A city in constant motion, most commuters in Edinburgh pass through burghs in a rush. Yet, if just stopping for a minute, one can witness small gems from locals that shape each area of town. If you’re walking through the underpass that connects Dalry and Fountainbridge, pause to find Kissa Orwell, a small Japanese coffee hut whose story emerged from a love of a very Scottish treat.
Owned and run by Tetsuya Tada and Yuriko Takara, Kissa Orwell serves coffee, tea, and a mix of Japanese and international pastries. For Tetsuya, a native of Osaka, the hut represents a journey across continents to show his work.
Kissa Orwell is just one taste of the communities that make up modern Edinburgh
“We used to run a cafe in Kyoto for two years,” he says. “I got a two-year visa to come here, and it represented an opportunity to try something new. My cafe in Japan was kind of popular, actually, but I wanted to see if my food would be accepted in this country.”
The selection of food is limited, due to the small size of the hut, but combines Tetsuya’s roots with European produce. Today, the soup of the day is an Italian Cavolo Nero with tuna, but this changes daily depending on Tetsuya’s inspiration. As he says, “Sometimes it’s Chinese-ish; sometimes it’s my own original [sic], or even sometimes French too.”
The question remained, however, why Edinburgh? When asked, Yuriko begins to laugh.
“I love shortbread!” she exclaims. “When I was in Japan, I often ate shortbread, and I thought maybe one day…”
“She’s very crazy about shortbread!” Tetsuya interjects cheekily, “We had no choice but to come here.”
The biggest surprise of their move has been the friendliness and openness of Scots, which they say is in contrast to Japan.
“Scottish people are more open-minded.” Tetsuya says, “This is kind of a big difference to most Japanese people who are more shy.”
Kissa Orwell is just a taste of the communities that make up modern Edinburgh. A journey across the world, to a part of Edinburgh that only locals tend to know about. If you have the chance, try and experience this taste of Japan far away from home.
