Kohiko Coffee House Sweetens Sugar Land with Japanese Flair

Inside the Kohiko Coffee House in Sugar Land, Texas. All images courtesy of Kohiko Coffee House.

Champion latte artist Nicolas Tanaka recently opened Kohiko Coffee House in Sugar Land, Texas, combining expert coffee craftsmanship with flavors and aesthetics reflecting his Japanese heritage.

Since opening at the end of June, the 1,040-square-foot shop at the corner of a commercial strip southwest of Houston has enveloped guests in natural light through two walls of windows.

Roasts are customized by Sugar Land’s BlendIn Coffee Club before baristas lead the coffees through through Mahlkönig grinders and a Sanremo Cafe Racer espresso machine. The menu features classic espresso drinks as well as creatively flavored options enhanced with house-made syrups.

Tanaka, who grew up in Irvine, California, embraces his family’s Japanese roots with drinks such as the Okinawa Latte, in which espresso and milk combine with black sesame and an earthy, smokey Okinawan brown sugar called kokuto.

In the Moshi Moshi latte, also called a “military latte” for its camouflage-like colors of green and brown, espresso, milk and matcha are complemented by flavors of brown sugar and banana.

These are served in an atmosphere designed by Tanaka to be airy, uncluttered and coordinated with the Renegade colorway of the Sanremo machine that features oxidized copper, brass, leather and wood accents.

“I literally built the shop around that machine and color,” Tanaka told Daily Coffee News. “The brown leather complements the raw wood finishes found across the bar. I absolutely love the way I designed the shop, as it feels homey and warm.”

In addition to coffee and premium teas, Kohiko Coffee House offers small bites from local Filipino bakery Jambeto’s, including cinnamon sugar bundt cakes, mochi donuts, and ube crinkle cookies.

“They really fit our Asian-American umami flavors,” said Tanaka. “I really want to expand on this part of the shop, but I am picky, unfortunately.”

Tanaka made staff comfort a priority during the shop design, including a spacious bar and efficient work areas with tools and ingredients readily available. The low bar encourages interaction between baristas and guests. 

“With great hospitality, you need a happy staff,” said Tanaka. “Coming from being a barista, I felt a lot of pride when serving my carefully curated drinks. I want my staff to feel the same without having to be tucked against a wall or hidden behind a bunch of equipment.”

Tanaka’s passion for coffee began while documenting local coffee shops for a college project in photography and digital media. That led him to BlendIn Coffee Club in Sugar Land, where he eventually got a job as a barista and started entering coffee competitions before the shop closed during the pandemic. 

Now a Q Grader, Tanaka continued to compete, winning Coffee Fest Latte Art World Championships in 2021 and 2022. Incidently, Tanaka’s brother, Lane Tanaka, recently won his third latte art championship at the 2024 Coffee Fest Los Angeles.

Said Nicolas Tanaka, “I am incredibly proud of what he has accomplished since joining this industry.”

Tanaka still credits the influence and support of BlendIn owner Weihong Zhang and general manager Aaron Atkinson for his success. Although Kohiko may expand its coffee program to include additional roasters over time, Tanaka said the BlendIn will continue to provide the house roast. 

Tanaka also plans to develop some public education programming at the shop, always with a focus on hospitality. 

“There is a Japanese expression called ‘Omotenashi’ where the Japanese center their hospitality with genuine kindness and attentiveness. I want to bring this kind of hospitality to the industry and open people’s eyes on why we put so much care into these coffees,” said Tanaka. “A huge part of Omotenashi is quality — your quality in your product and how you serve it.”

Kohiko Coffee is located at 4617 Austin Parkway in Sugar Land. Tell DCN’s editors about your new coffee shop or roastery here. 

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