1. Discovering WYND Coffee—Where Art, Culture, and Coffee Come Together in Los Angeles
Tucked into the lively streets of Virgil Village in Los Angeles—a neighborhood known for its taco stands, eclectic boutiques, and vintage shops—something unexpected has quietly taken root. It’s called WYND Coffee & Art Gallery, and this minimalist yet refined café is redefining what third-wave coffee means on the U.S. West Coast.
I came across WYND, and I was immediately struck by how intentional everything felt. The founder, Marcelo “Celo” Kim, is a Korean-American barista and coffee professional who created WYND with a specific vision: to blend multiculturalism, creativity, and quality into one cohesive experience. According to the Los Angeles Times, Kim wanted WYND to be “a hybrid of modern specialty coffee and rotating art exhibitions.” It made sense when I learned about his background—born in South America, raised in the U.S., and inspired by his Asian roots.
Located at 900 N. Virgil Avenue, WYND sits right at the crossroads of East Hollywood and Silver Lake. Even from the outside, its sleek, clean-lined storefront draws you in. What sets WYND apart isn’t just its coffee—which is excellent—but how it’s served in a way that feels both inclusive and artistically designed. While some cafés in the third-wave world lean into exclusivity or extreme minimalism, WYND has found a rare balance. One reviewer put it best: it feels “curated, but comfortable.
Kim’s approach isn’t just about how the space looks. The menu itself tells his story. You’ll find ceremonial-grade Japanese matcha（抹茶）, Latin-American inspired lattes, and other drinks that speak to the fusion of his identity and values. As Kim shared in interviews, he wanted WYND to be a place where diverse flavors and narratives could naturally come together—“like the wind, flowing across borders.” And honestly, that’s exactly how it felt.
2. Kiyokazu Suzuki and the Birth of Glitch Coffee—From Programming to Pour-Over Perfection
Before becoming one of Japan’s most respected specialty coffee figures, Kiyokazu Suzuki（鈴木清和） lived a completely different life. In his early twenties, he worked as a programmer—a career that felt safe, but didn’t satisfy his passion.
In his free time, he explored traditional Japanese crafts like silverwork, ceramics, and glassblowing. Then one day, something ordinary yet powerful happened: Suzuki brewed a pour-over coffee using a ceramic cup he had made by hand. When he served it to friends, their enthusiastic reactions lit a spark in him. It made him realize that coffee could also be a form of craft—an expression that could bring people joy and connection, just like the crafts he loved.
From that moment on, Suzuki knew he had to pursue this new path. He trained under a Japanese Barista Championand began working at a roasting facility to build his skills. A major milestone came when he joined the Tokyo shop of Paul Bassett, the legendary Australian barista who won the World Barista Championship at age 25. Suzuki joined the team around 2008, and over the next 12 years, he held key roles such as head roaster and chief barista. He even helped launch international Paul Bassett locations in South Korea.
It was during this time that Suzuki developed a strong appreciation for single-origin coffee and light roasts—ideas that were still fairly new in Japan. He became especially interested in the roasting process, seeing it as just as important—if not more so—than brewing. When asked if he wanted to be a barista or a roaster, he answered without hesitation:
“I want to roast.”
That conviction set the foundation for his next chapter.
Glitch Coffee & Roasters: Tokyo’s Light Roast Pioneer
In April 2015, Suzuki opened Glitch Coffee & Roasters in Jimbocho（神保町）, a Tokyo neighborhood famous for its secondhand bookstores and old-school coffee shops. He deliberately avoided trendy areas. Jimbocho had depth, character, and a sense of timelessness. Suzuki said he wanted a location “where a café could last for generations.”
Glitch was built on a set of strong, clear principles from the start:
- Serve only single-origin beans（シングルオリジン）
- Roast light, to emphasize the bean’s natural flavors
- Use hand-drip (pour-over) brewing methods, not espresso
- Avoid blending beans, to honor the identity of each farm and producer
These choices were bold. At the time, Japan’s coffee scene was still dominated by dark roasts and blended beans. But Suzuki believed transparency and traceability were more important. At Glitch, every coffee has a clear origin, and the name of the farm or producer is often shared with the customer. It’s about more than taste—it’s about education, connection, and respect for the source.
