Café Kitsuné
G/F The Podium, 12 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Sunday
(SPOT.ph) There is nothing like occupying space. To some, it comes naturally; as if it were a God-given right to place themselves somewhere and emanate “I am here: witness me” energy. To others, it takes a whole lot of effort simply to be comfortable being perceived. Café Kitsuné is very much so on the former’s end of the spectrum—as Metro Manila will soon understand. The famous Paris-meets-Tokyo café has opened its doors for the very first time in the country, right at The Podium in Ortigas.
Also read: What Does the Fox Say? Café Kitsuné Is Finally Opening This Month
Standing tall along the row of glistening shops in the mall’s high-ceilinged ground floor, Café Kitsuné beckons with its subtly French and thoroughly modern look: a curved barista station stands next to a winding hallway with the instantly recognizable cursive of its name on the other side. The use of mirrors, playfully cut so you can see each bright corner, and your gorgeous self, reflecting back, gives the space more depth and character. A step inside brings the unmistakable scents of a café, pastries and coffee. Front and center, though, are the visuals.
Walking into the bright hallway, clad in glass and Japanese-inspired lattice with hints of red clueing you in on what’s to come, takes you into the heart of this space: a cozy room with a massive mirror and a can’t-be-missed deep-red accent wall adorned by the Café Kitsuné logo. Everything about the space sets a stage; one that you can either blend into or stand out from—the type of place to be seen and heard, but most importantly, to be. Borderline cheesy, we know, but it’s the type of place you can’t ignore. Something about it invokes a feeling, doesn’t matter what kind.
So what’s behind this je ne sais quoi? Café Kitsuné began in Tokyo’s Aoyama neighborhood in 2013, just one of the many forces born of the bigger Kitsuné brand—which, in turn, began in Paris in 2002 courtesy of Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki. The brand carries independent fashion house, Maison Kitsuné, music label Kitsuné Musique, and, as you know, Café Kitsuné. Throughout it all is a unique mix of Parisian and Japanese culture, seen in the way the restaurant brings together Japanese modernity and design sense with the classic Paris’ city-street café.
Café Kitsuné has grown its global footprint since first opening nearly a decade ago. You can spot the fox at 20 locations worldwide, including cities like Seoul, New York, Beijing, Vancouver, Jakarta, Bangkok, and now, Manila. Our own spot has been held up to the brand’s international standards and is decked with touches straight from Paris: the chairs, some of the finishing, and yes, the tableware. And while the Paris-slash-Japan vibe is present throughout, you will be able to taste the Filipino touch in, of course, the team operating it, and the food and drinks.
Also read: 10 Chill New Cafés in Manila Worth Putting on Your Weekend List
Japanese coffee shop Café Kitsuné opens their first branch in Manila
So what else but coffee would be the star of the show at a café? There’s no getting to the cult-fave level of Kitsuné without actually serving quality cups of joe. The café uses single-origin beans from Brazil and Guatemala so you can expect the real deal here: full-bodied and aromatic, with the slightest hint of fruit. For something classic, go for the Cappuccino (P190) or the Latte (P190). Both are taken to the next level with carefully done foam art, which makes sipping, slowly, all the more fun. If you want a whole other layer, the Café Kitsuné Fox Shortbread (P145) is a must. Baked in the shape of foxes, the café’s Japanese namesake, you can dip these treats into your coffee to soften them.
Non-caffeine fiends need not worry. You can spot truly unexpected drinks like the Strawberry & Peach Fizz (P240) and the Matcha & Yuzu Fizz (P240) here. The former calls you in with its red shades and keeps you sipping thanks to the strawberry-forward subtle sweetness. Somewhere in the soft bubbly, a peach calls out loud enough to say it exists. The Matcha & Yuzu is far more demanding of your attention. With every sip, earthy tones of the green leads you on before the citrus comes splashing on your taste buds; almost like a welcome betrayal, if such a thing ever existed. Each drink is all wrapped up in a fizzy embrace for a light and fun trip while having more than enough flavor to warrant it being a whole experience in itself.
For something to fill you up, Café Kitsuné’s varied menu does not disappoint. They’ve got quick bites such as the Tuna Tartar (P450) where the Japanese influence truly shines. Fresh cuts of tuna are placed atop a bed of similarly cubed mango—a notable Filipino flavor—with radish and ginger soy. Undeniably zesty and bright, the light flavors of fish and fruit are cut by the punchy wasabi mayonnaise. Don’t let the cute little dollops fool you; they pack a clear-your-sinuses punch that keeps you coming back for more.
Not to be missed at any Café Kitsuné branch across the globe is one of their staples: the Croque-Monsieur (P460). The classic French ham-and-cheese sandwich is given a Japanese twist with the use of tuna as its meat. Two thick cuts of white farmhouse bread wrap around a generous serving of tuna smothered in the café’s own bechamel sauce then given a bright hit with lemongrass and ginger. Then all that is taken back to base with a healthy covering of gruyere and emmental.
The Chicken Confit (P520) is a Metro Manila exclusive that is Café Kitsuné’s unexpected main star. A succulent chicken thigh with skin so crisp you could hear the crunch in your dreams for nights afterwards lies atop a bed of unbelievably smooth mashed potato, surrounded by jus—one that if it were instead, actually juice, we probably couldn’t stop ourselves from drinking straight up. Forgive the attempt at word play. The gravy may seem thin and light in color but manages to retain every bit of flavor from the meat; matched with the creamy taste of the potato—not fluffy, but not too dense either—and your tongue’s in heaven.
The kitsune are mythic foxes from Japanese folklore. Their story goes back hundreds of years—an age-old spirit that has carried over to this very young, relatively speaking, concept of a Paris-meets-Tokyo café. Perhaps it is in the intersection of three different cultures that the spot draws that undeniable sense of feeling, one of a space that deserves to be witnessed and asks you to be witnessed as well.
Photos by Kai Huang
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