#029, barista caffe, 110112

company: JL & CN

conversation: Life, shopping and movies

**It's been too long. Despite my lack of updates on this blog; I have continued to drink coffee, visit coffee shops and perfecting my coffee making skills (latte art? Heck yeah). Nevertheless, I'm excited to be back.**

After walking up three flights of stairs, of course we needed to get a drink! Situated in the midst of many restaurants and office buildings, I was surprised to find a table available for us in the middle of lunch hour.

With approximately 35 seats, the area was spacious and didn't feel packed even when all tables were filled. I noticed that the majority of patrons were ladies, probably from the offices surrounding the area, a stack of magazines on the side were well-utilised by these ladies waiting for their food. I, on the other hand, was a little preoccupied by the different types of coffee-making equipment and pictures of farmers picking coffee beans which added to the coffee shop atmosphere, but I couldn't help but observe how it much more it seemed like a restaurant.

I had a cappuccino, $28, JL had a double espresso, $18 +$5 and CN had a mocha, $30.

Drinks ranged between $28 to $35, with quite a few interesting flavours of coffee (Caffe Banana, Macadamia Nut) and unique teas available (Sangria Tea). There was also a set lunch menu available with pastas, curry, pizza and burgers ranging between $45 to $52, inclusive of drinks (although iced and specialty coffees were an extra charge).

I recently visited another coffee shop in Sheung Wan where the barista kindly taught a couple of friends and me how to prepare a cup of coffee using a syphon coffee maker, (go check out Knockbox Coffee Company if you have the time!) which I assume is how Barista Caffe would make the specialty coffee they offered. Maybe next time.

We did have to wait a bit before our coffees arrived; there was only one coffee machine in the kitchen, and maybe it was because there were quite a few tables in the restaurant, I can understand. CN's mocha arrived first, looking impressive. As much as I would like to admit that my latte art has improved drastically since the last time I posted, I do have to say that it is never consistent!

My cappuccino arrived next. I noticed that it was actually in a smaller cup than the mocha, but that suited me better because I prefer my coffee to be less milky. Yum! The temperature was almost there, although we did spend quite a while taking photos and waiting for JL's double espresso.

We were quite disappointed in the fact that they didn't offer a macchiato for JL, so I went ahead and scooped some of the foam off my cappuccino and gave it to her. I was a bit sad not to have any chocolate powder on top of my cappuccino but it's okay. I remember once at work we ran out of chocolate powder but we got slammed for coffees, so we didn't have time to transfer the chocolate powder into the sprinkler. I ended up trying to sprinkle the powder onto the drinks with a teaspoon... Needless to say, it didn't look as delicate.

Barista Caffe, was a pleasant surprise. The coffee was up to par with other more well-known coffee shops, the interior light and welcoming, and staff not too overbearing. It never got super busy or crowded and made for a nice little place for us to rest our feet and chat.

JL also pointed out that this place allows people to book the whole restaurant for a minimum charge of $3,000 and can fit approximately 40 people. Although there is no view, it seems to be quite an affordable venue for parties. I think Barista Caffe would be a good backup coffee shop to visit if I'm ever in the area, although I'm always on the look for new places to try out!

address: 3/F, E.A. Tower, 18 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

phone: 2511 0998

#028, vella nero coffee couture, 080711

company: JL & MW

conversation: Free stuff, trains and dinner

**Thanks to JL for these pictures, of course I would forget my battery but bring my camera!**

Vella Nero was praised several times in reviews that I had read that I thought it would be a good place to visit. One street away from QVB, I was surprised to find so many coffee shops, bars and restaurants along the road as I had only walked there a couple of times to go to just one Japanese restaurant. After MW had left, JL and I had plenty of time to roam the streets waiting for a certain somebody to finish work. From there, we found pretty much all the other bars and coffee shops I wanted to visit on my list in that area. At least now I won't get lost hey!

It seemed like your average cafe, with a strange colour coordination: an aqua-blue on grey colour scheme did not seem very coffee-like. Although brown was a bit generic (after deep discussion), it at least brought together the look-and-feel of a coffee shop. To me, the place seemed more like a canteen rather than a coffee shop. I don't know, maybe I'm just too picky.

Coffee equipment such as grinders, coffee machines, starter kits, french pressers etc were displayed on shelves against the walls. My birthday is coming up in a few months... Maybe I should point my friends in that direction! A blackboard lined the opposite wall listing "Great gift ideas for coffee lovers" as well as an interesting cold-drip technique which was a slowly brewed coffee in cold water over 12 hours and served chilled with ice. Interesting, maybe I shall try that next time.

