100 Coffee's

October 9, 2009

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Shop 7b Naturaliste Terrace,

Dunsborough, Western Australia.

We arrived in Dunsborough mid-afternoon and being in need of a caffeine hit we sought out the Yallingup Coffee Roasting Company, as we approached we could see holidaymakers seated at tables on the verandah enjoying their coffees.

It had a relaxed atmosphere with polished concrete floors, stainless steel, timber and a shiny red Diedrich sitting in the corner surrounded by bags of green beans from around the globe, two La Marzocco’s stood proudly on  the counters along with a display cabinet filled with delightful locally made biscuits and slices. My wife gave full marks for the lime citron slice and my son’s chocolate slice disappeared at a rapid rate.

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My traditional short mach arrive in a clear shot glass with layers of espresso, crema and splash of milk, a small container of microfoam accompanied my mach for topping-up if required (a nice touch). The espresso had good temperature and body having a taste reminiscent of a mocha/java blend which left a rich lingering aftertaste on my taste buds.

My wife’s tall latte looked great and she commented that the blend cut through the milk nicely, my son’s flat white was a tad hot be he enjoyed it after it had cooled down.

Coffee by Yallinup Coffee Roasting Company

A great little cafe/roastery serving good quality food and coffee and deserves a bean for sure.

Dunsborough info:–

http://www.westernaustralia.com/en/Destinations/Australias_South_West/Dunsborough/Pages/Dunsborough.aspx

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June 11, 2009

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128 West Coast Drive,

Sorrento (just before Hillarys Boat Harbour)

Hours: Mon 7am-2pm, Tues-Sun 7am-5pm

Dinner on Thurs 6pm-9pm

It’s winter, it’s too wet to go to work (that’s my excuse) so what better way to spend some time than drinking some good coffee.

Driving along West Coast Drive with the wind gusting and the whitecaps on the ocean throwing up plumes of spray I arrive at Voyage to sample their wares.

This popular deli/cafe has a huge communal table where thirsty and hungry clientele browse newspapers and magazines while enjoying the treasures coming out of the kitchen.

The decor is modern, plenty of stainless steel, bright prints on the walls and a display of deli produce and take-away fresh coffee beans. The display cabinet is full of luscious cakes, brownies and tarts and was ‘oh so tempting.’

The lunch menu had a vast choice of paninis, burgers, pies, wraps, toasties and savoury tarts to name a few. You can byo for a $2 corkage and they are open for dinner Thursday evening 6-9pm.

I walked up to order my espressso and the Synesso was in full production mode, when my espresso arrived it was perfect temperature with lovely rich crema and aroma, it had a lovely viscous mouthfeel with choc/cocoa/fruity notes leaving a lingering pleasant aftertaste.

After watching the stormy day outside for a while I ordered a flat white, on arrival it had silky smooth textured milk with a little heart in the centre, the Bannister Downs milk gave it a natural sweetness with smooth caramel/choc notes, temperature was spot on, why hadn’t I discovered this little gem before now? Two totally enjoyable caffeine hits, hats off to the crew at Voyage “I shall return!!”

Coffee: Custom blend from Five Senses

Great location, great food, great coffee–2 big beans here for sure.

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May 25, 2009

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239 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai

Hong Kong (midway between Causeway Bay and Wan Chai MTR stations)

Open 7.30 til late 7 days

Zambra is situated on a corner with full glass windows over the two levels, the cafe is downstairs and the second level is a good place to relax, sip on great coffee and watch the frenetic pace on the streets outside.

They have a comprehensive menu and tasty meals were being served to the eager clientele. My son enjoyed some fluffy scrambled eggs on toast and had a smile on his face on completion.

On entering the cafe the La Marzocco was the focal point of the counter area and that is where I  headed to place our order. A short mach for me, a flat white for my son and my wife her customary long black with a splash, we headed upstairs to await our order  and it wasn’t long before they arrived in Zambra’s own blue and yellow crockery with their logo emblazoned.

My mach looked great in it’s little demi cup, a rosetta and rich choc crema, ideal temperature, huge fruity/choc notes, what a totally pleasurable experience from this single origin Harar, their bean of the day.

My son’s flat white had a petite rosetta atop the silky smooth milk and lovely crema around the rim of the cup, he commented that the coffee came through the milk nicely to give a lovely chocolately taste.

Later in the week I happened to be in Wan Chai and was drawn back to Zambra to sample some more of their  wares.

Tika the lady behind the LM informed me that they were using their Signature Blend so I ordered a short mac .  The customary rosetta sat on top of silky microfoam with rich choc crema around the edges, good temp, good body, bold choc/cocoa notes, another great caffeine hit.

I commented to Tika that it was one of the best coffees I had enjoyed since arriving in HK and she replied that “it’s because I am the barista!!”

This is a quality outlet obviously run by  lovers of the bean, they roast their own beans and the proof is quality in the cup.

Zambra is a must  for visitors to Hong Kong seeking quality coffee and not the franchise muck that abounds on every corner.

Two big beans for this great purveyor of quality coffee.

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May 22, 2009

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67 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

G36 Peninsula Centre, Kowloon

After much checking of my map and being accosted by shopkeepers trying to get me to purchase  goods from them I finally arrived at this hidden caffeine haven.

I made my way to the counter which had stacks of coffee bags placed at one end creating a great atmosphere, I ordered a doppio cafe latte and settled in a cosy corner to await my much anticipated order.

My drink arrived in a tulip cup with a rich golden/caramel crema, silky smooth textured milk and a well poured heart. It looked tempting and upon my first sip I was not disappointed, it was low in acidity and had a rich powerful choc/caramel notes and cut through the milk to give a potent but very pleasing taste experience.

After so much effort to get here I couldn’t leave without another coffee so I ordered a  short macc which didn’t disappoint, it had the same powerful taste and  lingered  with me on my journey traversing the MTR back to back to my hotel.

An inviting display of cakes, pastries, muffins, croissants, rolls and sandwiches were on display to tempt anbody wanting a snack with their coffee.

Coffee: Malabar Gold (Indian Josum Select)

Seeking out this little gem was well worth the effort and I recommend a visit when in HK.

Two big beans awarded for these passionate coffee people.

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