Sunday 30 June 2013

Homebodies, Boat Quay

Located on the first floor of a shophouses looking out over the Singapore river, Homebodies is a recent addition to the list of third wave cafe's in Singapore. With views out over the old colonial district, and the Marina Bay Sands in the distance, the warm and cosy atmosphere of Homebodies is a quieter, more civilized alternative to the crowds and noise below. 
Rather than the typical menu of lattes and cappuccinos, only one type of milk based drink is served (lattes), and drinks are divided up by volume - for example, a piccolo is a 3oz, while a regular latte is a 6oz.
Double ristrettos are served rather than single espresso shots. A ristretto differs from an espresso in that it is extracted for approximately ten seconds, while a traditional espresso shot will be extracted for at least eighteen seconds, up to thirty seconds. If prepared correctly, a ristretto should have a richer body and flavour, though not necessarily more caffeine. It also suggests that the baristas have a good understanding of the different factors that make up an espresso - the grind size, extraction time and pressure - as not every cafe (its certainly a minority) has ristretto shots on the menu. 

The double ristretto at Homebodies was a nicely balanced shot, not too tart and not too acidic, using coffee beans roasted locally by Smitten coffee roasters. The dark brown crema on the shot was indicative of beans which have been roasted recently. The first impression was of very distinct fruity or berry-like flavours, which were present, but which did not overwhelm the shot. The seems to be a good example of how the roasting process can enhance or accentuate flavours in coffee beans.
The 6oz latte was well executed - there are a number of reasons why. The texture was notable, in that the foam and steamed milk blended together with every sip - this resulted in a very smooth mouthfeel, rather than the watery, loose texture than results in cafes where milk is steamed at an incorrect temperature, or for an incorrect length of time. The natural sweetness in milk (which comes from the lactose that it contains) was evident in this particular latte, which is something that I don't always see in cafe's - it's not easy to get right. Also, the underlying coffee flavour was still evident - it was slightly muted, but by no means eliminated by the addition of milk - the two complemented each other nicely. 
Overall, I saw a number of things that some other cafes don't offer (ristretto shots) or can't match (bringing out the natural sweetness in milk through steaming), and no sign of some common mistakes that some cafe's do make (drowning out the coffee flavour with excessive milk, or incinerated coffee beans). There is a growing number of cafe's in Singapore which produce quality coffee (Highlander, Nylon and Chye Seng Huat Hardware would all be good examples) - Homebodies makes a good argument for being added to the list.







Thursday 27 June 2013

Knead to Eat, Changi Business Park

A quick post based on a quick lunchtime visit to a new coffee and sandwich place in Changi Business park.

Until the last year or so, there were few options for coffee drinkers in Changi business park - a sliding scale starting at vending machine coffee, reaching convenience store coffee and ending at withdrawal symptoms from giving up altogether. These were not good options. The arrival of a new shopping mall and even more office space has seen a corresponding increase the availability of coffee, from the ever prescient franchise chains, to quirky and interesting places such as Table Manners and Knead to Eat. 

Espresso - there was a small volume of liquid with a light brown crema, so the beans were not stale. The size was consistent with a single shot, so it's unlikely to have been over or under extracted. The first impression was of woody elements with a little bit of bitterness, overall a nicely balanced shot. Not too bitter, with pleasant woody notes and all in all a decent effort.

Cappuccino - the serving size is quite large, It's far too milky though, I couldn't taste any coffee. The execution was ok (microbubbles were there, the ratio of foam to milk was correct) but it's just too diluted. Shame to see a good underlying espresso buried under a tsunami of milk, and losing the interesting character that it had. 

Lattes on the other hand are well executed, and above all else, they're potent! There's a robust coffee flavour from the first sip. The milk has hardly reduced the coffee flavour, and this is a good thing - it's a bold and globose some coffee. The mouthfeel is fine - foam mixes with the milk nicely. Latte art is nicely done. Serving size is fine too - it's a good mixture of flavour and potency. 

Overall - good underlying espresso shots make for potent and well executed lattes, but skip the cappuccinos. Along with table manners, this is currently the best option for anyone in need of decent coffee in Changi Business Park.

Sunday 23 June 2013

D'Good Cafe, Holland Village

With natural daylight spilling through the windows, and the hum of conversation in the air, the traffic and bustle of Holland Village seemed a long way away. Located along a cluster of cafe's and restaurants on Holland Avenue, D'Good cafe is the only coffee roastery / third wave cafe in the area at present.


