Posts Tagged Coffee
Coutume – cafe joy in Paris
Walking down Rue de Babylone a couple of weeks ago I noticed a cafe with startling resemblance to what one might find in Australia (apart from the ice cream cart at the front). It was closed that day and I took a mental note to return next time. As I entered Coutume a week later, I noticed torn paint work, light bulbs hanging naked from the ceiling, siphon apparatus with the unmistakable halogen heat source (Hario) and the tall, cold drip coffee maker. At the back of the shop was a roaster separated from the cafe with transparent plastic. I have no doubt I have found my favorite bench to sit on. Perfect to do some cooking school homework when they are not too busy.
A mini ice cream cart on the right
“Hello, how are you!?” one of the staff said to me as I waited to order. Sounded like someone who knew me. And it was. Antoine, who I met in Melbourne a few years ago, used to have a coffee roasting shop in the suburbs of Melbourne. I remember he said that he wanted to open a cafe in one of the French colonies in the tropics. He would have his own roaster and espresso bar by the beach. I didn’t remember he was going to Paris. But here we are few years down the track under the same roof. I call it coffee foot prints. He introduced me to Tom from Canberra who, together, opened this cafe. They serve single origin, blends, siphon, cold drip and milk based espresso drinks in all its glory. A piccolo latte (my favorite) was easily done. Milk well textured and served without being burnt. For purchase are beans and brewing equipment (pour over, siphon, espresso machines.
Paris as a whole is just beginning to realize coffee is far more than the swill they are used to. A ironic fact is how a city ( or nation) so obsessed with food, drinks and leisure is so late in coffee development. Their deep worship of tradition and the respect of how things are done as they used to be (thinks of chopping vegetables in triangular ‘paysanne’ shape at school) is proving to be a major contributor to their slow embrace of the coffee movement. The competition will heat up though and I really wish Coutume the best in leading this revolution.
Piccolo
75007, Paris
Tuesday – Friday 8am – 7 pm, Saturday – Sunday (10am – 7pm)
De Clieu
Finally, a good place for coffee near St Vicent’s Hospital! Unfortunately I will be in Kew and Peter MacCallum till the end of the year. Gertrude St has been getting a food-lift in the past few years with a pizzeria , bakery, tapas bar and a fine dining restaurant added to the bookshop with only food related books. It’s about time coffee was added.
Created by the owners of 7 Seeds, good coffee will be expected from De Clieu. Day 2 of opening and people are already populating this place like it’s been there for a while. The food menu is short (good), interesting, and acknowledges individual suppliers for quality products. They are going to very busy on the weekends. I hope they allow people in scrubs to walk in too.
Interestingly, while I was browsing the web, I found out that 7 Seeds is also the title of a manga series about life long after a meteorite destroyed most of life in Earth. A side track anyway. The 7 seeds of cafe name refers to the story that a a pilgrim named Baba Budan smuggled 7 coffee beans from the Middle East to India and subsequently spread it from Africa/Middle East to the rest of the world. Gabriel de Clieu was known to transport 2 coffee plants from Europe to the South American Island of Martinique, from where coffee spread to the Americas (according to Wiki).
With coffee demand growing so rapidly sometimes I do think about the sustainability of coffee as a crop.
Pacamara Peaberry
Morning coffee
I love the way the morning sun hits my coffee cups in the morning. The near horizontal rays hit my sleepy eyes and gives me cataracts. My last week’s coffee is from the Nicaragua Pacamara peaberry. It is a cross between the Maragoype varietal or the “elephant bean” due to the size and the Pacas type. The beans are huge, almost double the size of normal coffee bean. Normally a coffee cherry contains two coffee ‘beans’ in close opposition to form a ovoid shape. A peaberry occurs when one of the halves is not fertilized so only the fertilized half grows and takes up the entire whole ovoid shape.
Sweet, caramel and simply pleasant with a half-volume latte / flat white. Then I hopped on the plane to Sydney for a lovely weekend.
Morning coffee and run
- Hooked for fish and chips (great design, good fish, a little pricey)
- Teppansan for okonomyaki (consistent)
- Nihonshu shochu and sake bar (great selection of shochu and Japanese whiskey, unfortunately most of the sake is by the bottle only. Nice yakitori)
- 7 Seeds for coffee (not their best day for coffee, usually very consistent)
- Deadman Espresso (coffee was good)
- Cumulus Inc. (always fun and delicious, my favorite place to eat in Melbourne)
- 1806 (creative cocktails on a quiet late of night)
- Mailing Room (made my own coffee)
- Laurent patisseries (had one good and one bad macaroon)
- Attica (arh, wonderful. Wish the night could have just ended there. There was this smoked olive oil emulsion I could have drowned happily in)
Single Origin
I clearly have not been following coffee trends in Sydney.
