felt that the same energy and care should go into your coffee and tea selections as you would with wine and we are thrilled to be welcomed into your daily routine. And if you were wondering… kohee (珈琲 or コーヒー) means coffee in Japanese!