Hyperlocal Tokyo

Dean & DeLuca's first store in Japan was forced to close shortly after opening due to a food poisoning incident caused by Welch's bacteria. They claimed the closure was for renovations, but this lack of transparency made me question their trustworthiness as a company. I had no other choice but to enter this cafe at Narita Airport's Terminal 2... The iced tea was completely watered down, as you can see in the photo. It's not something you'd expect to pay for at a cafe. Absolutely unacceptable.

I was looking for coffee at Narita Airport and stumbled upon Dean & DeLuca. It's a coffee shop and grocery store originally from New York. They used to have stores in Taiwan, but they closed down quickly. Early in the morning, with sleepy eyes, I chose an iced latte, mille-feuille, and a pie. Everything tasted great. I didn't specifically remember the prices of the food, but everything was around 1000 yen. I think it's similar to coffee shops in Taiwan, affordable, refined, and delicious. The latte had a strong coffee aroma, a rich flavor, and the milkiness was perfect. I think it's comparable to Blue Bottle Coffee (?). If you don't want to wait in a long line, you can choose this place. 🤣 Especially the savory food, it's juicy when you take a bite. It's not dry even though it's heated. The food is excellent, I even visited again before returning to Taiwan, afraid I would regret it. 🥹 There are many branches in Japan, but if you just landed at Narita Airport and don't want to be in a crowd waiting for other places like chazuke, you can try this place, it's pretty good. ✨✨

As a huge Dean & DeLuca fan, I'd give this drink a 6 or 7 out of 10 for tourists who don't speak Japanese. When you get your drink, make sure to ask them to fill it up. At least 80% full!

Coffee and cake before departure ☕️🍰 Delicious 😋