Swallow

This was the first small café I fell in love with after moving to Australia.  I’ve been to here for a couple of times but each time the quality was so consistently good.  I have no doubt in trusting their devotion in producing good coffee for their loyal customers in which some of them travel from other suburbs to have a cup.  Paintings (swallows) are nice.  Food is fresh.  Services are wonderful.  The only bad words I can say for today is that Angus and Jessica were not here!!
 

Back to the coffee, apart from the good brewing skills, I highly appreciate the professional knowledge of the baristas here.  Today Reece briefed me of the characteristics of the beans they were using and the brewing methods.  This is called ‘professionalism’ which some cafés lack.  

One more special thing is that other than the overwhelmingly popular espresso coffee, Swallow also serves coffee by filter methods, i.e. pour-over, Chemex and aeropress.  You may probably know that beans for filter methods cannot be roasted to the same degree as those for espresso but should be lightly roasted.  Who cares to provide choices for the minorities when the coffee world seems to be market and business driven?  

Thanks for Swallow who caters for people like me having some lactose intolerance and can enjoy coffee in another way by the filter method.  Today’s cup is even Geisha beans which are comparatively more expensive than any other beans.  Totally satisfied today!

Today’s Pick:

Cappuccino: Single origin – Gera Jimma, Ethiopia: I didn’t taste the fruity flavor as expected by the roaster.  But the body was very rich and smooth while the after-taste was very long-lasting.

Aeropress: Panama Santa Teresa Geisha – fruity taste like berries; just like some black tea with not a tiny bit of bitterness.

Jessica and Angus,

Congratulations to the opening of your second shop.  I shall be visiting you very soon. :)

移居澳洲以後，這是第一間令我鍾情的咖啡店；其後的數次光顧，我也享受到他們很一致而高水準的造啡技術。這讓我絕對相信他們致力於為顧客提供好啡，怪不得忠誠的顧客也特意從別的小區來這兒歎啡。

小店的牆畫很美、食物新鮮、服務也很好。今天唯一不足之處是不能跟店主Angus和Jessica碰面！

說回咖啡，除了沖調技術優秀，咖啡師的專業知識令我讚嘆。今天咖啡師Reece給我細緻的講解他們用的豆的特性及各種沖調方法。這就叫做「專業」，是一些咖啡店所缺乏的。

此外，除了最流行的意式咖啡沖調外，他們也提供濾沖咖啡。你也許知道濾沖咖啡所用的豆子，不會跟意式咖啡用的豆子一樣，以相同的烘焙度烘焙，而是淺烘焙的。這樣額外支出，在現今以市場及營商主導的環境中，誰會願意顧及顧客中的小眾呢?!

謝謝Swallow，也令和我一樣有點乳糖不耐的人受惠，享用以濾沖方法的咖啡。今天的豆子還是巴拿馬藝伎豆，它的價錢在一般豆子之上，淺烘焙用以濾沖方法，讓今天美滿得不得了！

今天所選：

Cappuccino: 單品俟塞俄比亞Gera Jimma豆，我嚐不到烘焙商建議的果味，但質感卻很厚和滑，而且後感餘韻也悠長。

氣壓式沖泡：巴拿馬藝伎（Panama Santa Teresa Geisha），莓的味道，尤如喝了一杯黑茶一樣，絲亳的苦味也沒有，好一杯！

Mon-Fri 0600-1600

Sat 0700-1400

1 Tramway Arcade, Rockdale, NSW 2216

0404843921

www.swallowcoffeetraders.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SwallowCT?fref=ts

 

Armory Wharf Cafe

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

I was thinking which café should be the best for the Valentine’s Day – Armory Wharf Café.  Honestly, it’s not a café giving you outstanding quality of coffee.  But the location makes it best for dating.  On Friday or Saturday evenings, it opens up to 2130.  Because the location is a bit remote, the café is usually not full, which makes it best for chatting.  You will definitely be tempted to hold your partner walking along the riverside which is just next to the café. 

 

I always think that Valentine’s Day should not only involve partners.  Sometimes, you can’t leave your little monsters (kids) at home.  Well, bring them over here.  The café is actually situated in BlaxlandRiverside Park which is a huge park containing children’s play facilities such as flying fox, mega-swing, tunnel slides, scramble wall, Viking swing, tree house and water play facility.  Oh yes bonuses: comfortable grass land and BBQ site.

This is also one of my favorite sites for watching sunset. 

If I were having kids, definitely I would bring them here~!!

Today’s Pick:

House-blend latte: bitterness with dark chocolate flavor and mild after-taste of sweetness.  Perhaps loving relationship is like a cup of coffee.  You have to overcome certain extent of bitterness before being able to taste the sweet aftertaste.

