A “coffee omakase” is something I never knew I needed until I experienced one at Gute Leute, a Korean coffee shop that opened in Ballston in December.
The Japanese term omakase (which translates as “I leave it up to you”) typically refers to a chef’s tasting menu at a sushi restaurant—but in this case, the tasting centers on flights of caffeinated beverages from one of two barista-curated menus. The Special course, which changes seasonally, includes five hot and cold coffee and tea-based drinks for $35. The Signature course is a flight of four libations for $22. Many of the drinks are cold and most of them are on the sweet side, so be forewarned.
Sang Moon, a restaurant consultant and franchisee, was an original investor in the Gute Leute coffee chain, which began in Seoul. He chose Northern Virginia for its first U.S. location mostly for convenience—he lives in Fairfax and co-owns the cafe with businessperson Sean Moon (no relation). An avowed Germanophile, Sang went to college in Germany, where he was a fan of the coffee culture. Hence the shop’s name, which means “good people” in German.
The spacious, 2,100-square-foot cafe features lots of light and seating for 34, including an eight-person counter, where omakase tastings (reservations required) are held. Gute Leute also sells coffee and tea drinks, plus pastries, a la carte. The company’s logo, a pine cone, represents people’s evergreen enthusiasm for coffee.
Quaffs from the Signature menu include a drink called the pine cone (espresso, lemon juice and whipped cream in a cocoa- and sugar-rimmed cup); granita (like an affogato, but with lemon sorbet); and gute Leute (sweet espresso with caramel sauce and crumbled butterscotch cookies).
Of the seasonal specials I tried, the lavender float (espresso with oat milk and lavender whipped cream) and bubble espresso were favorites. In crafting the latter, head barista Elliott Zhang provides a bit of theater, using a special heat gun to create an enormous bubble atop a glass layered with espresso and cinnamon-infused apple juice. Popping the bubble releases apple and rosemary-scented smoke over the coffee and brings delighted smiles to those who partake.
Follow @gute_leute_usa on Instagram to make an omakase reservation.