This fancy Japanese café with corian table tops, dark wood and faux leather padded booths and chairs temporarily transports me back to Tokyo.  It is appropriately located in a plaza which has shops that sell high-end watches, jewelry and offer foot massage services.  A Rolls Royce pulls out of the parking lot as we walk up to their door.

Aoyama Cafe: Interior

Per Gadgets.boingboing.net, siphon brewing consists of the following process: you dump coffee (freshly ground) in the top chamber, water in the bottom, and set it on the stove.  The stove heats the water, causing pressure to force the liquid up into the top chamber, where it mixes with the grounds.  Kill the heat, and the lower chamber starts to cool, creating a vacuum down there.  That sucks the water back down again, passing through a filter on the way.  You end up with a smooth, delicate brew with little to no bitterness; certainly one of the best ways to draw out the flavors of an individual bean.

Bella orders a café au lait (charcoal roasted coffee with hot milk) and I order a Colombian coffee.  I visit the cake display case and decide on a lemon blueberry cake with a layer of mascarpone cheese inside.  Bella orders a tuna melt pizza toast.  You press a button at your table to page your server.

Aoyama: Tuna Melt Pizza Toast

This siphoning method of brewing (see photo of the “chemistry beaker” they bring to your table) results in a superb cup of java.  At first glance, my cake looks similar to a coffee crumb cake but the layer of mascarpone cheese adds a creamy texture.  Powdered sugar is dusted on the outer edges of the plate.  A lemon blueberry explosion occurs in the mouth instantaneously.  Combined with the coffee I am in a gastric paradise.

Aoyama: “Chemistry Beaker” Java

The tuna melt pizza toast is served on Japanese bread and is very good with a soft and doughy crust.  My Colombian coffee is medium in body, has above average acidity, is beyond smooth and possesses a beautiful aroma.  They serve their brew in ultra-thin fine China (Japanese brand Noritake) which improves the taste as it rolls across your lips.  It is similar to what occurs when you sip wine out of a thick wine glass versus an ultra-thin one.  I add a 100% Kona coffee to finish the remainder of the cake.  It is a medium roast, slightly sweet and even smoother than the Colombian coffee.

Aoyama: Colombian Coffee

On my visit a week later I opted for the Kilimanjaro java and a piece of crème brulee cheesecake.  The coffee is listed as a medium roast and medium intensity but it slurped up nearly my entire mini creamer pourer while making a minor dent in the brew’s color.  It has a smoky aroma, a robust taste and with a little sugar in the raw it becomes very drinkable.  The cheesecake is a light lemon color with flecks of vanilla bean throughout.  Caramel is drizzled in a zigzag pattern across the plate and a dusting of powdered sugar covers the edges as well.  The texture is noticeably creamier than a traditional cheesecake which I’m guessing is to emulate a crème brulee dessert.  The taste is delicious and the flavor is very crème brulee like.

Aoyama: Lemon Blueberry Cake

Date of Visit: 4/11/10 & 4/18/10.  Restaurant:  Aoyama Café. A: 1569 S. Fairway Dr., Suite 126 B&C, Walnut CA  91789, (Hing Wa Lee Plaza).  P: 909-598-3200.  W:  aoyamacafe.net.

Key: (5 star maximum per category).  Ambiance: ****;  Service: ****; Food/Drink: *****; Grade: A.