I did ask some aged couples who were my clients and friends a question, ‘How did you know (at what stage) s/he should be the one for the rest of your life?’  Some of them said, ‘It’s at the point when I started having a feeling of peace and tranquility…’ Perhaps, it is like a river flowing like the old Chinese saying ‘細水長流’

Oh yes, my friends, you are also my 'Valentines'.  Hope you all are happy and healthy in this Chinese New Year of Snake.  With my special blessings for those I met in Silver Spoon @ Laikwan, Pregio and Barrista Caffe HK @ Chester & Forex Coffee Roaster @ KK.  Without you, HK will only have Stxxbxxd, Paxxxx Coffee & Habxxx.  hahaha :D

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

有哪咖啡店是情人節的最佳選擇?! 我想起了這間– Armory Wharf Café。說實在的，這咖啡店未必能給你卓越的咖啡，但地點卻一定是談心的最佳之選。星期五及六的晚上，它營業時間至9時半。由於地點有點偏僻，小店通常不會滿座，因此，絕對適合愛侶談心，尤其當你看見它旁邊的沿海小道，會令你難以抗拒跟你的情人牽手走一會。

我常以為，情人節不該只為伴侶，有時，我們難以撇下我們的「小魔怪」在家。如果你也是這樣想的話，可放心帶他們來這兒，因為，咖啡店其實位處Blaxland Riverside Park內，公園內有很多不同的兒童遊樂設施，包括鞦韆、滑梯、攀架、樹屋及水噴泉等。噢！還有燒烤設施及大草地讓你躺臥!

這兒也是我最愛的看日落地點之一。

噢! 假如我有子女的話，相信我一定會常帶他們來這兒！

今日所選：

店選咖啡：黑巧克力的苦澀過後，換來甘甜的餘甘。或許愛戀關係，正正就像一杯咖啡，必須先經一番苦澀艱難，才能享受過後的甜蜜。

曾問過幾對年邁的夫婦一個問題：「你何時才認定他/她是那跟你終老的那位?」他們中有部份人說：「當到有一刻，你跟對方在一起的時候，感覺到一份格外的和平與恬靜時… 」

或許，這就像河水一樣，猶如中國人所謂的「細水長流」。

祝　各位情人節快樂，找到一位能與你執子之手的伴侶。

Mon-Thu 0830-1600

Fri 0830-2130

Sat 0730-2130

Sun 0730-1730

Public holidays 0830-1700

www.armorywharfcafe.com

Blaxland Riverside Park, Jamieson Street, Newington 2127

9714 7513

love watching sunset here...

This 13-m-old girl is really cute.  She loves the slide v. much~!

Cornersmith

It’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon and there were people lining up for a table at this corner café.  Let’s give it a try.  This was the first time for me to sit at a bar table directly facing the barista production corner which gave me a good opportunity to observe their skills in making good coffee.  Highly skilled and consistent café latte art gave you confidence about their professionalism.  

If you are here, you won’t miss their food.  That’s what I am quite sure.  Why?!  When you look around and find that every table is enjoying at least one plate of well-presented food, how can you miss it?  The bread was excellent.  My friend, who used to work as a chef, said the lamb wrap was the best she had ever had. 

Today’s Pick:

House-blend latte: hardly could I find any fault for this cup.  Good temperature, balanced flavors and moderate aftertaste. 

They actually had single-origin coffee (El Salvador for the day).  I must try the single-origin bean next time.

一個美好的星期六下午，誤打誤撞來到了這街角的咖啡店，竟看見人龍在等候；想定是不錯，一定要試試！

這是我第一次被安排坐在正對咖啡製作枱前的長枱，正好給我一個機會，看看他們的製作過程：每杯咖啡的拉花藝術都是很細緻及一致，顯出他們的專業，絕不馬虎！

當你看見兩旁的人枱上的食物，我想你必抵不住誘惑，來一客他們的食物。他們的食物都很新鮮，包括是麵包。同行的朋友曾當廚師，她說她點的那客羊肉卷，是她吃過中最好味的！

今天所選：

Latte: 沒瑕庛讓我可以挑剔，這一杯在溫度、味道的平衡，與餘韻後感方面都很好。店裡其實是有單品咖啡豆的，但由於時間太趕，還是留待下次再試！

Tue-Fri 0630-1530

Sat-Sun 0730-1530

314 Illawarra Road, Marrickville, NSW2204
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Cornersmith

Double Roasters

Double Roasters joined the neighbourhood of Marrickville only about a year ago.  It roasts its own beans each week.  Owner Scott said they wanted to ensure the freshness of beans for customers.  Because of the good roasting quality, it also does wholesale to nearby cafés.

The decoration, ranging from the old-styled things such as scales and lamps to modern style café embellishment such as fresh flowers, creates an interesting picture in the café area.

