KAFFE | New in Town x Harken Coffee x Japantown Café x Railtown

Railtown—Formerly operating as a pop-up known as Aubade Coffee inside the Chinatown antique store Space Lab, the new Harken Coffee shop takes its cues from the surrounding Japantown heritage neighboorhood on Powell Street.

breakfast cereal (with puffed rice, vegan marshmallow, strawberries, and oat milk)

Serving a loosely shojin ryori-inspired ("food of devotion") and entirely vegan menu concept set up by consultant Kris Barnholden—from a small kitchen run by Chef Tomoko Tahara—and taken from Japanese-type monastery breakfast dishes from Zen Buddhist monks, Harken feels very much like the real deal when it comes to the café's attention to detail and refined sense of taste to everything.



There's a slow, careful, and deliberate pace to the effort with which everything is made. A rotating daily assortment of pour over coffees and espresso drinks (made with oat milk to keep vegan) from proprietor Eldric Stuart are all brewed with care.

daily seasonal blend pour over (Ethiopia)

Designed by Simcic + Uhrich Architects, the open but contained 1,700-square-foot interior space parlays an overall attractive and contemporary vibe.



Straight up, Harken just feels cool. The slick, clean lines and wood finishes throughout the coffee shop make it particularly neat with a clear precision amongst its minimalist and industrial design.

hojicha latte (with black maka, hojicha, and oat milk)

Despite its location on the outskirts of the Downtown Eastside, Harken is a very appealing destination for very well-made coffee and healthy snack foods.


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