The barista and 'serial entrepreneur' Umeda-san, who considers each new business a way to combat the boredom of daily routine, opened his third establishment in Kyoto very recently—in July 2024.

This time, there are no donuts (at least for now), but the new offerings are just as enticing: at CHALLE, guests are served tacos—not the expected Mexican-Texan kind, but Okinawan tacos!

In addition to tacos, the venue offers specialty coffee made from a house blend, as well as matcha, prepared right in front of the customer—of course, without sugar, although it can be added upon request. Strictly speaking, as both the tea and coffee are of specialty quality, neither sugar nor other additives are necessary. Milk is a completely different story though: it’s an essential ingredient for creating the 'body' of the drink.

Like his other two cafés, this establishment is located in a traditional Kyoto machiya house, geographically situated near the southeastern edge of the Imperial Palace. During the renovation all the wooden parts were painted with a mixture of persimmon juice and bengara—a red pigment derived from oxidised iron in the soil. The plaster is also mixed with this pigment.