Kyn, a Korean-inflected matcha cafe, has opened in Rittenhouse
Kyn is the latest Rittenhouse matcha cafe, and they have Korean beverages that are hard to find in Philly, like mugwort and Einspänner lattes. It's the latest concept from the founder of Mari Mari.
Rittenhouse has, in the past few months, been flooded by matcha lattes.
KYN is the latest opening, at 1807 Chestnut St, but it’s got a slightly different flavor. Founder and CEO Young Nam Kwon, 41, is also using the store — which he hesitates to call a cafe — to introduce Philly to beverages that have reached viral status in his home country of South Korea, such as mugwort lattes and einspänner lattes (Einspänners are a traditional Viennese coffee layered with cold whipped cream and served in a glass).
Frequent shoppers at H Mart in North Philadelphia (and also Orlando, Fla.) may know Kwon for being the founder of Mari Mari, which has outposts of his fast-casual concept in food courts of the supermarket, as well as a bustling flagship location on 13th Street.
Mari Mari serves inari (or tofu skins) stuffed with sushi rice and various toppings, and Korean-Japanese sushi rolls, made to order.
KYN rhymes with “keen,” a word that Kwon latched onto “because it means one has a sharp mind,” he said. The letters also happen to be his initials.
Why the jump from sushi to matcha? Kwon had tried to go into audio production, a subject he had majored in in university, but the time wasn’t quite right to pursue a career in it. “Back then, 20 years ago, K-pop wasn’t huge, but now it is,” he said.
Kwon worked in high-end restaurants in Gangnam, Seoul’s wealthiest district, before his aunt beckoned him to move to New York City, where he continued working in sushi restaurants.
During his tenure in New York, Kwon fell in love with its cafe culture and all the places where he could sit and drink coffee all day.
“But I’m not a barista. Baristas need a lot of skill and technique, and I thought of matcha as more of a culinary concept,” said Kwon, whose employees whisk each cup by hand.
Kwon sources matcha from Uji in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, but as a small, newer business, KYN is not immune to the vicissitudes of importing the ingredient.
The mugwort he uses for earthy, herbaceous lattes also comes from Uji, despite the flowering plant being far more popular in South Korea.
For KYN’s signature drinks, matcha powder and hojicha powder are mixed into house-made whipped cream, which can also be used to top einspänners. The practice means KYN’s beverages are costly for Kwon to produce.
“We’re using 4.5 grams of matcha powder for the drink itself, then putting so much more in the cream. It’s super, super expensive for us to make.”
“But we can lose money for now,” said Kwon. “Quality matters.”
The serene, plywood-paneled space has been perpetually packed since its opening.
Kwon hopes to open another KYN in Fishtown — “it would fit the vibe of the neighborhood,” he said.
KYN is open seven days a week, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
KYN, 1807 Chestnut St., instagram.com/kyn_concept
