Espresso Organica

I like the idea of Suspended Coffee.  People have a chance to beware of the needs of others, those less advantaged than us.  People of various types, including homeless, jobless, refugees, asylum seekers, torture claimants, elderly and living on the limited allowance from the Centrelink (equivalent to the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance in Hong Kong), receive no or limited government financial support.  To them, a coffee is luxury.  To extend our concern and love to others, the concept of Suspended Coffee was born.  You and I can pay for a coffee which will be given free to a person in need.

At the time when I searched for cafés in Sydney doing Suspended Coffee, this café became one of my target ones to visit.

Although being situated in a quiet suburb in Concord, this café is popular and busy in both daytime and nighttime. 

They roast their own coffee so as for freshness and quality control.  The design of the exhausting pipes is interesting because the few roasters all join to the main pipe for central processing and outlet.  People who have concept about roasting must know that the greatest issue of roasting is the processing of the heavy smoke (almost looks like a house on fire! LOL).  You must appreciate their design here.  As the name implies, they are using a lot of organic beans which organic advocates would support. 

Coffee quality is undoubtedly satisfactory.  Apart from coffee, food was outstanding.  I went there with two groups of friends, one for dinner and one for breakfast.  We were all satisfied with the food (and the price!)  They also do stone grilled pizza and dessert.

I like the decoration here, probably because of the old historic items.  Historic things always tell you and I about the wisdom of our ancestors and how lucky we are for the things we are having.

Well done Espresso Organica, for the food, the coffee and the concern about those in need in the community!

很喜歡”預付咖啡”這個意念，讓我們能夠意識到社會上一些比我們不幸的人士。社會上不同人因各種原因，得不到或得到僅足餬口的政府經濟援助，這些人包括：無家可歸者、失業者、難民、尋求庛護的人士、酷刑聲稱者、老人及得到有限度社會保障的人士。對於他們來說，一杯咖啡簡直是奢侈品。基於以上的原因，預付咖啡的槪念產生了，好使有需要的人得到關懷。我們所付的預付咖啡，將會到有需要的人的手中。

當我在搜尋悉尼咖啡店中，有哪些是提供預付咖啡服務時，我找上這一家。它雖於位處於一個寧靜的小區Concord，但實是當地很受歡迎的咖啡店，無論日與夜，你都可以見到顧客在內光顧。

他們自家烘焙豆子，確保新鮮與質控。烘豆機的排氣管是特別設計的，把數個烘焙機的排氣孔都連上，集中處理與排氣。假如你對烘焙有認識的，大槪會了解控制烘焙後產生的煙，往往是最難處理的(控制得不好，整個室內空間可以像是著了火樣的誇張!) 因此，你也許會欣賞他們排氣的設計。同時，跟咖啡店的名字相關，你或許能想像到，他們用上不少有機豆子，因此，有機支持者大槪會喜愛他們。

他們的咖啡水準不用置疑，除咖啡以外，食物的質素也相當超水準！

我跟兩班朋友到這兒光顧過，一次是晚餐，另一次是早餐。我們對他們的食物也感到相當滿意(價錢也相當合理)！他們亦同時自家製作石烘意式薄餅及甜品。

我喜愛這兒的裝潢，也許因為那些帶歷史的物件，它們往往告訴你我，前人的生活智慧，以為我們現今有多幸福，能享有這麼多的東西。

為這咖啡店在食物、咖啡及對社區關懷上作出的種種而打氣！加油!!

43 Majors Bay Road, NSW 2137

Website: http://espressorganica.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EspressOrganica

Mon: 0530-1800

Tue-Sun: 0530-2200

Phone: 9736 3222

coupons of suspended coffee

Goblin Cafe

Let’s meet ‘Goblin’ for breakfast.  Yes!  Situated round the corner of Summer Hill train station, this little café was opened in June 2012 and well-managed by the dedicated, energetic and handsome chef, Eliot assisted by his brother Anton and sister Scarlett.

The ambiance of the café is comfortable.  The indoor seating area is simple yet cozy.  In a sunny day, you won’t have any excuse of not choosing the courtyard seat to have a touch of the sun and fresh air.  

Today I visited this café with a group of friends.  Coffee was nicely made.  My cappuccino offered some dark chocolate flavor with medium after-taste.  Single origin coffee is also available in Goblin.  

