The Richmond’s booming scene just got a little hotter. As of March 7, California Street has a new cafe specializing in single cultivar matcha imported from Japan and a drink menu inspired by Southeast Asia.
Van Corrales, who opened Kissaten Hi-Fi (opens in new tab) with Ian Moreno, says the cafe is all about “Japanese tradition meeting Filipino warmth.”
It operates as a slow bar, with an intentional pace that prioritizes manual brewing methods, including pour-overs and French presses. Unlike slow bars that are usually one-person shows, Kissaten is already popular enough to demand a small crew. Still, there’s no rush — Corrales wants customers to understand the specificity and focus behind each part of the experience. “Nothing is by freestyle or guessing.”
The wide-ranging menu includes five signature drinks, each of which references the owners’ heritage. The Letter from the Shogun highlights Okinawan brown sugar and Milo, a popular chocolate malt drink in the Philippines, atop espresso and a thick cream cloud. The Banana Cue arrives dusted in Saba banana chips, a nod to the snack popular in the Pacific islands. Coffee drinks come courtesy of Sightglass; beans roasted by Los Angeles’ Tomodachi Coffee (opens in new tab) are available to bring home.
Tea is also a focus, and the menu offers nine options, spanning single cultivars and blends. Yes, there’s a matcha einspanner, the creamy Austrian latte that’s gone viral on social media. All the matcha comes from the Japanese cities of Fukuoka and Uji; syrups and purees, such as the strawberry puree for the Ichigo Matcha, are made in-house.
There’s no food, but Corrales says they plan to offer it down the road, including rice cakes from San Francisco-based pop-up Jiaqi’s Mochi (opens in new tab).
Owner Ian Morano.
Though Kissaten is the duo’s first hospitality venture, Corrales and Moreno have been producing the popular Cuffing Season (opens in new tab) DJ party at Uptown’s Crybaby (opens in new tab) since 2018. Both have worked as traveling musicians and met while organizing music events in Oakland, where Morano lives. Corrales, meanwhile, is based in Los Angeles and opened Amai Tea & Cafe (opens in new tab) with locations in Glendale, Santa Monica, and Torrance. Their shared experience in the nightlife industry informs the cocktail-driven approach to Kissaten’s coffee menu. For example, the Always and Forever is an homage to the Mont Blanc, a coffee cocktail that has become a cafe mainstay in the last few years.
The two are considering opening a branch in Oakland. In fact, the Inner Richmond space came to pass only at the suggestion of their real estate agent. “We really like where we’re starting,” Corrales says. “If there’s an opportunity, as long as it’s small enough and the energy is right, we’ll be open to expanding. But this is our baby.”