KYO – Coffee Project
G05/27 Lonsdale Street, Braddon, Canberra ACT
We were lucky enough to stumble across KYO while walking the streets in Canberra, with the cafe opening only two days prior to our arrival. Having spent these past few years working at ONA Coffee, owner Michael is now taking his coffee career to the next level by starting his own coffee roasting company and cafe with his partner. Michael is perfecting his roasting skills with CRS in Sydney, travelling back and forth over the mountain range to Canberra each week. Indeed, last year he entered his coffees into The Golden Bean and earned some very high scores.
The KYO cafe itself is a hidden gem located in a newly developed concrete block tucked away in Canberra’s main food district, Lonsdale Street. It presents itself as a small oasis, with stunning red brick walls bringing warmth to the industrial surroundings. The backlit ceiling panels and dark wood detailing evokes a modern Japanese dojo. There is a side window where you can sit at the bench and enjoy your coffee, while being surrounded by handcrafted boutique stalls and further seating.
Just two days in, there was a constant buzz of folks coming and going; indeed, it felt almost like an established local favourite. Michael’s attention to detail and growing mastery of both roasting and brewing coffee shone through in the flat whites we all enjoyed. Most impressive to the Café Culture team though, was the attention and service given to every customer. No one was left out, nothing was too much trouble and already the KYO team were on first name terms with all who came.
We would like to extend our thanks to Michael & KYO for your excellent hospitality, and to anyone finding themselves down Canberra way, stop in for a coffee and chat. You won’t regret a thing.
by Tilly Edwards & Connor Fox
