Hario, which helped spread filtered coffee, opens a new location in Itaim Bibi

The Japanese brand Hario, which helped spread the idea of ​​filtered coffee as something more elaborate and complex in Brazil, is opening a gastronomic space in São Paulo this Saturday (24) that brings together, in the same address in Itaim Bibi, a coffee shop, restaurant and bar. Products that are new to the country will also occupy a large display window.

The new soft opening is the company’s biggest step forward in Brazil and marks an attempt to get closer to the gastronomic market and the end customer. At Casa Hario, the brand will sell not only coffee and tea utensils, which have made it famous, but also kitchen utensils, such as rice cookers, sake sets, glasses and oil pots.

Furthermore, the project, located on the corner of Tabapuã and Manuel Guedes streets, is the first of its kind in the world. The company already had other coffee shops in Japan, but none of the projects also include a restaurant and bar.

The idea behind the inauguration, by businesswoman Katia Nassuno, is to convey the idea of ​​a modern and in-tune Japan, which has made the brand coveted by the specialized public. With this, Hario, which was founded in 1921 as a glass manufacturer, is taking advantage of the growing interest in the subject in Brazil — and trying to face increasingly organized competition in the country.

Serving throughout the day, from breakfast to dinner, the menu is created by well-known partners. The sweets, for example, are selected by Aya Tamaki, from Amay, who was elected confectioner of the year by the Best of São Paulo Gastronomy special. Her creations are inspired by Japanese tradition, use little sugar and are gluten-free.

Continuing with the delicacies, the kitchen, run by Flávio Miyamura (of the now-defunct Miya and Extásia), has options such as cheese bread with nori seaweed (R$16). For lunch, we suggest the teishoku (R$129), a kind of executive menu with protein, miso soup, rice, salad, house-made pickles and a portion of bok choy (Chinese chard) with oyster sauce.

The dinner menu includes starters, hot dishes, sushi and sashimi. On the upper floor of the property there is a counter where, starting in September, omakassê, the Japanese tasting menu, will be served.

With 90 seats, the house also has a terrace and a ground floor room with tables and a bar — from where drinks signed by veteran bartender Talita Simões come out, who created options like my mai tai (R$ 39), with tequila, almond liqueur, citrus solution, mint tincture and basil.

The extensive offering of the house also includes, of course, coffee. There is a choice of house blends and other beans that change sporadically — but are roasted specifically for the location. Among the methods, there is the V60, best known from Hario, but also syphon and cold brew nitro.

The store with the house’s products displayed in a display case that takes up the entire height of the property will only be ready in September, when the sale of the paraphernalia begins. During the soft opening period, reservations are mandatory and can be made through Use Tag.me.

Hario began to be officially imported into Brazil in 2012, a time when espresso coffees dominated bakeries, coffee shops and restaurants. At first, Nassuno says there was resistance to the method.

“The V60 filter was something viable at that time because it gave value to filtered coffee, which was a method that people used. No one thought that filtered coffee could change so much. It was also a surprise to me,” she says.