When my boyfriend and I came back from Japan we were cordially invited to a reception at the Boston Japanese Consulate General’s home. We attended and we met a good many people there – Japanese members of the community as well as JET returnees – and one of the attendees was the CEO of Ogawa Coffee.

Ever since we were there and I learned about it, I wanted to go back, and in April when I made a trip down to Boston I was able to! Here’s a look at the cafe and the sort of fare you can expect to get there.

 

Ogawa Coffee has a really cool, pretty authentically Japanese cafe atmosphere, but with American influence of course. Still pretty close quarters throughout, but with great high ceilings, some stadium/riser-style seating for solo guests and some tables for groups of up to maybe 5 or 6 people.

Now I wasn’t aware before I went, but they are apparently well known for their latte art. Upon seeing it, of course, I believe it! As you can tell I got not one but two drinks. :) The first a cappuccino and the second a matcha latte:

With my cappuccino, I ordered some food as well a turkey sandwich! I can’t remember the details but they actually have an extensive menu for food – mainly breakfast or lunch – and it was really delicious, balanced and healthy in my experience.

I really miss the Japanese way of balancing meals, and this dish helped me reattain that balance. I wish I could pop in and eat there everyday.

To top off my experience I grabbed my matcha latte to go as well as a bag of coffee to share with my SO. :) Overall I had a great experience and they do a wonderful job of whipping up some delicious coffee, with the latte art as an added bonus. I always feel guilty for drinking the art away…

Have you been to Ogawa? What was your experience? And if you know of any other insider Japanese stops in the Northwest up here that are worth stopping at, give me a shout! I’d love to hear them.