Low Japanese-style tables, cushions in neat rows on the floor, and the aroma of fresh coffee wafting through the room:  Siem Reap’s expanding cluster of cafés has just added a new member to its club with the opening of coffee joint Ca Ca Cappuccino.

The project is run by a Taiwanese couple, Ophie and Mura Mi. Ophie said it was their love of Japanese culture that spawned the theme of the café.

“It’s always been my husband’s dream to live in Kyoto, so we felt this was a way of bringing a little bit of Japan to Siem Reap,” she said.

The café, down a bright lane off Sivutha Boulevard near the Night Market, claims that its professional barista makes the best coffee in Siem Reap.

“We only sell coffee and sweets. No teas, nothing else,” said Ophie. “Our speciality is espresso with panna cotta.”

Ca Ca Cappuccino is easily a place where coffee lovers could hang out for hours. It’s quiet, clean and chilled, and the décor really makes the place unique.

Kitsch soft toys, cute-as-it-comes signage, fun and personal Polaroids, and prettily patterned cups and mugs, make the café sweet and homely, while the contrasting Japanese-inspired clean lines and dark wood create a vibe that's less "little girls’ tea-party" and more that of a cool, cosmopolitan coffee house.

As Siem Reap’s café culture continues to grow, Ca Ca Cappuccino looks set to carve a sweet niche for itself among the NGO-run eateries and ice-cream shops.