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% Arabica Kyoto
Add: (Higashiyama) 87-5 Hoshinocho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto
(Arashiyama)3-47 Sagatenryuji Susukinobanacho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto
Hours: 8am-6pm
Price: 350 yen+/coffee
Website: www.arabica.coffee
Visited on: Aug 2016
In September 2014, a coffee shop named “% Arabica” opened right near the beautiful Yasaka Pagoda in Kyoto, inside an old Japanese house of over 50 years old. The facade is low-key, but the stylish vibe oozing out from large window panes immediately attracts the passerby.
2014年9月，在古色古香的京都八坂塔旁一棟50多年的日式房子裏，開了一家名叫 “% Arabica” 的咖啡館。外觀低調，然而透過大片玻璃窗滲透出來讓人無法忽視的時髦感，輕而易舉地將路人都吸引了過去。
The entrance of the shop is a concrete replicate of the cobblestone pattern of Yasaka Street, which makes it seem like the outside pavement continues right into the shop, creating an illusion of a side street off the alleyway.
我在京都住的地方正好在離% Arabica步行五分鍾之處，趁一大早還沒什麽人，找了過去。門口玻璃的通透感，以及店內延用與街道上相似的地磚，都讓人有種鑽入小巷子的錯覺。
The space is elongated, with a bar on the left, coffee bean storage on the right, and a roasting area deep inside. The transparent cellar displays coffee beans meticulously selected from all over the world, and conveniently, by installing the storage required to maintain temperature and humidity for the best quality coffee beans, it was also provided the necessary support for this old house. A perfect combination of the old and new.
入門後的狹長空間左邊是吧台，右邊是咖啡豆儲存櫃，最裡頭還有烘豆室。透明的咖啡儲存櫃的展示著從世界各地精選而來的豆子，而且很實用的是，在搭建這個嶄新儲存櫃的同時，也給原本木制老房子添了必要的結構支持，是完美的新舊結合。
This Slayer espresso machine, customized especially for % Arabica, is just too beautiful. I want to learn how to make coffee just so I can use this machine. Tell me you don’t feel the same.
% Arabica這台特別定制的Slayer咖啡機，實在太太太帥了。好想爲了它學會如何煮咖啡（誤）。
There’s also this cutiepie.
還有一台小可愛。
The map on the wall symbolizes the motto of % Arabica: “See the world, through coffee”, and standing next under the map is Junichi Yamaguchi, winner of the “Coffee Fest Latte Art World Championship Open Tokyo 2014″, and now the head barista of % Arabica.
牆上的地圖代表著% Arabica的座右銘：”See the world, through coffee” － 藉由咖啡來認識這個世界，而地圖下面這位就是店長山口淳一，我很幸運的捕捉到了他本人。他是2014拿鐵拉花大賽冠軍 (Coffee Fest Latte Art World Championship Open Tokyo 2014)，據說在海外競賽也是常勝軍，是個相當厲害的人物。
It seems wrong to not order a hot latte from a latte art champion, but Kyoto was extremely hot on the day of my visit and I went for an iced latte (500 yen) instead, while my friend chose an iced Americano (400 yen), and yet another day we tried an iced pour over (price varies). Delicious coffee, and I also noticed that the shop uses milk from Hida, Japan, an area well-known for its wagyu and dairy products.
雖然知道山口先生是拉花冠軍，不過我到訪的這天京都體感42度，不得不點了一杯冰拿鐵（500日幣），朋友則選擇了冰美式（400日幣），後來也嚐了手沖（價格不一）。以冰拿鐵來說，咖啡的迷人風味完全不會被牛奶蓋過，比例完美，非常順口好喝。瞥見店裏用的是日本飛驒高原牛乳，雖然沒有直接喝過，不過這個地方的牛奶似乎非常有名。
There is a large white counter that spans the center of the shop, making room for baristas and customers alike. This countertop is a combined marble/plaster mixture and has a lacquered finish, which apparently is very time-consuming to make.
咖啡吧台直接從前端延伸到尾端成爲給客人的座位，一體成形的設計非常漂亮。材質也很特別，是某種大理石和水泥的混合體，並在最後做了亮漆處理，據說是個非常費時費工的過程。
On another note, all the baristas at % Arabica – man or woman – are good-looking and stylish. A nice plus, no?
另外非常加分的一點，就是% Arabica的咖啡師不論男女都顔值很高啊。老闆，你只請好看的人嗎？
The only thing I can complain about is that only paper cups are provided, even for customers who drink the coffee inside the shop.
唯一可以抱怨的也許是% Arabica不論內用還是外帶，提供的都是紙杯。在店裏喝一杯espresso或熱拿鐵時，能有真正杯子該有多好呀。
If you want to find out more about the founder of % Arabica, Kenneth Shoji, you can read more about him here.
話說，也得介紹下% Arabica的品牌創立人“東海林克範”。這位日本人出生于東京，赴美讀書後在加州生活，後來因爲貿易工作的關系遊遍世界各地。他在反複思考自己想過什麽樣的生活時，發現自己其實 “想要簡單生活，只要在衣食住上能夠滿足，並且能帶著小孩一起到世界各地旅行”，而熱愛咖啡的他，決定通過咖啡來實現他這樣的生活。他在夏威夷買了一塊咖啡莊園，于香港創立了公司後將品牌帶回日本，與山口先生一起打造了京都的% Arabica。
The second % Arabica in Kyoto opened in 2015 in Arashiyama, a three minute walk from Togetsukyo Bridge, just slightly out of the way from the main tourist area.
他們在京都的第二家店選址于嵐山桂川旁，從渡月橋過去徒步3分鍾，是個美不勝收的地方。
Just like the Higashiyama shop, the Arashiyama location is also renovated from an old house. The terraced entrance was raised slightly from the ground to guarantee an unobstructed view of the surrounding scenery and to prevent flooding from heavy rains which are common in this area.
大片的玻璃窗讓外面的風景一覽無遺，嵐山四季的美麗都能從咖啡店裏欣賞到。如東山店一般，嵐山店也是由老房子改造而成，並將設計稍微擡高，除了讓視野更好之外，也預防了這個區域常見的淹水問題。
The Slayer machine – again, gorgeous – is placed so that the barista has an exceptional view of the scenery while preparing the coffee. How very thoughtful! Can I please work here? So in love with these large sliding windows and the stunning view pouring in through the openness.
又是這台帥氣無比的咖啡機。擺放的方式面向桂川，讓咖啡師在做咖啡時也能看到美景，實在是非常貼心的設計。（哎喲，這裏的咖啡師也是美女呢）。
If you live in Kyoto, well, lucky you. If you are visiting Kyoto, do not miss the opportunity to start your day off with a cup of % Arabica. Just thinking about these charming cafes make me want to go back to Kyoto already…
在京都的這幾天，幾乎每天都去% Arabica報到。我並不是咖啡的專家，無法細述他們家咖啡的特別之處，不過對我來說能在每天行程開始之前在如此漂亮舒服的環境裏喝杯好咖啡，是再幸福不過的事情了。
% Arabica Kyoto
地址 : （東山店）京都府東山區星野町87-5
（嵐山店）京都府右京區嵯峨天龍寺芒ノ馬場町3-47
營業時間 : 08:00 ~ 18:00
網站：www.arabica.coffee
造訪：2016年8月
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