Monday, 15 July 2013

Whole Bean

It’s uneasy to have good coffee by siphon and pour-over in Sydney.  Yes, I’m serious!  Basically, the prevalent brewing method in Sydney is espresso machine coffee.  Few people like or have even tried other brewing methods.  No wonder not many cafés here provide siphon and pour-over coffee.
 
As a fan of siphon and pour-over coffee, today I really had the luck in finding a right place – Whole Bean.  The café is owned by Michael who worked in the coffee industry in Osaka, Japan for about 20 years.  There he learnt the siphon and pour-over brewing methods in traditional ways.  In recent years, Japan and Korea have become leading countries in siphon coffee and hold internationally important siphon championships annually.


This café is nicely decorated with a comfortable corner with skylight and couch.  It’s more than relaxing to sit there enjoying a cup of coffee.  I like the vinyl records and old stuff at the other corner.  Sitting in front of them is a scooter which attracts your attention.  All come together to form an atmosphere where you would love to spend a lazy morning in.


The siphon coffee was nicely brewed by Michael.  Beans were roasted to an appropriate degree, not so dark but enough to give you the proper flavor of Ethiopian beans.  Michael and I shared the coffee with a loyal customer who comes from another suburb but visits the café regularly because of the good coffee.


Whole Bean roasts its own beans to ensure good and well-controlled quality.  Apparently, self-roasting plus brewing methods for the minority (siphon and pour-over) are something I consider as things only dedicated coffee people care and do.


Whole Bean’s major business revenue comes from mobile coffee cart service in which they do coffee for corporate customers.  Whenever they have big events, Whole Bean’s van carries the mobile equipment to the venue to do good coffee for those who attend the events.  How lucky for those who can enjoy good coffee but need not to travel to buy! 

The mobile coffee service is so busy that Whole Bean can’t open on all Saturdays.  So, if you want to go there on a Saturday, better call to avoid disappointment.  

According to Michael, it’s because of the good revenue from the mobile coffee service, he can finance more variety of coffee brewing methods to the customers, including siphon and pour-over methods which are not readily available in other cafes.  Café owners know it very well.  It takes 1-1.5 minutes to make a cup of espresso-based coffee which charges $3-3.5.  But it takes 5-10 minutes to make a cup of siphon or pour-over coffee (excluding the preparing and cleaning time) which charges $5-10.  If solely from a profit point of view, what would you choose?


Next time when you go to Whole Bean, give yourself a try of their siphon or pour-over coffee.  You won’t be disappointed!


老實說,在悉尼,很難到提供虹吸壼和濾杯手沖的咖啡。基本上,悉尼的咖啡都是以意式濃咖啡為主導,很少人喜歡或甚至曾試過其他的沖煮方法,因此,大部份的咖啡店均沒有提供虹吸壼和濾杯手沖的咖啡。


作為這兩種沖煮法的粉絲,今天我就有幸找對了一間咖啡店,它是由一位曾在日本大版的咖啡業工作差不多20年的Michael所經營。在那兒他學懂這兩種傳統的咖啡沖煮法。其實,近年日本與韓國已成為領導國,屢辦一些相關的國際性虹吸壼沖煮比賽。


這咖啡店的裝潢令人有種舒服的感覺,入門的一個角落有透天然光的天窗及沙發,坐在那兒歎咖啡是件賞心樂事!我也喜歡他們在牆上作裝飾的黑膠唱片及其他的老東西,旁邊還有一架小摩托車吸引你的視綫;這一切構成的氣氛,定讓你願坐在那兒享受一個懶洋洋的上午。


今天的虹吸壼咖啡由Michael親手沖煮,豆子烘得合適,不會烘得過度,卻足夠給你享受來自埃塞俄比亞豆子的美味。Michael與我跟一位他的常客分享了這壼吸啡,他是專程從自己住的小區來到這兒,為的,就是一杯好咖啡。


Whole Bean自家烘焙豆子,好能確保咖啡有高水準的質素。明顯地,自家烘焙及提供只有少數人才會點的沖煮方法(虹吸壼和手沖濾杯),我認為只有對咖啡有熱誠的店主才會願意關顧的。


Whole Bean的主要營業額來自流動咖啡機服務,顧客都是大型企業。每當他們有大型活動時,Whole Bean的小車便把咖啡機運到場地提供咖啡服務,讓在場人士可以享用高質素的咖啡。他們真是幸運,不用千里迢迢來到Whole Bean便能享用好啡!