We met out friend at Single Origin on Friday morning, pleasent 24 degrees and sunny. Sitting outside and 2 flat whites, each 4/5th filled with a single rosetta arrives. Watching that Japanese barista pull every rosetta with the same intensity as me first attemping to stich up a wound is a reminder that some people are just perfectionists every time. I smile because it was the perfect start to my holiday in Sydney. A few years ago when I visited Sydney, I remeber getting a coffee there on the day I flew out.
Ambience is beautiful. Dark wood benches and tables, some raw; warm down lights; fun flora decorations. If anything a bit ‘Melbourne’? Service good. Though popularity means it’s difficult to get a seat and take aways during rush hours (seems to be always on rush hour) can be long. Coffee was good. An average of 8/10. Their muesli had a good heap of at least 4-5 different fruits on top.
But the problem was where do I go in the CBD during weekends? Single Origin is not open. Mecca is on Saturday accodring to a google search but I didn’t check since the day rained mad. Where can I get decent coffee in the CBD in Sydney?
I waited until Monday to get another cup (plus breakkie). Lucky we stayed with our friend who lives 30 second walk to this oasis of coffee. No, really, I am not addicted to coffee. I just want good coffee and chill and gather thoughts on.
Seven Seeds
I’ve had good coffee. I’ve had great coffee. I have been a weekend barista for a few years at the Maling Room. It’s true that it’s difficult to enjoy a coffee the way it should be enjoyed at a place I used to work.
Today’s strong flat white at Seven Seeds was too delicious.
I just finished 8 nights in the Emergency Department and it was sunny. I had a nice breakfast with the reg in the morning sun at the European. The weekend is on.
The coffee was in perfect balance. Smooth and creamy texture. The surface was polished like glass. I have seen good milk. I can steam great mik. But this flat white was like cream. The art was bold and well defined. A single rosetta with slight colouration inside each pair of symmetric leaf. Like chefs fussing over micro herbs with tweezers, beautifully crafted and seemingly effortless. Flavour was sweet, chocolate, nutty and so rounded through the milk. I tasted another ‘god shot’ moment. The walnut tart was there again. So good, so good. The photo is an old one with some almond crossant I had.
Mark Dundon, owner of Seven Seeds, Brother Baba Budan and ex owner of St Ali is, in my view, the pioneer and the source of much fuss about coffee in Melbourne. When people talk about real passion for coffee, he is that passion. Not for the publicity, not for the recognition. And I thank him for that. If you have ever had a chat with him you will get a feeling that he is someone who only, and only doing this for love. Rarely do you meet someone so humble and self-less
I am car-less for a week or so because someone reversed without looking first.
This weekend is half marathon and then I have to decide where to work next year. Melbourne or Brisbane. I am torn.
At least I can make coffee (and take a photo of it)
I hate gen-med intern and I am about to apply for next year’s job. Please write an enthusiastic letter and tell us why you want to come back to work.
I signed up and went to Alliance Francaise after work for my first French class. Got home and nailed a steak beautifully with some leek sauteed with Taiwanese BBQ sauce. Half an hour of Masterchef and Justine is out. She is also a good cook.
Last Sunday I went to 7 Seeds in the morning (sticking coins in the parking machine as if it was Saturday. I was at work on satuday). Afternoon was at the Workshop bar.
I realize I am going backwards. I made this coffee on Sunday afternoon.
Ok, off to Brisbane this Friday afternoon
Ethiopian Aricha
My espresso machine is waiting for spare part so I have been drinking filtered coffee for the past month. With some awsome-ness certified coffees being offered during cupping by Brother Budan, I am certainly not running out brew.
The Ethiopian Aricha is one not to miss. Picked from an wild variety in the Yirgacheffe region, these cherries are at their peak ripeness and sun dried. The taste is dominated by fruit, strawberry, berry jam with a creamy mouthfeel. No sign of ferment. Right-fist in the air = awesome-ness.
More informed coffee-minded people, correct any details I missed.
An obsession with coffee
Some people’s interests are just unconventional. The Australian latte art and barista championships are coming up next week in Gold Coast. It’s a shame I wont be going to see it. Last year the Victorian championships were held right in the middle of my exams – though I did manage to spectate. Good luck to the people competing this year. Watch out, there is a budding star!
This post hopefully marks a start of food blogging from me (Melbourne) and my brother (Brisbane). Suggestions and ideas are very much appreciated. Thanks!