As always, I order drinks that tell me a lot about a cafe, and the quality of coffee served. The espresso shot contained a small volume of potent coffee, partially covered with a medium brown crema. There were some citrus notes, but they were secondary to the intense bitterness which followed in the aftertaste, and which lingered long after the shot had been finished. The bitterness is dominant in this shot, with some harsh elements present also. This may not be an issue for pour over coffees, or americanos, where the end product is diluted with hot water, however an espresso shot is more concentrated, which can exacerbate harsh notes. There are a number of different types of coffee beans available however, and D'Good offers customers the option of choosing their own preferred type. It may be advisable to highlight this more prominently at the ordering counter though - it is certainly a selling point that not all cafe's in the area offer. 


Cappuccino - there are some large bubbles present in the foam, but not in sufficient quantities to affect the texture. The latte art is nicely executed also. The mouthfeel is dominated by the texture and taste of warm milk, rather than the hybrid of milk and microfoam that can work in conjunction to form a smooth hybrid of taste and texture. The flavour of the underlying espresso shot is somewhat diluted by the milk, but the bitter aftertaste is still discernible. This may be entirely subjective, but the intense citrusy bitterness described above may work better with pour over coffee, rather than with milk based drinks. However, as there are a number of bean varieties available, and the ability to customise drinks, this can quite easily be fixed, and may not even be an issue from week to week.



Staff are friendly and accomodating to requests, noticing when customers are looking for sugar or water, and stepping in to help. Also, thought and effort has clearly gone into the decor and layout, with an intelligent use of space allowing for lots of seating space, as well as a very pleasant al fresco area on the upper level. Busy periods can cause delays however (just as they would in any cafe), with a delay in used cups and plates being cleared, and tables being cleaned. Staff seem clustered in the kitchen and ordering counter area instead, but it should be noted that they did collect plates from the upper level before the end of my visit. Increasing the frequency of staff checks on the upper level may help.


The ordering counter can become crowded, and as a result customers collect drinks after they have been prepared. This may be to keep the ordering counter clear, but one minor issue is that drinks can be slightly less warm when the are collected. This is a minor issue though, keeping the ordering counter and roasting space clear is a good reason for doing so. 

At $14.50 for a single espresso and 2 cappuccinos, the prices are about right. There is also a selection of cakes and baked items available, as well as syphon and pour over coffee.


Overall, this is not a bad cafe by any means, with some admirable traits - a good selection of beans and brewing methods, and a micro roastery - everything I look for in a quality cafe, and I genuinely want D'Good to succeed. With some minor changes to the beans used for different drinks, and to the frequency of checks on the upper levels, this could be a very good cafe in a great location. 



Sunday 16 June 2013

Habitat Coffee

Located along Thomson Road, Habitat has been quietly serving up shots since 2011. A friend had previously raised concerns about the roasting process - the coffee that result had unpleasant burnt flavours, associated with over roasted beans. This was not evident on my visit however, and seems to have been resolved. Instead, a young and enthusiastic crew are serving up interesting shots in the centre of the island. 

Ristretto - the volume is fine, with a small amount of concentrated coffee beneath a medium brown crema. It's a potent shot, with woody or earthy characteristics, where the initial burst of concentrated flavour gives rise to an aftertaste that fades out slowly. The mouthfeel and consistency are interesting - in some quality shots, the mouthfeel is almost syrupy, and certainly more viscous than an equivalent volume of water. The effect is much more pronounced in this instance, and it certainly worth trying. 


Cappuccino - the ristretto shot above was combined with smooth microfoam to produce a hybrid of smoothness and potency. The coffee flavour is not lost or drowned out by excessive milk, and the addition of latte art is a nice finishing touch. It's a competently executed coffee, however the mouthfeel is a little loose - the texture is more liquid than smooth. This is by no means something that can't be fixed, and it's still a quality coffee. 

 

There are a variety of brewing methods available - aeropress, syphon and pourover coffees are available, so that a number of different preferences can be catered for. Ristretto shots are available, which is something that I always like to see on a menu. Apart from being a more concentrated and potent shot, it demonstrates that the staff have a good understanding of the process of extraction that makes a good shot.

With a cappuccino and ristretto proced at $7.40, this is cheaper than equivalent drinks at franchise chains, and is certainly a better overall product. Habitat can be added to the list of cafes serving well executed coffees.