A Coffee Nerd’s Cafe

In the early morning light, coffee drips, brown and translucent, through rounded glass siphons arranged in a neat row along the bar of Demitasse, one of the youngest coffee shops in Little Tokyo. A chalkboard sign outside sums up the philosophy of the place in friendly, pastel letters: “Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks!” Now in its seventh month, Demitasse has become a neighborhood staple, and it’s earned a regular following, including one particular customer who regularly brings cuts of fresh fish to her favorite barista. Whatever the chalkboard says, the shop’s gleaming siphons and locally roasted beans put Demitasse in completely different league from the green mermaid giant.