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da Gino
>>MAP
1-2-3 Minami-Ebisu
TEL: 03-5723-8877
東京都渋谷区恵比寿南1-2-3
[UPDATE: da Gino is permanently closed for business.] After all the time spent "laboring" in Ebisu, I can't believe I missed da Gino. Thanks to Jeremy S. who brought this two-year old wine and espresso bar to my attention. Is it great espresso? No, not yet. Does it show extraordinary promise? Yes. My single espresso was more akin to a double pour. The barista was well-meaning and admitted to have only just started to really study how to make good espresso. He flushed the Cimbali about 10 minutes prior to my pull and my shot suffered. The result was an over-extracted pour. da Gino's massive Cimbali simply gets the water too hot and a flush is absolutely required prior to each pull. Otherwise, his technique was good (grinding fresh for the shot, swiping the portafilter, etc.). What da Gino also has going for it is the fact that it is roasting and using its own beans (it even sells beans under the "Gino" brand at Kinokuniya).

First visit: August 5, 2009

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