Behind the Museum Café explained

Behind the Museum Café
Current-Owner:Tomoe Horibuchi
Food-Type:Japanese
City:Portland
County:Multnomah
State:Oregon
Zip:-->
Country:United States
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:13

Behind the Museum Café is a cafe with two locations in Portland, Oregon.

Description

The original cafe, located west of the Portland Art Museum serves coffee, tea and Japanese small plates,[1] including baguette sandwiches, sweets, onigiri, and otsumami.[2] The drink menu includes espresso, iced coffees, lattes, and other milk drinks; tea options include matcha and hōjicha lattes.[2] A second location in the former Guild Theatre serves matcha and homemade sweets.

Walker MacMurdo of Willamette Week described the cafe as "inconspicuous" and "a microcosm of Japanese culture: a one-stop shop for imported antiques and kimonos and contemporary ceramics, pottery, calligraphy and art in the Japanese tradition".[3] The newspaper has said, "Antique jewelry boxes, kimonos and kokeshi dolls line the walls, and the mix of PSU students, museumgoers and fortunate wanderers seated within are never in a rush to leave."[4]

History

The original Behind the Museum opened in a former Boyd's cafe in 2011.[5] [6] In 2019, owner Tomoe Horibuchi confirmed plans to open a second location called Book of Tea Café in the Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya, within the former Guild Theatre.[7] The second location opened on August 21, 2019.[8]

Reception

In The Oregonian's 2017 list of the 10 best coffee shops in downtown Portland, Samantha Bakall described the Behind the Museum as "a serene, almost monastic coffee shop lined with Japanese art and ceramics" and wrote, "Behind the Museum Cafe is one of our favorite cafes in the city. With its high, airy ceilings and lengthy menu of Japanese teas, temple-style snacks and Extracto coffee drinks, it's the perfect place to have a relaxing cup of matcha or catch up on work."[9] Seiji Nanbu included the cafe in Eater Portland's 2020 list of "where to find mesmerizing matcha treats in Portland and beyond". The business was also included in Eater Portland's 2022 overview of "where to eat and drink in downtown Portland".[10]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wang. Amy. May 21, 2019. Behind the Museum Cafe plans second location inside new Japanese bookstore in downtown Portland. live. June 16, 2021. The Oregonian. en. August 15, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200815114718/https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2019/05/behind-the-museum-cafe-plans-second-location-in-new-japanese-bookstore-in-downtown-portland.html.
  2. Web site: Jackson-Glidden. Brooke. 2016-02-16. Where to Find a Real-Deal Breakfast in Portland. 2021-06-17. Eater Portland. en. 2020-11-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20201112010247/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-portland-breakfast-restaurants-eggs-benedict-hash-pancakes. live.
  3. Web site: MacMurdo. Walker. August 19, 2016. Portland State University & the South Park Blocks. live. June 16, 2021. Willamette Week. January 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210120173034/https://www.wweek.com/finder-2016/2016/08/19/a-guide-to-portland-state-university-the-south-park-blocks/.
  4. News: August 20, 2019. Behind the Museum Cafe. Willamette Week. June 16, 2021. December 3, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201203231041/https://www.wweek.com/culture/2019/08/20/behind-the-museum-cafe/. live.
  5. News: Waterhouse . Ben . Future Drinking: Oct. 17-20 . June 16, 2021 . Willamette Week . October 21, 2011.
  6. Web site: Nanbu. Seiji. 2020-11-23. Where to Find Mesmerizing Matcha Treats in Portland and Beyond. 2021-06-17. Eater Portland. en. 2021-04-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20210429232405/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/portland-matcha-desserts-treats-cakes-boba-ice-cream. live.
  7. Web site: Gormley. Shannon. May 21, 2019. The Japanese Bookstore Moving into the Former Guild Theatre Will Open This Summer. live. June 16, 2021. Willamette Week. November 27, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201127185022/https://www.wweek.com/arts/books/2019/05/21/the-japanese-bookstore-moving-into-the-former-guild-theatre-will-open-this-summer/.
  8. News: Gormley. Shannon. August 22, 2019. The Japanese Bookstore in the Former Guild Theatre Is Now Open. Willamette Week. June 16, 2021. August 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200811131825/https://www.wweek.com/arts/books/2019/08/22/the-japanese-bookstore-in-the-former-guild-theatre-is-now-open/. live.
  9. News: Bakall. Samantha. September 27, 2017. Downtown Portland's 10 best coffee shops. The Oregonian. June 16, 2021. November 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201111213944/https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2017/09/downtown_portlands_10_best_cof.html. live.
  10. Web site: 2015-09-16 . Where to Eat and Drink in Downtown Portland . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220104000040/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/portland-restaurants-bars-food-carts-downtown . 2022-01-04 . 2022-08-10 . Eater Portland . en.