I had a cappuccino, AUD$3.5 and a turkey gourmet sandwich. JL had a macchiato, AUD$3 and a chicken schnitzel sandwich. MW had a chai latte, AUD$4 and a roast beef sandwich. All gourmet sandwiches were AUD$8.5.

There was an extensive food menu boasting breakfast (decided against it since I had just come from work), and quite a few salads and soups. Seating extended to a second floor with approximately 30+ seats in total. It was just nearing 12:30pm, so I was not surprised to have first choice seating before the lunch rush came through. I could imagine them getting quite busy during lunch times but they seemed relatively chill.

Our beverages arrived first, but we didn't have to wait much longer until the food came after that. I must say that I have seen quite a few rosetta patterns in my coffees, but never as big or even as this! Needless to say, I was very impressed with the latte art. I've been practicing over and over again at work (when I get the chance, ahem) and the baristas on youtube don't make it look any easier. Although the cappuccino was not as frothy and could be hotter, the rosetta left me taking picture after picture on my phone.

JL's macchiato was served with a glass of water on the side which I thought was a nice touch. Usually, though, short blacks are served with a jug of hot water on the side just incase the espresso shot might be a bit too strong. JL did say that themacchiato was "a lot better than uni", so that must count for something!

A few weeks ago, the coffee bean grinder at work broke. Luckily, we had a spare one that we used to use (but stopped for some reason?). Every day when I come into work, I make myself a double shot piccolo latte with chocolate powder on top (just because I like chocolate), but with this new grinder, everything just tasted wrong! The coffee was so bitter and sour no matter how much chocolate powder I had, it just wouldn't taste good. Don't really know how or why but I managed to scull it down after much hesitance. But that got me thinking about how the smallest change to any part of the coffee making process can drastically alter the taste, look and smell of the overall coffee. We've since returned back to our beloved grinder, but now I try my best not to let any ground coffee sit inside the grinder for too long (which we used to do, oops!).

Vella Nero Coffee Couture at first glance would have been a coffee shop I would've just walked past. Whether it be because of the narrow entrance or the colours shouting "canteen". I'm glad I tried it out or else I would have missed out on a very pretty rosetta and another place to buy coffee equipment. Although there were certain elements to the cappuccino I would have liked to change (temperature, froth), I may visit again even just to see if they have a milk thermometer (I would like to see exactly how hot my milk is!).

address: 259 Clarence Street, Sydney
website: Vella Nero / phone: 02 9268 0755

#027, shirt bar, 070611

company: JL & TT

conversation: Maths, movies & Mad Men (mostly just me but yeah)

Google Maps had actually given me the wrong address, so as I walked up to the supposedly store front, there was a FOR LEASE sign on the door. I was quite looking forward to checking out this store as it was advertised in the newspaper as a bar, coffee shop and boutique. As I decided on another plan of action, we walked by a little lane that housed some other coffee shops and stumbled upon it on the other side of the building. Oops, my mistake.

Shirt Bar sells coffee, spirits and tailored made business shirts. An interesting concept that was combined well together when we first stepped in. As it was about 2pm in the afternoon, the store smelt like coffee with quite a few tables taken up by coffee drinkers (mostly in suits, don't these people need to go to work??). I would say the store had an antique yet modern, contemporary look to it, with the old, antique sewing machines and glass carafes like in Mad Men placed all over in contrast to the modern colours and styles of shirts on sale.

I had a cappuccino, AUD$3.5, JL and TT had a latte, AUD$3.5. It was a relatively cold day, so stepping into

a warm and welcoming coffee shop enhanced our first impressions. The coffee temperature was perfect for this weather. Not scalding hot but a good temperature to sip on and enjoy the warmth. The cookies were buttery and complimented the coffee because they were a tad on the dry side.

What surprised me was their addition of the piccolo latte, cappuccino and flat white: I only thought piccolo lattes existed, but I guess if they exist, it wouldn't be too hard to make a cappuccino or flat white in that style either. A piccolo latte is basically a smaller version of a latte. The beverage is prepared in an espresso/macchiato cup and fill to the top with milk and froth, so there is milk incorporated into the espresso rather than just a dash of froth as a macchiato would have. Was that confusing?

Looking through their drinks menu, I did not see any cocktails (much to my disappointment) but just a list of spirits and liqueurs. They showcased the more expensive spirits on the wall, such as Glenfiddich, Johnnie Walker Black Label and some others that I had never seen before. It was a lot to take in, but we stayed there for a while to observe and enjoy.

I did not see any bar snacks menu - I may have just missed them, but an assortment of pastries and danishes were available, set out on the bar for quick access and viewing.