 

Breakfast sets were wonderful: nicely presented and well-prepared.  The baked beans in the Spanish breakfast gave surprises to everybody.  Having some baked beans in the winter to give you heart-stirring warmth, what else could you ask for more?

The end of our gathering was marked by the amazingly awesome pancakes　– Ricotta and Buttermilk Hot Cakes with Poached Quince and Whipped Maple Butter.  The pancakes were expected.  Yet, the poached quince was excellently made to give your palate wonderful softness and sweetness – an experience you would hardly forget.

讓我們與’精靈’共晋早餐! 這咖啡店位處Summer Hill火車站出口的轉角處，於2012年6月開業，由一位充滿熱誠、有幹勁及英俊的廚師Eliot悉心經營，現時他的兄弟Anton與姊妹Scarlett也在店座陣幫忙。

咖啡店的環境相當舒適，室內的座位簡單而舒服。若是晴朗的一天，你怎會有藉口不選擇後院的座位，親親陽光與新鮮空氣。

今天我跟一班朋友來訪這咖啡店，咖啡造得很好，我點的意式泡沫咖啡帶著黑朱古力的口味，並帶中度的感餘韻。這裡也有單品豆咖啡可供選擇。

早餐的定食極好：賣相吸引，並做得很美味。西班牙早餐定食內的焗豆帶給每個人驚喜。在這冬日，暖，夫服何求？

我們聚會完結前，享用了最後的一道甜點－煎薄餅，上有燉煮的溫桴(爛桃梅，梨子的一種)，並配以打發過的楓糖牛油。煎薄餅的味道是可以預料的，出奇地美味的，是溫桴(爛桃梅)竟能為味覺帶來如此妙絕的柔軟及甜美的享受－一種難以忘懷的感受。

6 Sloane Street, Summer Hill, NSW 2130

Website: www.goblincafe.com.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goblincafe

Mon- Fri: 0700-1600

Sat-Sun: 0800-1600

Phone: 8033 0981 or 0425 276 411

Email: goblinkafe@gmail.com

 

Don't panic when you see goblin at the toilet :P

 

close-up shot of the poached quince

 

with Anton (left) and Eliot (right) @ Goblin's important place - the kitchen!

Hello Happy Cafe

There are heaps of Korean people living in Sydney.  Yet, few Korean style cafés exit here despite that in Korean cafés are prevalently available and it is one of the leading countries in Asia in coffee industry.

Although this café has Korean style, most of the coffee choices are largely espresso based ones.  One interesting drink is green tea latte which I tried tonight.  The latte art was really cute!

I really love Japanese/Korean style cakes which are somehow different from western style cakes.  The former tends to be lighter in texture, mostly mousse instead of heavy cheese cake (Remark: The major difference between mousse cakes and cheese cakes is that the former do not use cheese (e.g. cream cheese) while other ingredients such as cream (and eggs in some flavors) are still available.  Yet the absence of cheese gives mousse cakes lighter texture.)  Usually these Japanese/Korean style cakes are made in different layers with various flavors and the appearance is always enticing!

悉尼有不少韓國人，在韓國，咖啡店隨處可見，而韓國亦在亞洲咖啡市場中，為領導國之一，然而，在悉尼卻很少能發現有韓式的咖啡店。

今天，來到這間韓式咖啡店，它的咖啡也是以意式咖啡為主導。但我仍發現一款他們很有趣的飲品－綠茶泡沫咖啡，他們把圖案弄得很可愛！

實在很喜歡日韓式的蛋糕，它們大致上跟西式蛋糕有點分別，主要在於前者的口感較輕怡，非起司為主的蛋糕，而是慕絲蛋糕 (註：起司蛋糕與慕絲蛋糕最大的分別，在於後者沒有用上起司(例如：奶油起司)，卻仍會用上其他的材料成份，例如是奶油(有某些口味，會用上雞蛋)。但就因為慕絲蛋糕沒有起司，令其口感較為輕怡。)這些日韓式的蛋糕，常被做成多層次的口味，而且賣相也相當吸引！

22 The Boulevarde, Strathfield, NSW 2135

https://www.facebook.com/HelloHappyStra

Mon- Sun 0830-2200

Mousse cakes of various flavors

Green tea latte