Food here is excellent.  It’s a luxury to enjoy a big breakfast here at the weekend.  There must be something you can pick in their manual, including the signature baked beans, pork belly sandwich and vegetarian choices.

Oh, the staff members are super-friendly and informative.  I am impressed by their good knowledge of their food and bean information in respect of roasting and brewing.  This gives you confidence that they can recommend food and coffee to suit your needs.

Today’s Pick:

House-blend Cappuccino: with Costa Rica based beans; toffee and caramel flavor; good and long-lasting coffee art.  I intentionally allowed the coffee to stand for several minutes.  The coffee art stood without any collapse, indicating that the milk was well-frothed.
 

Double Roasters 僅著足在Marrickville區一年左右，它每星期也會自家烘焙咖啡豆。店主之一Scott說他們想確保顧客享用新鮮的豆子。或許因這樣的執著與優質豆子，造就了這店批發的商機，有些咖啡店也來光顧買他們的豆子來造咖啡。

這兒的裝潢十分有趣，有古舊的東西如天秤與燈，也有現代咖啡店的裝飾品如新鮮花束，構成了一個很優美的構圖。

這兒的食物質素很高，週末在這兒享用一個大早餐絕對是個奢侈的享受；你可以在餐單內點用不同的食品，包括他們的招牌焗豆、豬腩肉三明治，及多種素食選擇。

職員超有禮貌，也對食物與咖啡豆有豐富的知識，這樣，的確讓你很有信心，他們能給你最好的介紹。

今天所選：

店選Cappuccino: 主要來自歌斯達黎家的豆子，拖肥與焦糖的口味。拖花做得很好也很持久，我刻意把它待數分鐘，拖花一點塌的跡象也沒有，證明奶泡是被均勻的打熱！好!!

Mon-Sun 0600-1500

199 Victoria Road, Marrickville
http://www.doubleroasters.com

Long lasting coffee art... toffee and caramel flavor of Costa Rico based beans

Poached egg

Pork belly sandwich with sour dough

Fresh flowers on each table

Knowledge of beans on the board

Soul of the shop - the roaster producing 12kg of beans per roasting cycle

Coffee Alchemy

When going to the elite cafés, I usually seek baristas’ recommendation on cafés of their choice.  ‘Coffee Alchemy’ was the one most baristas mentioned in our chats.

If you are looking for a café serving you with food alongside with your coffee, sorry, this café should not be your pick.  Instead, it uses all the efforts concentrating on roasting and brewing coffee.  No wonder there are always people for coffee there, be it on a weekday or a weekend.

Normal espresso based coffees are of excellent standards.  But don’t miss two other brewing methods.  They have cold beer brewed coffee available on Saturdays.  That sounds awesome in a summer day!  Filter drip coffee (pour-over) is good as well.  They usually have 3-4 choices for you to pick.  That gives you more fruity flavors derived from the light/medium roasted beans, moving your palate from the traditional deeply-roasted beans for espresso coffee.

Today’s Pick:

Cappuccino with the house-blended beans: strong dark-chocolate flavor; good coffee art

Filter drip coffee: Panama Don Pachi Geisha gave very fruity and citrus flavor.  I brought two friends in the trip.  They were surprised that the coffee didn’t give any bitter taste but tasted like fruit tea instead.  Not many cafés in Sydney brew Geisha beans which are expensive but are distinctive in the flavor.

24 Addison Road, Marrickville

Mon-Fri 0700-1400

Sat 0800-1500

www.coffeealchemy.com

走訪咖啡店的時候，我不時會問咖啡師他們的心水咖啡店，’Coffee Alchemy’是眾多咖啡師的首選。

假如你想找一家咖啡店享受咖啡跟其他食品，這兒絕不是理想之選；然而，這又告訴你一個事實：他們把所有精力與心機用來自家烘焙咖啡豆及沖煮。因此，不論是平日或週末，這兒絕有不少人光顧。

傳統意式咖啡的水準很高，但請別錯過另外兩種沖煮咖啡的方法。每周末，他們有以啤酒沖的咖啡，給你很雜複與特別的口味。

瀘杯沖咖啡通常有3-4種口味給你選擇，由於以淺至中度烘焙，它給你果味豐富的口感，讓你習慣了傳統意式咖啡的味蕾一份新的感受。

今日所選：

Cappuccino: 濃厚的朱古力口味，拉花也很精緻

瀘杯咖啡：巴拿馬藝伎豆(Panama Don Pachi Geisha)帶一點果酸與檸檬酸的味道，不容錯過，貴得有道理！這次帶了兩位朋友同行，他們都說，從沒想過咖啡可以是不苦的。

 

Consistently excellent latte art

The fruity taste of Panana Geisha beans!

Today's choices for filter drip (pour over): Honduras,Panama, Costa Rica and Kenya.  Behind were the beer outlets.

The beer brewed coffee.. cool for a summer day