Shirt Bar joins other new concept bars/boutique/coffee shops and creates an interesting atmosphere to enjoy coffee and drinks. Located near KPMG, you can imagine the amount of people visiting for coffee breaks and after-work drinks. For someone who hasn't visited this area before, it was quite hard to find but with many other coffee shops in its vicinity, Shirt Bar was a standout in the services they provided. More coffee adventures in Wynyard, I guess!

The staff were friendly, giving us water from those awesome glass charafes (all I need to do now is start smoking in-doors) and asking me about my blog (I hid it in their sugar pot, hope they found it). And with a VIP Lounge up above, there is ample seating and standing areas, both inside and out.

I would someday like to go to Shirt Bar during the night to see it in action with after-work business men and women. With a vast amount of choices and varieties of men and women business shirts, the cost although on the slightly expensive side (although I am not really sure how much a shirt would cost on average) provides another tangent of interactivity and look and feel of the store. Just go to look at the shirts, if you must!

address: Sussex Lane: 275 Kent St & Sussex St.

website: Shirt Bar / phone: 02 8068 8222

#026, triple pick coffee, 030611

company: JL & TT

conversation: Movies, decor of the place.

Yes! I am back!

I had originally planned on us going to another coffee shop that served crepes (as I felt like eating them that day) but as I found myself alone waiting for the others to arrive, I

decided to take a little stroll to see what else was around that area. If I hadn't decided to walk down a side street, I would have completely missed this little gem.

JL perfectly describes our first thoughts upon walking in: "Smells like you could eat the air"; freshly ground coffee was strong, aromatic and so yum. The decor in the store was simple, clean and sophisticated. Even the furniture was the colour of roasted coffee beans!

One of the walls was covered in framed photos and posters of the coffee brewing process, facts about coffee and general latte art. Coffee grinding, roasting and brewing equipment was lined up on shelves on the other wall. Triple Pick Coffee roasts coffee beans daily and specialises in "high quality Indonesian Arabica Coffee".

Although the room may have seemed a bit small when we walked in, the owner (Mulyady Suopo) gave us the freedom to move the furniture around so that all three of us could sit around a table. With approximately 8 seats and a couple of stools for window seating, the store allowed for a comfortable chill out area.

The simplicity of the decor was amazing, matching well with the jazz music in the background. When we arrived, there was a father and son sitting at a table with the father enjoying his coffee and newspaper but the little boy was obviously bored, aww. Once seated, a couple more people came and went with take-away coffees.

I had a cappuccino, regular, AUD$3.00. JL had a flat white, regular, AUD$3.00.

I have come to realise that I cannot fault any frothed milk from the majority of Sydney cafes due to the prevalent coffee culture we have here. Knowing that my coffees aren't great I am surprised to not have received any complaints regarding the milk/look of the coffee. The other day someone sent back a coffee I had made because it was burnt (in my defense, the coffee machine was too hot and by the time the ground coffee beans were even in the group handle, it was already burnt).

I think it was just me, but when our drinks arrived, there was a distinct sweet caramel aroma coming from the coffee. It smelt really good. The little cookie on the side was a cute touch and complimented the coffee well.

Taste and appearance wise, the coffee was amazing. But I wish the temperature was a little hotter (not scalding hot but not scull-able either) and the amount of froth in my cappuccino was similar to the flat white JL had. Minor observations...

I noticed on their drinks list they had a new iced coffee (AUD$5.50) option with coffee ice cubes, which was a smart way to ensure the drink did not go watery. Teas and hot chocolates were also AUD$3.00. Larger coffees cost an extra dollar (AUD$4.00), which included two shots. I don't know about you but I sometimes see my colleagues making large coffees with only one shot... I don't actually know which practice is standard but I always thought that with the extra volume of milk, an extra shot would allow it to taste similar to its regular counterpart. Hmm...

Being quite a small coffee shop, I was not surprised to find a small selection of pastries and cookies but that was alright because we had eaten already. Non-coffee drinkers can also enjoy this area with a variety of fruit juices and bottled drinks. Not too shabby...

Hidden in the corner of an empty street (which we later found was the exit for the Bondi Junction Westfield carpark), Triple Pick Coffee provides great coffee for a reasonable price and in a relaxing, comfortable environment. From the beginning of the street, the store may be hard to find and looks like it belongs to the pet store next door.

I would not hesitate to go back and I definitely recommend this place. With only 45 minutes to spare (we were going to watch a movie), we were pretty chilled out and comfortable smelling the air and admiring the surroundings. Too bad there was no Wi-Fi, or maybe that was a good thing cos we only had 45 minutes, I can imagine us sitting there for hours on end just playing Words with Friends, haha.

