In what looks like a scene from a James Bond movie, a small, concealed shelf rises dramatically from the surface of the sleek countertop before me.
The contraption hums to a stop, presenting six mysterious black canisters that contain different coffee beans. I have half a mind to toss a bean to see if it explodes. But barista Giacomo Vannelli invites me to sniff the selection and pick one whose aroma appeals the most to me. I settle on the Santa Monica (?2,800 per order), a Colombian single origin that smells of tropical fruits.
Here at Vannelli Coffee, a newly opened cafe in Tokyo¡¯s fashionable Omotesando neighborhood, the sensorial experience of coffee appreciation begins before your java is brewed. The shop is also the Italian specialty coffee brand¡¯s first flagship store outside its home country.
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