Even the name “Glitch” reflects Suzuki’s deeper philosophy. In tech, a “glitch” is a flaw or malfunction. But Suzuki sees beauty in those imperfections. While the Glitch team records roast profiles with scientific precision, Suzuki also encourages them to embrace unexpected outcomes—those “glitches” can sometimes lead to entirely new flavor discoveries.
From Jimbocho to Nagoya, Osaka—and the World
Since its launch, Glitch Coffee has grown far beyond Jimbocho. New locations have opened in Akasaka, Nagoya, and Osaka. In each city, Suzuki continues to introduce his light roast, single-origin philosophy to new audiences, often in areas where darker coffee profiles are the norm.
Glitch has also earned a place on the global map. It’s now a must-visit destination for international coffee professionals traveling to Tokyo. Its focus on hand-drip brewing, paired with Japanese hospitality and minimalist design, has especially resonated with overseas visitors.
Glitch has become far more than a coffee shop. It’s a living expression of Japanese craftsmanship and minimalismon the global stage.
3. WYND and Glitch Unite: A Pop-Up That Bridged Tokyo and LA
When I heard that WYND Coffee and Glitch Coffee & Roasters were teaming up, I knew something special was happening. This wasn’t just a collaboration—it was a milestone.
Even before WYND’s official grand opening, in early 2025, they announced they would host Glitch Coffee for a special pop-up event in Los Angeles. For those of us who admire Japanese coffee culture, this was huge: Glitch’s first-ever appearance on U.S. soil.
Though Kiyokazu Suzuki isn’t a co-founder of WYND, he played a key role in this project—as both a collaborator and mentor to the WYND team. His involvement signaled something serious: WYND wasn’t just another trendy LA coffee spot. They were genuinely committed to connecting with Japan’s most respected coffee talent.
The event was branded a “bar takeover”, and it was far more than just a guest shift. Suzuki and his colleague Akira, a skilled Glitch barista, traveled from Japan to LA to lead a weekend-long pop-up experience. For two full days, WYND transformed into a Glitch-style café.
They brought an exclusive lineup of single-origin coffees from Ethiopia, Colombia, and Costa Rica, each brewed with the same precision and care as at Glitch’s flagship in Jimbocho. They used their signature hand-drip methods（ハンドドリップ）, served on a bar that had never seen this kind of performance before. You could also buy Glitch’s retail beans right there—a rare chance to bring Tokyo’s coffee scene home.
And it was a hit. People lined up early in the morning, including Japanese expats and local LA coffee lovers, all eager to experience Suzuki’s coffee in person. WYND’s Instagram post after the event said it all:
“We were genuinely surprised and grateful to see so many people come out to support Glitch Japan’s first appearance in LA.”
June 2025: Glitch Returns to WYND
Just a few months later, in June 2025, Glitch came back to WYND for a second takeover—this time, with even more buzz and a refreshed coffee menu.
One standout was the Colombia Risaralda – Milan Culturing variety—a special lot that Glitch highlighted during the event. Once again, the focus was crystal clear: no espresso, no matcha, and no signature drinks. This was all about filter coffee only, creating space to fully immerse in the Glitch philosophy of simplicity and precision.
WYND shared the announcement like this:
“Glitch Coffee, Japan is back this weekend at WYND! We’re honored to welcome them again. Espresso, matcha, and signature drinks will not be available during this pop-up, so we can focus fully on the Glitch experience.”
And again, the crowd showed up. Customers lined up for the chance to interact with Suzuki and the Glitch team directly, many for the second time. It didn’t matter that there was no espresso or sweet lattes—people came for the purity and the craft.
A Lasting Transpacific Connection
This partnership turned out to be more than just a couple of events.
For WYND, hosting Glitch brought immediate credibility. It positioned them not just as a new café in LA, but as a serious player in the global specialty coffee scene. It helped set a tone of intentionality, rooted in design, culture, and craftsmanship.
For Suzuki, it fulfilled a longtime goal: to share Japanese coffee culture overseas, and to do it on his own terms—without having to build a permanent location in the U.S.