Anyway, I wish my room was as cool as this store was. I'm glad I decided to come here instead of the crepes store (maybe some other time!).

address: 17 Gray Street, Bondi Junction, NSW 2017
website: Triple Pick Coffee / phone: 9388 9015

fluke

I enjoy my coffee at work too. This one was in Hong Kong.

practice makes perfect

I'm slowly but surely getting there!

#025, the fairtrade coffee company, 080410

company: K
conversation: Uni, life and Pecan pie.

Having walked by this coffee shop numerous times in the past year, we finally went together after K's recommendation. Conveniently located just 2 minutes walk into Glebe (near University of Sydney), it was very boho chic and had a very laid-back atmosphere to it.

The semester previous I had done a marketing project on Fairtrade and I must say that I was happy to be a patron to help coffee bean farmers lead a higher standard of living and provide more for their families. It was obviously very community friendly with bulletin boards in one corner and revolving around Fairtrade, there were ornaments from exotic places all around the world.

Ordering at the counter, we were excited to find that students got a 12% discount on their orders, which I thought was a good marketing scheme and helped entice customers. Looking at the menu; breakfast, lunch and dinner options were available. Pancakes and waffles were $11 and $9 respectively which were extremely tempting but we opted for the pies on display (cos they looked better).

There were sofas, tables and chairs around the store with a similar pattern and colour scheme adding into the relaxed environment.

A range of books and board games were available indicating that this was a place for someone to sit for hours playing, studying (you can see someones textbook in the corner of the picture on the right) or just chatting.

I particularly liked the ceiling decor, although it's not something people regularly observe, after starting this blog I have been more perceptive in almost everything (which is a good or bad thing, I don't know), its elegance and detail was eye-catching and so pretty.

I had a cappuccino and a slice of apple crumble, AUD$8.50. K had a cappuccino with cinnamon and a slice of pecan pie, AUD$8.50.

Alas, we were too busy chatting that we forgot to get our student discount! Next time.

Our food and beverages came quite quickly whilst we were trying to figure out how to play a game which we gave up on eventually.

We discussed how pecan pies are so well-known but none of us had actually tried one, so in the spirit of trying new things, K had ordered one. IT WAS AMAZING. You would think that a slab of something like that would be sickly sweet and very nutty but it wasn't anything like that! I don't even know how to describe it myself, a mix of crunchy (but not crazy crunchy) pecans with some kind of custard-like gel (which was the right amount of sweet) made this pecan pie heavenly and the pastry was a whole other thing, crisp and lightly buttered. Ahh... Despite its appearance, since then, I have been back to get more of that pecan goodness!


My apple crumble was really good as well, the apples were sweet with a twang of sourness but I would say the pastry was the best thing. Chewy but still crisp... Ahh...

Anyway! Back to the coffee. Whilst it was good, I did realise that the ratio of froth with coffee was lacking just a little. Unfortunately, despite my efforts support to Fairtrade, I wasn't sure whether the coffee I had ordered was Fairtrade or not because I did see a sign afterwards telling us to ask them about their Fairtrade coffee. So, um, maybe next time? One thing to note is that Fairtrade coffee does cost a little extra (as there is a premium amount going to the farmers) and similar to Starbucks, you usually have to ask them to use Fairtrade coffee.

I will admit that it has been a while since I've updated and since then I have had my fair share of coffees. I do realise that maybe I am being a bit nit-picky with the whole ratio thing. I say this because whilst at work, I am not great with the ratio of froth to coffee either, mine is probably half and half, which is worse than having more coffee than froth. Oops? Still trying to work on it!

Still, I was happy with the combination of pie and coffee. I did a little bit of maths since they didn't tell us the price of the coffee on its own. The coffee turned out to be only $2.80, which is similar to university campus coffee. I was quite surprised. The pie was $5.50 but I was full afterwards and very satisfied!

The Fairtrade Coffee Company, is a big coffee shop allowing students and customers nearby to chat, study and catch up with others. With free Wi-Fi, I can imagine many people just camping out and staying for hours on end. The outdoor areas accommodate smokers whilst the sofas and board games allow for patrons to sit and relax.

Their prices are reasonable, food and beverages both good (try their Pecan pie!). Their location is one of the best for those just walking from uni (and deciding on the first coffee shop to visit).

Yay for Fairtrade practices and pecan pie.

address: 33 Glebe Point Road, Glebe 2037
website: Fair Trade Coffee Company / phone: 9660 0621