CBD Cafe Kahii Serves Coffee and Pastries by Day, and Slides Into Wine Bar Mode After Dark

CBD cafe and wine bar Kahii pays homage to, and is named after, the first kissaten (Japanese cafe) that opened in Tokyo in 1888, Kahisakan. The original kissatens were multi-purpose, offering pool tables, playing cards, local and foreign newspapers, books and even shower rooms. They were places to exchange knowledge and culture over a cup of coffee.

Edmond Loo (ex- Coffee Alchemy), co-owner of Kahii, spent time living in Japan and says he was impressed by the accessibility of kissatens, and their laid-back atmosphere, with mellow jazz music playing in the background.

“This was quite different to what I see in Sydney, the fast-paced city cafes. I wanted one place for professionals to come in and just relax and have a decent cup of coffee,” Loo tells Broadsheet.

Kahii originally opened in its historic Kent Street digs in 2016 but was affected by the pandemic. It took a year-long hiatus and relaunched in mid-2022. The new iteration of Kahii provides the same intimate, sophisticated ambience as it did before, with its exposed-brick walls and minimalist interior.

But much has changed. Loo and co-owner Alan Wong have brought together their passion for French wine and specialty coffee to offer “much more” than what is expected from a CBD cafe. By day, Kahii is a cafe, but after dark it transitions into a wine bar.

Kahii serves coffee until 5pm and roasts its beans in-house, sourcing them from around the world, including Colombia, Brazil and Kenya.

“A lot of cafes in Sydney shut their doors at 3pm, and you are not able to find specialty coffee when you need it after the 3pm slump,” says Loo.

The food menu is minimal, with a range of Korean-inspired pastries from Darlinghurst’s Tenacious Bakehouse. You might find a sweetcorn and cheese danish, or a croissant channelling Korean rice cakes (tteok) filled with red bean paste and vanilla cream. (A full cafe menu is in the works.)

While Loo and head barista Alice Kuang look after the coffee, Wong and hospitality consultant Kei Tokiwa take charge of the after-dark wine bar, which focuses on French wines and some Japanese beers and sake.

The food menu is in the hands of Taka Teramoto, the executive chef of Kahii’s sister venue, Kuro. Teramoto has carefully crafted Japanese-influenced dishes using local ingredients, which are designed to complement the bar’s wines. The 16-day dry-aged duck with red wine and leeks, and the Wagyu tartare topped with egg-yolk jam are two of the most popular dishes to pair with a glass of burgundy, according to Tokiwa. A team of sommeliers is on hand to guide diners towards what will complement other dishes, such as roasted cod in beurre blanc, or the John Dory fritto with manchego.

“The city is becoming much more lively [following Covid],” says Tokiwa. “Customers are now coming in at various times of the day, expecting more than specialty coffee or more than just wine.”

Kahii
364 Kent Street, Sydney
(02) 9290 1889

Hours:

Mon 8am–3pm
Tue to Fri 8am–10pm
Sat 3pm–10pm

kahii.com.au
@kahiisydney