Most importantly, these events showed that coffee can transcend borders. Suzuki’s roasts, once available only in Tokyo, found new fans in Los Angeles. And WYND’s guests got to experience a completely different brewing philosophy—one rooted in Japanese minimalism, precision, and respect for origin.
Since then, WYND has continued to stock Glitch beans and has even hinted at future joint events. It feels like this isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of an ongoing conversation between two cities, connected by their love for great coffee.
4. Inside WYND: Minimalist Design, Innovative Drinks, and Art That Speaks
When I first walked into WYND Coffee & Art Gallery, it looked like the kind of sleek, modern space you'd expect in a design magazine: polished concrete floors, stainless steel accents, and warm beige-toned walls. But it only took a moment to realize that everything—literally everything—was curated with deep intention.
WYND isn’t just a coffee shop. It’s a multi-sensory space where coffee, art, and design flow together. And true to its name, it feels like a place where creative energy moves freely—like the wind.
A Space That Feels Like a Gallery (But Invites You to Stay)
The interior has a calm, gallery-like feel without ever becoming too cold or sterile. As The Infatuation described it, it’s “a chic coffee shop in Virgil Village with lots of stainless steel and beige.” But beyond that, it’s also warm and open.
There’s indoor and outdoor seating, but the center of the space is the barista station, which feels like the heart of the whole operation. The layout is open and uncluttered—inviting you to breathe, reflect, and actually enjoy your coffee without distraction.
WYND even collaborated with OWIU Design, a local architecture studio, to produce their in-house ceramics. These include espresso cups, tea bowls, and matcha vessels（抹茶碗）that reflect both Japanese and Korean aesthetics. And guess what? They`re available for purchase, adding yet another layer to the whole café gallery fusion.
The Menu: Multicultural, Inventive, and Crafted With Care
While the design is clean and minimal, the drink menu is anything but minimal. WYND has quickly earned a reputation for offering inventive, internationally inspired drinks that go way beyond traditional lattes.
Some of the highlights?
- Clarified Yuzu Coffee: This blew my mind. A cold coffee drink made with espresso, fresh yuzu（柚子）juice, and milk, clarified using a cocktail technique known as milk-washing. The result is a clear, golden, silky beverage that takes up to 8 hours to prepare. Yes, eight.
- Tres Leches Latte: Inspired by Latin American flavors, this latte includes evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk, and is topped with a cinnamon mascarpone cream. It’s rich, sweet, and borderline dessert. Honestly? A must-try.
- Japanese Matcha & Seasonal Offerings: WYND doesn’t forget its tea lovers. The café serves ceremonial-grade matcha（抹茶） and rotates in seasonal drinks that reflect the multicultural heritage of both the founders and their guests.
Each drink seems like a chapter in Celo Kim’s life story—a blend of South American roots, American upbringing, and Asian cultural identity. The menu is more than a selection. It’s a reflection of the very philosophy behind WYND.
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About the author
Kei Nishida
Author, CEO Dream of Japan
Certification: PMP, BS in Computer Science
Education: Western Washington University
Kei Nishida is a passionate Japanese tea and coffee connoisseur, writer, and the founder and CEO of Japanese Coffee Co. and Japanese Green Tea Co., both part of Dream of Japan.
His journey began with a mission to introduce the world to the unparalleled quality of Japanese green tea. Through Japanese Green Tea Co., he established the only company that sources premium tea grown in nutrient-rich sugarcane soil—an innovation that led to multiple Global Tea Champion awards.
Building on this success and his passion for Japanese craftsmanship, Kei expanded into the world of coffee, pioneering the launch of Japanese Coffee Co., the first company to bring Sumiyaki charcoal-roasted coffee to a global audience. His dedication to authenticity and quality ensures that this traditional Japanese roasting method, once a well-kept secret, is now enjoyed worldwide.
Beyond tea and coffee, Kei has also introduced Japan’s legendary craftsmanship to the world through Japanese Knife Co., making handmade katana-style knives—crafted by a renowned katana maker—available outside Japan for the first time.
Kei’s journey continues as he seeks out and shares the hidden treasures of Japan, one cup and one blade at a time.
Learn more about Kei
