This has to be the most extravagant Starbucks that I have ever been to, to say the least. As for now, it is crowned as the biggest Starbucks in the world, Tokyo Reserve Roastery was opened just as recently as in February 2019. I first knew about the place via a FB post of a friend of mine. Not that I am a Starbucks fan, but since I was in Tokyo, I thought might as well go for a visit.
We visited the Roastery during evening, and judging from many Youtube videos, I guess lucky for us or may be the hype had died down, we didn't have to queue hours to get into the premise. Located appropriately in the hipster area of Nakameguro, the four-storey Roastery looks more like a church than anything else to me. What more to say about the Roastery: the lighting, the grandeur, the emblem of a star above a 'R', the criss-crossing conveyer tubes, the overall golden hue that is almost too bright for the eye. Every deco, every corner, is highly instagrammable. Every barista, every worker, is dressed impeccably for you to take photo.
The drinks there are, as expected, pricier than other Starbucks chain. I can't really judge if the coffee quality is better because I'm the kind of guy who is accustomed to the slightly burned and oily kopi kaw in a traditional Hainan kopitiam. Regardless how good or how unique the drinks there are, I don't think it is a good environment at all to enjoy a drink. This is a place built to impress, crowded with tourists is not a side effect, it is the intention. I just feel very uncomfortable having a coffee there, with everyone passing around me with phones on hand for the perfect picture. But who can blame them. I myself also unconsciously took out my phone to snap a few. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." So when in the branded coffee church, do as instagrammers do.
The only difference between "awe-some" and "awe-ful" is the ending. I was definitely awed when I first saw the place but my overall experience in the end was just a shrug of shoulders. I would say it is worth to visit, but for once only.
