Omotesando Koffee has arrived in Singapore from Japan, the brand making its debut at Downtown Gallery.

Known for its artisanal brews, the brand first opened in Tokyo’s Shibuya as a small takeaway shop in a traditional mameya (Japanese wooden house) in 2011. It closed four years later as the house was scheduled to be demolished, but returned this year as coffee-bean specialist Koffee Mameya as the building instead underwent renovation.

Founder Eiichi Kunitomo visited Singapore for the Omotesando Koffee opening, which followed the launch in Tokyo of sister cafe Toranomon Koffee which has a dine-in space.

A larger franchised dine-in branch of Omotesando Koffee opened in Hong Kong last year in partnership with Russell Stradmoor, who also own Vietnamese restaurant Pho Bar.

Another partnership with Stradmoor, the Singapore outlet is in the co-working space The Work Project, so initially offers just takeaway coffee. It is hoped seats can be added later, but Stradmoor says this is up to The Work Project people. A female barista brews a variety of hand-dripped and espresso-based coffees, including Omotesando’s signature Iced Cappuccino which features large milk bubbles coated in cocoa powder. A Japanese barista trainer is overseeing the brewing during the shop’s opening period.