【Sunday Slow Moments】A Gathering Place for Hutong Cafés in a Tranquil Alley

The café has been open for ten years and is often mistakenly called “Hutong Café” by outsiders. The owner says the real name is actually “Hutong Yǐnjí ‘Jùchǎng’” (Hutong Drink Gathering ‘Venue’). “Yǐnjí” refers to the space and dining options on the first floor; “Jùchǎng” refers to the space on the second floor and the irregularly held courses and exhibition events. The English name, “Who Together,” also carries both phonetic and semantic meanings, but it’s left for guests to interpret and piece together. Hutong hopes to create an informal space and atmosphere, with a simple philosophy: “to have a place where you can comfortably sit with friends and enjoy coffee.” That’s why at Hutong, you often see unfamiliar guests at neighboring tables striking up conversations over something and getting to know each other—this is the interaction model they hope to convey: bringing people closer together.

 

Take a few steps back to the roadside opposite the entrance and look at this two-story small Western-style house with a sky-blue exterior. Despite its age, it still looks delicate and charming. When the founder was looking for a location for the café, he was drawn to this house’s courtyard and the golden rain tree in front of the door. In summer, it bears purple flowers and yellow fruits. Now, though it’s deep winter, you can still see yellow fruits hidden among the branches. After leasing the place, the owners planted many more plants themselves and altered the original entrance layout, adding wooden flooring to make the yard space feel even more serene and spacious.

The metal sign and mailbox, engraved with the tiny shop name logo, present an elegant posture. Four cats occasionally dart in and out of the house, unafraid of strangers, exuding a laid-back charm. The owner describes: “Where there are cats, a lazy feeling naturally arises.” These four cats are either his own pets or stray cats his friends picked up. Now, along with the guests of Hutong and the room full of light, shadows, and greenery, they form a cozy picture of a pleasant afternoon.

 

The first-floor indoor space features several custom-made Japanese-style wooden tables and chairs. It’s not large, but the slanting sunlight and tree shadows pouring in through the large windows are enough to let you sit in a corner, daydreaming in the sun or weaving boundless, profound imaginings. Multiple birdcage lamps hang in the space, and the tatami seating area with slippers further creates a homely comfort. It’s the perfect setting to sip a good tea or coffee, and pairing it with some of the shop’s recommended afternoon treats makes it complete.

Hutong’s single-origin coffees mainly feature hand-brewed drip-filtered coffee, carefully selected high-quality beans that allow you to taste flavors from various regions such as Central and South America, Africa, and Brazil. The owner started learning about coffee out of interest and ended up falling in love with it. Besides coffee, they also offer a variety of teas. Pu’er tea brewed in teapots and served in tea bowls lets you directly appreciate the shape, appearance, and color of the tea leaves. The refined shape of the ceramic cups is so delightful you can’t help but play with them in your hands. In winter, they also serve the function of warming your hands. Paired with twice-baked Italian Biscotti handmade biscuits—filled with hazelnuts and apricots, fragrant, and “crispy”—it makes for a perfect afternoon tea combination.

For light snacks, there are East-meets-West creations like “French Mustard Tuna Pockets” and “Cheesy Potato Pockets,” all self-developed by the shop. They use Chinese-style scallion pancakes combined with Western sandwich-making techniques and then baked—the part that would normally be bread is replaced by scallion pancakes, which is quite fun and tasty. There are also handmade desserts like tiramisu and chilled cheesecake. Lime coffee chips, made by sprinkling coffee powder and coffee sugar on freshly sliced lime, include all three flavors—sour, sweet, and bitter—none missing. The method is simple, yet it’s very distinctive.

 

On the low table at the entrance, there are CDs, fabric mats, and various handmade crafts. Like any café one might expect, Hutong also conveys a strong artistic vibe through many small decorative items. Irregular art and cultural events and exhibitions are held monthly, including “Poetry Sharing Sessions,” “Film Theater,” “New Year Calligraphy Classes,” and more. These are usually announced at the beginning of the month. The relaxed discussions and exchanges aim to share beautiful things with more people in the most approachable way.