Monday, 26 August 2013

Bread and Circus


Situated at a corner of the complex of 21 Fountain Street is this little café – Bread and Circus.  In a chilly winter morning, nothing is better than sitting in the café facing the window to enjoy some sunshine.


Every corner was well-decorated with fresh vegetables and fruits, potted plants and colorful flowers.  What an experience!


The coffee was well-made with nutty flavor.  The signature breakfast – not-so-scrambled egg set was good in both presentation and flavor.  It marked a good start of my day.


Next to the counter, you could also find some freshly baked products for a lighter choice for your breakfast.  Drink menu was amazing.  You could find a whole page of drinks with different combination of fresh vegetables and fruits.  What can you ask for more?


I totally have no hesitation in recommending this café!

來到澳洲以後,讓我重新認識陽光,感到它的溫暖,讓我不知不覺的愛上它。乍暖還寒的早上,還未能穿上短裝,風吹來,仍是冷冷的。這一刻,陽光透過咖啡店的落地玻璃,吻在我的臉上,非常溫暖,讓人有點感動。

咖啡店的每個角落,也看得出經過悉心佈置,新鮮的蔬果、翠綠的盆栽、鮮艷的花朵在你的周邊,讓你如置身於田園裡,輕鬆悠然的享受美好的景緻。

咖啡造得很好,入口是一陣的醇和,不澀不苦,卻有一陣果仁的口感。

點了一份早餐,它叫Not-so-scrambled eggs,從食物的賣相,到質素,我想沒有能讓我批評的餘地。

它們還有新鮮烤焗的糕餅,給你一些輕怡的選擇。

要一讚的,是他們設有一整張餐牌的飲品,全部都是新鮮的蔬果搭配,讓你在味覺與健康上多給予選擇。

這,絕對是值得推薦的咖啡店。

Shop 2, 21 Fountain Street, Alexandria, NSW 2015
Mon- Fri: 0630-1600
Sat & Sun: 0700-1600
Phone: 9698 2939


Not-so-scrambled egg set










Wednesday, 14 August 2013

Sub-Station Cafe

Along McEvoy Street, there sits the premises of the then Electricity Sub-station 152.  Having finished its mission in the electricity work, it became the premises of a little character café in September 2012 – Substation Cafe.

Once you enter the café, your eyes will be attracted by the little outdoor courtyard where you can enjoy the sunshine with a cup of coffee.  Beans are from Single Origin Roasters.  Cafés and coffee lovers know that Single Origin Roasters is careful in choosing the cafés to which it supplies the beans for quality control purposes.  Therefore, coffee quality is a guarantee here.

Food?! 4 friends and I visited the café today and all of us were satisfied with the food.  Ingredients were fresh.  Tastes were good.  Presentation was excellent.  Most of the bakery products were freshly made in the café to ensure customers can enjoy the freshness of them.  What else could you ask for? 

From the food quality and the ingredients they presented to the customers, I could feel the deep passion of this little café to provide quality food and service to the customers.

Last but not the least, the service of Orit, the owner, and the staff members was excellent. 

All the best for this character café to bring good food, coffee, service and joy to people who visit it!

沿著McEvoy Street, 你會發現前供電站152的舊址,當它完成了供電的使命後,在20129月,成為這小小型格咖啡店-Substation Cafe

步進咖啡店後,你的眼光會不其然投往室外天井的小角落,在那兒,你可以享受陽光,唊一口咖啡豆是來自Single Origin Roasters的,咖啡店跟咖啡愛好者都知道Single Origin Roasters很著緊品控,因此小心選擇供豆的咖啡店,因此,這咖啡店的咖啡當然有一定的保證。

食品?! 今又四位朋友跟我光顧這咖啡,我們一致讚好,食材新鮮、味道極好、賣相也出色。它們大部份的包餅都是自家製造,讓顧客可以享受到食品的新鮮。你還再有要求嗎?

