Clever Dripper and VIP Burger @ Ottimo Ashiya-machi (Fukuoka)
Before you knew it, the plum season had arrived. Narcissus had also started to bloom. Now, it's time to get moving. So, I headed to "Ottimo" in Ashiya-machi a bit early for lunchtime. Craving a hearty coffee, I ordered the VIP Burger and Ottimo Coffee. A "Clever Dripper" was brought with hot water poured into the coffee grounds, an hourglass, and a mug separately placed on a tray. Watching the sand grains slowly fall in the hourglass is a nice way to zone out. Pouring a bit of hot water into the paper drip coffee grounds, waiting for them to swell and steam, and then pouring water slowly – that's the moment. Also, discerning the convection movement in the French press, timing the plunge – the Clever Dripper replaces these "waiting times" with an hourglass, creating a unique tension. Gently placing the "Clever Dripper" on top of the mug, the lower structure is manipulated to release the extraction outlet, and the drip begins. And just as t...