Café Vu, Osaka

A sunshine enveloped terrace, a soft breeze rollicking through open doors, green- ery reminiscent of a different time and a different place, the sweet aroma of memories' blossoms, the murmur of intimacy, the light clinking of silver on porcelain as the entire mood is mixed with sugar into your latte - the popularity of 'café-ing' is easy to understand.

Cafes have been around for centuries - scrutinized in the past for housing the seeds of addiction; sugar, caffeine and tobacco - whilst praised for being a storage house of the very same products exalted for having fueled the industrial revolution; sugar, caffeine and tobacco.

Nearly 100 years ago, Cafes in England and Holland were the grounds of innovative business philosophies, in France they were the birthplace of artistic and literary movements, and in Eastern Europe cafes were the place of proclamation for dissenting opinions. Although over the past century progression has been made in the areas of commerce and peace, still into the modern day cafes are praised as the birthplaces of many a brilliant idea, artistic expression or dedicated movement.

Unfortunately, present day cafes are little more than profit-minded, carbon-copy, venues for basking in the cosmopolitan pleasures of our urban life, having lost the get-away-from-it-all, medicinal quality that they once encompassed - or are they?

Café Vu is located in Kita-Horie, Osaka City - about a five-minute walk from Shinsaibashi Station (Midousuji Line). You can find the café in the center of a semi-circle nook of select fashion clothing, jewelry, and home décor shops. The terrace fans out to comprise the semi circle with a single central towering tree that empowers the space as if it were a forest. A few umbrella-ed tables and the occasional dozy 'woof' of a guests' best friend make this picturesque set all the more!

But how does Café Vu manage to stay so 'bohemian' amongst the conformism that has infected the café industry? Well, all I can say is this -I have found the Japanese version of NBC's 'Friends' hotspot 'Central Perk Café' - Café Vu attracts a stream of near-by residents and company workers on a nearly daily basis, in addition to first-time curiosity-holders from all over the country - even a few from the Japanese entertainment world.

The music is all-now and ever-cool, the décor is trendy yet exclusive, the menu is stylish by day and posh by night.

But Café Vu is not only a Café, as the name would suggest, the shop falls under the recently coined café / bar classification. On several evenings throughout each season there is a event held to the tune of several hundred guests creating an unforgettable evening.

The café manager, Mr. Kohei Takeda, came around for a chat when I recently stopped in to get a scoop on the much talked about spot and my daily caffeine fix::

Q: When was Café Vu first opened?
Mr. Takeda: September 7, 2002

Q: What is your busiest season?
Mr. Takeda: This one! Definitely springtime, especially Golden Week (April 29 to May 10)

Q: What is your USP (Unique Sales Promotion)?
Mr. Takeda: There is nowhere else like here in Osaka. In Osaka, everything tends to blend together, strive for competitiveness through similarity - Café Vu does no blending - only of the coffee, if such a request comes in!

Q: What is the most popular drink on your menu?
Mr. Takeda: Any drink made with our delicious espresso.

Q: How about the most popular food on your menu?
Mr. Takeda: Sandwiches - We have bread made especially for us by a nearby bakery. All our sandwiches are made with this bread - not even a bite of bread remains on the plates. Also, we use a special sandwich sauce, our own recipe - light, tangy and healthy.

Q: How do the daytime and nighttime menus differ?
Mr. Takeda: During the daytime we have a light and practical menu. However, in the evening, we collaborate with the French restaurant upstairs to specially delivery to our customers a variety of French cuisine from hors d'oeuvres to dessert.

Q: Is it true that you have a dog's menu as well?
Mr. Takeda: Yes it is. We offer mineral water and kibble at the moment, but we avidly rely on the suggestions of pet owners to help us to expand our menu to provide our four-legged customers with satisfaction as well.

Q: What was the most memorable event you held last year?
Mr. Takeda: We had many events, but our first year anniversary was outrageous - we set up a casino with champagne and cigar bars. The turn out was incredible. We really appreciated being able to celebrate together with our customers.

Q: How about upcoming events?
Mr. Takeda: In May we will be having a live event with the well-known Japanese violin and guitar duo Jusqua Grand-pere. We expect a large turn out - these guys are really popular.

Q: In the past, cafes were often viewed as having an effect and place in society. Do you think that it is that way today as well?
Mr. Takeda: I think cafes in Europe have a deep-rooted history in that society. But cafes in Japan, until recently they were quite seedy places. At the moment, for us Japanese, cafes are a type of Brand - which leads to their current success in this very brand-oriented society, but longevity is another issue...

Q: What is your future aspiration for Café Vu?
Mr. Takeda: I want to Café vu to be somewhere that emulates the European Café, and brings that sense of grandeur from life's simplicities to all ages, genders and even species (as he pats the head of a customer coming for a lap of low alkaline mineral water with his master). I want cafes to gain a long and appreciated history in this country as well.

Just in being there a little over an hour I sensed three things about the place; Café Vu is an oasis for those who want to be at home but not alone, an information exchange mecca, and the location of an amazing cappuccino.

Considering the pace of their popularity increase, I doubt that the trend will turn downward any time soon. In fact, there are many examples that cafes are evolving to fill overlooked niches in the consumer market - in the form of value added service. There are several examples of clothing store / café combinations (i.e. Olive des Olive / Olive des Café), jewelry store / café (i.e. 4? and Flags Café, as well as furniture store / café (i.e. Cassina and Cassina Café) combinations - without a doubt, this concept has extensive branding benefits.

Café Vu also has its own value-added strategy where it could be considered the hors d'ouvre h'ordeurve or the dessert, depending on preference, to an 'En Vu Course Meal', the exclusive French Restaurant located on the second floor but under the same extending roof.

Get hooked on cafes, if you think all fetishes are absurd - you might find yourself mistaken.

Shop info:
Name: Café Vu
Contact: 06-4391-1215
Location: 1-17-1 Cor 109 Kitahorie, Nishi-Ku, Osaka
Homepage: www.cafevu.com

Hours of operation: everyday 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Access:
- 10 minute walk from Shinsaibashi Station on the Midosuji Line
- 5 minute walk from Shinsaibashi Station on the Yotsubashi Line