從食品質素及食料,絕對能感受到這咖啡店的熱誠,致力為顧客提供有質素的食物及服務。

最後要讚的,是站主Orit及店內的員工,他們的服務非常出色。

衷心祝福這型格咖啡店,能為顧客提供好的食物、咖啡、服務及喜悅。

124 McEvoy Street, Alexandria, NSW 2015
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SubStationCafe
Mon- Fri: 0630-1600
Sat: 0800-1600
Phone: 9557 9868



















Sunday, 4 August 2013

Café Bolle


This café isn’t fancy.  You won’t be attracted by the decoration.  Yet, it tells you something more important: the passion of the owner in running the café and the good teamwork of the staff there to provide quality service which win the favours of the locals living in Neutral Bay.  Today, I sat silently at a corner of the outdoor area.  Loyal customers seemed to be familiar with the café, food and drinks.  Perhaps visiting the café became part of their life of the week.


Otto, the owner, really had a good memory.  He readily recalled the names of the loyal customers and could even remember their usual orders.  This is called ‘respect’. 
 

Otto shared that it was uneasy to win the locals’ trust initially when he took over the café in March 2004.  Was that because of the myth that ‘Coffee isn’t Asian culture and therefore Asian people can’t make good coffee’?.  Yet, he was so determined to run the café by starting with learning every single detail of coffee brewing and café management.  Every early morning, he goes to the café for the barista role to make sure that customers get coffee with consistently good quality.  This is called ‘passion’.


Café owners know that café management involves a lot of teamwork.  Here, I could observe the high morale of the team.  They were cheerful and attentive to the needs of the customers.  In addition, Otto is ready to send the staff members to attend barista training to ensure that they get proper coffee knowledge and the necessary barista skills.  This is called ‘professional’.


If you think Asians don’t know coffee, please visit this café.  Single shot Vs double shot?  The different tastes brought by full cream milk/skimmed milk/soy milk to espresso-based coffee?  The special flavor of organic coffee? … so much that you can learn from this well-knowledged and dedicated café expert.


Real coffee doesn’t necessarily come from well-decorated café; but the hands of dedicated and passionate baristas and/or owners!


這咖啡店不算得精緻,你很難會被它的裝潢所吸引。然而,它告訴你一點更重要的:咖啡店東對咖啡店的熱誠,及員工團隊合作共同達至有水準的服務,這些足以令這咖啡店贏取在Neutral Bay小區居民的鍾愛。今天,我坐在店外露天的一角,細心靜看常客,他們對咖啡店、食品和飲品都很熟悉,或許,光顧這兒成了他們每星期生活的一部份。


店主Otto的記性很好,他不但能記得常客的名字,甚至記得他們常點的食品及飲品。這就是「尊重」。


Otto說在20043月接管這咖啡店的時候,一點也不客易,特別是要贏取顧客的信任,也許,這是大部份人都以為咖啡不是亞洲的文化,而亞洲人大槪不能做好的咖啡。然而,Otto很有決心把這咖啡店搞好,他親自學習沖煮咖啡的每個細節,以及咖啡店的經營管理。每天清早,他就跑到咖啡店當咖啡師的角色,確保顧客享用一杯質素穩定而高的咖啡,這就是「熱誠」。


咖啡店東主都知道咖啡店的經營管理涉及團隊工作,在這兒,我可以觀察到他們職員團隊很好的士氣,他們面帶笑客,而且很細心留意顧客的需要。同時,Otto不時把員工送去作咖啡師培訓,讓他們得到合適的知識及咖啡沖煮技巧。這就是「專業」。


若你認為亞洲人不懂咖啡,你可試試光顧這咖啡店。單份(single shot)與雙份(double shot)咖啡的分別? 全脂奶/脫脂奶/豆奶令意式濃咖啡產生什麼不同的口感? 有機咖啡的特別口感? … 還有更多你可從這熱誠及「有料」的咖啡專家處得知。


真正的咖啡的確不一定出自裝潢精緻的咖啡店,卻是出自專注及熱誠的咖啡師及/或咖啡店東主!

Shop 2, 9-17 Young Street, Neutral Bay, NSW 2089
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cafebollenb
Mon- Fri: 0630-1700
Sat: 0630-1600
Sun: 0800-1500
Phone: 9953 8012
Email: cafebolle@optusnet.com.au



Well-frothed cappuccino

Latte

Latte with Organic beans - different taste

Omelet

Healthy Brekkie

For the meat-lovers - the bread was unexpectedly good!