Behind the Museum Café

Behind the Museum Café is a cafe with two locations in Portland, Oregon.

Behind the Museum Café
Exterior of the original cafe, 2022
Restaurant information
Established2011 (2011)
Owner(s)Tomoe Horibuchi
Food typeJapanese
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45.5164°N 122.6843°W / 45.5164; -122.6843
Websitebehindthemuseumcafe.com

Description

The original cafe, located west of the Portland Art Museum serves coffee, tea and Japanese small plates,[1] including baguette sandwiches, sweets, onigiri, and otsumami.[2] The drink menu includes espresso, iced coffees, lattes, and other milk drinks; tea options include matcha and hōjicha lattes.[2] A second location in the former Guild Theatre serves matcha and homemade sweets.[1]

Walker MacMurdo of Willamette Week described the cafe as "inconspicuous" and "a microcosm of Japanese culture: a one-stop shop for imported antiques and kimonos and contemporary ceramics, pottery, calligraphy and art in the Japanese tradition".[3] The newspaper has said, "Antique jewelry boxes, kimonos and kokeshi dolls line the walls, and the mix of PSU students, museumgoers and fortunate wanderers seated within are never in a rush to leave."[4]

History

The original Behind the Museum opened in a former Boyd's cafe in 2011.[5][6] In 2019, owner Tomoe Horibuchi confirmed plans to open a second location called Book of Tea Café in the Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya, within the former Guild Theatre.[1][7] The second location opened on August 21, 2019.[8]

Reception
Interior of the original cafe, 2022

In The Oregonian's 2017 list of the 10 best coffee shops in downtown Portland, Samantha Bakall described the Behind the Museum as "a serene, almost monastic coffee shop lined with Japanese art and ceramics" and wrote, "Behind the Museum Cafe is one of our favorite cafes in the city. With its high, airy ceilings and lengthy menu of Japanese teas, temple-style snacks and Extracto coffee drinks, it's the perfect place to have a relaxing cup of matcha or catch up on work."[9] Seiji Nanbu included the cafe in Eater Portland's 2020 list of "where to find mesmerizing matcha treats in Portland and beyond".[6] The business was also included in Eater Portland's 2022 overview of "where to eat and drink in downtown Portland".[10]

See also

References
  1. Wang, Amy (May 21, 2019). "Behind the Museum Cafe plans second location inside new Japanese bookstore in downtown Portland". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  2. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2016-02-16). "Where to Find a Real-Deal Breakfast in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  3. MacMurdo, Walker (August 19, 2016). "Portland State University & the South Park Blocks". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  4. "Behind the Museum Cafe". Willamette Week. August 20, 2019. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  5. Waterhouse, Ben (October 21, 2011). "Future Drinking: Oct. 17-20". Willamette Week. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  6. Nanbu, Seiji (2020-11-23). "Where to Find Mesmerizing Matcha Treats in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  7. Gormley, Shannon (May 21, 2019). "The Japanese Bookstore Moving into the Former Guild Theatre Will Open This Summer". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  8. Gormley, Shannon (August 22, 2019). "The Japanese Bookstore in the Former Guild Theatre Is Now Open". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  9. Bakall, Samantha (September 27, 2017). "Downtown Portland's 10 best coffee shops". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  10. "Where to Eat and Drink in Downtown Portland". Eater Portland. 2015-09-16. Archived from the original on 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
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