ABOUT

Kiyo had the idea of opening a simple and delicious food vendor.

Kiyo lives in Brooklyn, and he is the executive producer of the reservation-only restaurant in Noho, Manhattan. He is an executive chef/director of this restaurant known as “Bohemian New York,” a very popular restaurant among New Yorkers. His extraordinary taste in food and beauty has continued to produce big hit menus. Kiyo then produced a sustainable food vendor; serving specialty fries and ginger ale, which became B.R.F.

You'll be hooked, once you’ve experienced the flavor and texture of the fries.

B.R.F uses a specific kind of potato cutter to cut the potatoes into spiral-ribbon like forms, thus giving it the name “Ribbon Fries”. As for the potatoes, B.R.F uses Hokkaido’s famous May Queen potatoes. At the shop, the fries are ordered, cut, and then fried to the customer’s liking. With the line up of various flavors, ranging from spicy to sweet and to simple flavors; like sea salt and black pepper. The fries are not like any other fries, they have their own characteristic and flavor, they are crisp, yet soft. The Ribbon Fries bring out the flavor of the potato itself.

Comparing different flavors around the world, lead to the ultimate ginger ale.

The B.R.F original ginger ale became part of the signature menu along with the Ribbon Fries. Kiyo traveled around the world trying different kinds of ginger ale, then came up with his own original recipe for the “B.R.F Ginger Syrup,” he had found the perfect balance between spiciness and sweetness. Kiyo blended fresh ginger from Kumamoto prefecture with various spices for his syrup, then mixed it with carbonated water, which ultimately became B.R.F’s original ginger ale. Those that taste the ginger ale for the first time will be amazed by it’s delicious flavor.

Whatever B.R.F makes does not settle for less.

Of course, the ribbon fries and ginger ale do not settle for less for any menu. B.R.F’s flagship shop (in Komazawa, Tokyo), proudly serves famous NY style burgers, bagel sandwiches, special salads, and appetizers, all of which go perfectly well with the ribbon fries. Just like Brooklyn itself, serving a simple yet mind-blowing menu. B.R.F also serves alcohol, having selected the best choices of craft beer from both Japan and the US. B.R.F also has an abundant choice of bourbon whiskey, and original cocktails. B.R.F makes soft drinks as well, such as ginger tea, ginger milk, and many other soft drinks, using our syrup. The shop is not only perfect for enjoying lunch and dinner, but also for drinks late at night.

SPIRITS

What B.R.F cherishes most in one’s identity is to promote a sense of localism and pride in craftsmanship. At B.R.F, we are on the quest to create that “craftsmanship” and presence. The people who live in Brooklyn really treasure the idea of localism. While taking advantage of the local environment, and creating originality and doing what one loves, and then making that into work. Because of the respect that one has for one another’s craftsmanship and philosophy, the bond is very strong, thus making people love the environment they live in. These are the roots of Brooklyn’s powerful localism. Making the shop at Komazawa a base, we would like the locals in the area to feel what Brooklyn’s culture is, which is the spirit that thrives in the lifestyle’s roots. From now on, rather than globalism, those who treasure localism will most likely increase. Wanting to make another person feel in awe, or wanting to touch one’s heart, can lead to enjoyment from the bottom of one’s heart, that is the origin of craftsmanship. The future can be brighter if the love for yourself, your family, your friends, and your hometown, all come together to connect the world. People live to create. At B.R.F, we are actively on a quest to create a fun world, by proudly cherishing localism and craftsmanship.

PRODUCTS

The first product of the B.R.F brand is the B.R.F ginger syrup genuinely made from the heart. You can enjoy the flavor of the shop wherever, whenever. The B.R.F ginger syrup is very versatile; when mixed with soda, becomes ginger ale, when mixed with tea, becomes ginger tea. With a spoonful of the syrup mixed in with milk becomes ginger milk. Many other drinks can be made using the ginger syrup. In addition, you can create your own cocktail by mixing it with liquor, wine, and other kinds of alcohol. Not only limited to drinks, you can also use the syrup for cooking by adding flavor in salad dressings and sauces. It can also be used in cookies and cakes, and other baked goods. There are many other uses and recipes for the ginger syrup in the “B.R.F Made Ginger Syrup Recipe Book”. We hope you experiment with the syrup and come up with new ideas.

FACTORY

The production of the ginger syrup is made in the factory by hand in the flagship shop. Upon completion of the flagship shop, we were finally able to establish a production line. Each product is made by hand, loyal to the feeling of craftsmanship. This is the realization of craftsmanship that we proudly cherish at B.R.F. This was a very big and special step for us at B.R.F. The shop is surrounded by glass, making it visible, including the factory itself, so that the customers can see first hand what is happening. The B.R.F ginger syrup is our pride, and it is packaged one by one and then shipped.

GROCERY

At the flagship shop, with craftsmanship as a focus, it resonates with friends, featuring a glossary to let everyone know about the product. The menu that is used everyday comes from contract farmers. Everything from the peanut butter, herb tea, granola, coffee beans, and the brown rice, are all from natural farming and all the farmers are introduced along with their quest, passion, and commitment to detail. Rather than “selling” this notion to the customers, we want to “introduce” the farmers to the customers. From now on the theme is about local production for local consumption and fair trade, it will be a link for the producer and the consumer, that is the platform.

INTERIOR

The shop was designed by Sachiko Kamiya, who is not only the partner of Kiyo, but also an interior designer. They came up with the design in their atelier in Brooklyn. Along with the design, the vintage furniture and fixture are all Brooklyn inspired, and gathered in the East Coast of the United States and then brought to Japan. The flagship shop’s interior design took approximately one year to complete from the concept make-up. The biggest feature is the borderless design, so that the customers and staff can feel freedom. The four compartments consist of the kitchen, factory, dining area, and the grocery area. This is also the stance of B.R.F, while feeling as close as possible with our customers, we want to create an environment, that we can all enjoy together.

CONNECTION

Brooklyn with it’s unique regional characteristics, attracts artists from around the world in search of opportunity. People that reside there inspire each other with their freedom of expression. Designers, photographers, painters, sculptors, chefs, bakers, farmers, baristas, etc., are all craftsman. We can also say they are artists at the same time. We, at B.R.F, believe there is no fence between artist and craftsman.
B.R.F does not only stop at food; we want to create art, music, fashion, interior, etc., we also hope to mature as a place to spread the different culture. Those who are connected to B.R.F, and have a fun spirit and originality have created many different outputs. With that hopefully there will be a new era of craftsmanship.