Gluck Coffee Spot
Kumamoto area's super sweet self-roasting famous store! The pairing with bread and cake is also perfect!
The shop I saw in Casa BRUTUS's coffee bread special issue is recommended by famous roasters who each suggest their favorite shops across Japan, ensuring the quality of the coffee beans.
This renovated coffee shop, which opened in 2016, retains a rustic style with warm wooden elements and a subtle wood fragrance, both outside and inside. There are no excessive decorations, and you feel very relaxed and at ease inside.
The bread and cakes here are also quite famous and change periodically. The bread I had this time looked like a simple whole wheat European bread, but it had an incredibly chewy texture and wasn't dry. The wheat aroma was strong, and when paired with the homemade apple jam, the mildly sour natural sweetness was refreshing, complemented by the fragrant homemade caramel-like butter.
This time I ordered honey-processed Salvadoran coffee. Their coffee beans are directly traded, purchased personally from the producing areas and farm owners. This farm has won the COE championship three times. The coffee beans themselves are of excellent quality, and with the proper roasting, the overall sweetness of the cup is extremely high; I couldn't help but finish it all in one go.
It’s also a rare shop in Japan that opens at seven in the morning, and I highly recommend everyone to check it out when in Kumamoto! Additionally, if you buy coffee beans, you'll be treated to a free cup of coffee!