Moss Core Coffee

These guys are serious. They brew Single O coffee (an Australian roaster with a Japan presence), really high quality beans, as espresso drinks on a Slayer (a hand-​made espresso machine imported from the US and renowned for its highly manual feel) and as hand-​poured drinks as is the norm in Japan. Amazing coffee. Go there.

(3.5÷5 stars)
Unilocal 100 Challenge 2015 — ⁵⁸⁄₁₀₀
Continuing the search for small, independent coffee shops, part of the so-​called «third wave» in Tokyo, I happened to almost literally stumble upon this shop located a short distance from the south side of JR Nishi Ogikubo station the other day.
The area itself is undergoing a transformation where new boutiques, cafes and trendy shops are slowly replacing the former occupants as the owners age and their businesses fade away. Nishi Ogikubo is known for tons of used book, antiques, traditional handicrafts and art shops. There are still plenty located in three main areas around the station, but you’ll see the newer shops and businesses popping up here and there.
Hightlights:
+ Features: 3.5÷5 stars (beans for sale; limited menu items for food — simple pastries available; limited coffee drink varieties — all priced rather high, respectively)
+ Interior: 4.5÷5 (cool, modern, artsy design — soothing colors and balance of light grained wood; fairly brightly lit by natural and electric lights; old-​school jazz plays on the background)
+ Drinks: ⁴⁄₅ (choose which bean you prefer for the coffee drink you order; beans ground post-​order; coffee made via espresso method in a barista-​class machine, not pour over or plunger)
+ Value: 3.5÷5 (slightly expensive, although you get ¥100 off your second cup by showing your receipt; same-​day only)
+ Customer Service: ³⁄₅ (basically no frills; no b.s.; no chit-​chat)
+ Access: ⁴⁄₅ (fairly close to the south exit of JR Nishi Ogikubo station; follow the pin on the map down a side street heading south)
Summary:
I’ve rated this as 3.5 for the following reasons: Drink selection is limited and asking for a drink not on the menu resulted in a very emphatic «no.» (I asked for a macchiato, which is an easier variant of a latte, which WAS on the menu.); bean selection — although I tried both beans available as straight espresso shots with no cream or sugar added, the difference in taste was minimal, and the beans hinted at being somewhat overroasted. Missing was a more delicate sweetness or robustness that one would expect from freshly ground and drawn shots of espresso.
Although tasty looking pastries were avaiable, I skipped trying these as they were rather pricey.
Final reason for 4 instead of a straight 3 rating is the space is well designed, comfortable and could be great for chilling out and writing Unilocal reviews. However, I think the barista may get a bit impatient with partons who overstay their welcome. No plug-​ins or wifi that I could detect, which added to «drink and run please» atmosphere. Potential is there with a warmer, friendlier approach but I will probably choose other similar shops in the area if given the choice. Sure, I’ll check in again in a while, but beyond the coffee, I was left with a bitter aftertaste following my second visit here. YMMV.
P. S. They have a Facebook page — excellent photos of the shop features and interior, all tastefully shot in high photographic quality. Check those out if you want better visual impressions of the shop.