流動咖啡機服務的生意繁忙,有時Whole Bean亦不能在每個星期六都營業。因此,若你打算在星期六光顧的話,不妨先致電查詢,免致失望。

據Michael所說,因為流動咖啡機服務營業額滿意,經濟條件才能讓他為顧客提供更多的咖啡沖煮選擇,包括是虹吸壼和手沖濾杯這些不是所有咖啡店都提供的選擇。咖啡店東主都很清楚,做一杯意式特濃咖啡為基礎的咖啡大槪須要1至1.5分鐘的時間,收入為$3-3.5。若做一杯虹吸壼或手沖濾杯的咖啡,須要5-10分鐘的時間(預備和清洗的時間不包括在內),售價為$5-10。若純為營利角度著想,你會選擇那類?


下次當你到Whole Bean光顧的話,不妨給自己一個機會,試試他們的虹吸壼或手沖濾杯咖啡,定不會讓你失望!




38 Chapel Street, Marrickville



Mon- Fri: 0700-1500

Sat: 0800-1400 (Please check before going)

Phone: 9565 4063




Siphon coffee

si









Mobile coffee cart


Traditional pour-over using cloth as filter

A relaxing morning with Michael and a loyal customer - cheers for the coffee!

Wednesday, 3 July 2013

Me & Art Cafe



This is not a usual café.  In spite of the small space, this little corner café offers a comfortable environment for customers.  Every seat in the inside offers a different angle for you to appreciate the art work they have, including the internal decoration and the pictures of artists.  The owner actually arranges different artists to post up their pictures on the walls and basically the pictures change at about 2-week intervals.  Literally, you are sitting in a mini-gallery enjoying your coffee.  Wanna soak up some fresh air?  There you go for the courtyard seats!


Me & Art roasts their own coffee beans.  So, they care about the coffee quality.  Apart from the usual espresso-based coffee, you can also enjoy the pour-over (hand-drip) coffee here.  Chai latte was a surprise in my visit with some friends.  

For the food, I highly recommend their pies which are nicely made by a reliable and dedicated individual supplier.  The pastry coating was thin and crispy while the filling was delicious.  The one I had was a spinach-mushroom pie whose flavor was unexpected, nicely seasoned and with fresh palate of spinach and mushrooms.  Yum!  They also have other creative ideas on food by using different ingredients to create usualness out of usual food, for instance, buckwheat pancake with texture different from usual ones.

Big thanks for Eli (Cafe Manager), Dave (Barista) and Tess (Chef)


這是一間異常的咖啡店,雖然地方小小,這轉角咖啡店的,環境卻相當舒適。咖啡店內的每個座位也讓你可以以不同的角度去欣賞他們的藝術品,包括是內裡的裝潢與藝術家的圖畫作品。店主其實安排不同藝術家在店內張貼他們的作品,每2星期換一次內裡的圖畫作品。說實在,坐在這咖啡室內,猶如置身在一個畫廊內享受咖啡。想呼吸一下新鮮空氣?! 那麼你一定要到後園的座位。


這咖啡店有自家烘焙的豆子,因此,他們可以對咖啡質素有講究。除了一般的以意式特濃咖啡作基底的咖啡外,他們還造手沖咖啡。Chai latte也是一個意外驚喜之選。


食物方面,我推薦他們的批餅,他們說是來自一個很可靠而充滿熱誠的獨立供餅商。批皮造得很薄及脆,內餡非常美味。我吃的是菠菜蘑菇批,它的味道很喜出望外,調味出色之餘,菠菜與蘑菇也帶著新鮮的口感,好味!此外,他們也在做食物方面有不少創意,利用不同的材料,在平凡的食物中創造不平凡,例如:用蕎麥麵粉做的薄煎餅,它的質感跟一般的薄煎餅與別不同。



62 Mary Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010



Mon- Sun: 0600-1800

0432 280 356 (Masa)

Email: meandart62@gmail.com












Eli (Cafe Manager) & Dave (Barista)


Coffee for me

Chai Latte


Buckwheat Pancake

Fresh mushroom and spinach pie

Saturday, 22 June 2013

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
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!