Drury Lane, Tanjong Pagar, Singapore

Drury lane 

Early Friday evening - the last of the days sunlight falls through a stairwell, landing on the dark wooden floors and furniture. The hustle and bustle of the traffic and the neon signage of the Korean BBQ places and minimarts are silenced by the tunes floating through the air, and the quiet murmur of conversations - it's its own little contained space, like a bubble of London transported to a shophouse in Tanjong Pagar. It feels like it could be anywhere - Rathmines in Dublin and Ximending in Taipei come to mind, to the extent where I would not be entirely surprised if I stepped out again and found myself in either one.

As interesting as the ambiance as, the whole point is (or certainly should be) decent coffee. A lot of places can pull shot as, but not all can pull customers back for more, particularly so in a market which appears to be approaching saturation point.

Fortunately, they delivered. 

Espresso - 40 mls that tells me a lot about what's happening behind the counter anywhere. Looking down, I could see the correct volume for a single, with a medium brown crema lining the rim of the cup. (No surprise there, one unintended consequence of the recent profusion of cafes is that any coffee place using stale beans simply won't last). It's an Interesting combination (I see exactly why the cappuccino worked) - potent without being burnt, robust without being overwhelming, acidic but not astringent. It might be too strong for some tastes though, or for anyone who prefers a less intense shot. From my point of view it's a good blend of beans for drinks as it's strong enough to retain its character when blended with milk. There's nothing wrong here - no grounds in the shot, no off flavours. Score one for the barista. 

The photo doesn't exactly do the cappuccino below justice - it was a beautiful pour, with intricate latte art 

layered over microfoam. It works as a combination of ingredients - strong potent coffee rips through the foam, no loss of flavour at all, milk hardly dilutes it - great combination of milk and foam working together. The latte art is intricate too. Serving size spot on. 

Also serves tea, if that's your thing. 

There is a small selection of cakes and baked goods downstairs, and the pricing is right where it should be - it's certainly not overpriced. One point if contention though - turkey bacon is used in sandwiches instead of real bacon, which might not appeal to everyone.

Overall, certainly worth a visit for anyone in the area, and tag late night opening means it's making regular appearances in my Friday nights.

Flat White, Berwick St, London

There was a stark contrast between the cold, grey and rainy London outside, and the bright primary coloured walls, with Beatles songs and the bustle of conversations in the background. 

Espresso - the volume was a double. There's a slight syrupy mouthfeel, and despite the volume, it doesn't feel watered down. A medium dark crema tells me that the beans are fresh. It's acidic but not hugely so, the aftertaste fades quickly, and gives rise to a more earthy flavour, but something's off - there's a noticeable aftertaste with each sip. Small, very fine particles of ground coffee in the shot are responsible - it's possible that the grind size in the grind size is responsible. I didn't finish the shot, which is rare. 

Latte - dark crema topped off with nice latte art, but some larger bubbles are present in some of the drinks, causing the foam to come apart, which affects the mouthfeel. There is very little smoothness imparted by the foam - although it is a latte so that's not what we are looking for. After a while, the foam falls apart entirely - steaming technique is not quite there.

The Piccollo latte suffers from excess acidity, it's quite sour, and the potency is not apparent through the sour taste. 

Overall it's not terrible but it does need work - fix the grind size and the acidity and this could be very good indeed. The potential is certainly there, the intent is there, the execution is slightly off though. It's a pity, because the effort that has been made is obvious, as is the potential for a hidden gem of a cafe.

Cafe Crema, Jurong

Cafe Crema is a new addition to the coffee scene in the West of Singapore, which until recently was lacking quality coffee (with Jimmy Monkey being a notable exception). 

Espresso - dark brown crema topped a potent and rich, syrupy shot. There was some acidity, but it was not overwhelming or astringent - this was a nicely balanced shot. The volume was just right, not over or under extracted, so that the intensity of the shot was not lost. In a nutshell, the baristas know what they're doing. They know the difference between a single and a double shot, with the barista correctly pointing out which was which when they were delivered.

Piccolo latte - this is advertised as a speciality of the cafe, with a prominent sign over the counter explaining what it is - even now, with an abundance of cafe's, they are not that common. Fortunately, the expectation lived up to the reality. The things that make up a good piccolo ate here - the correct size and layer of foam, smooth microfoam with competent latte art, with the foam imparting the correct mouthfeel and smoothness. Coffee taste is still there, as it should be in a Piccollo. 

One thing that I noticed - there are ristretto shots on the menu, which is something that is even less common than a piccolo. This tells me that there is a fundamental product knowledge amongst the staff - they know the difference between an espresso and ristretto - the basic building blocks of any coffee - it's harder to get a bad coffee when the fundamentals are correct.

I noticed two potential improvements though - there does not seem to be any drip / filter coffees on the menu. It would be good to have an option for V60 pourovers, Aeropress or Chemex coffees too - they don't take up a lot of space, and this will allow Cafe Crema to cater to a wider variety of tastes. Also, some of the serving sizes seen quite large - roughly around 7oz - so the coffee flavour may be lost. However, I have not tried those drinks, so I can't confirm that until I do.

This is definitely somewhere I'd come back to, and it's a pleasant surprise to find it amongst the usual selection of lookalike franchises. Simple, well crafted shots are all that I need.

La Ristretto's

Novena medical centre is exactly as you would expect - unremarkable corridors lined with doctors offices, waiting rooms, more doctors offices, yet more waiting rooms, and in the midst of all this, an unexpected outlier - a small and cosy Italian style cafe, serving up interesting ristretto shots. 

The inside is quite small and cosy, but the limited space is put to good use. A communal table lies in the centre of the room, flanked by counter seats, and a door that leads to a shaded outdoor seating area. Tampers and espresso shot cups line the shelves, while the staff pull shots at an open bar counter lined with espresso machines and grinders. I like the concept - it's always interesting to see the baristas at work, and for coffee geeks, to see the shots themselves being pulled. This can tell you a lot about the quality of coffee at a cafe - a spaghetti strand sized column of dark black liquid slowly lining a shot cup is a sign of good underlying espresso, while a 10 second downpour of pale brown liquid is a hint that you should quietly slip out the entrance without waiting for your drink. Fortunately, La Ristretto's shots were good examples of the former, with a 20 second extraction of potent espresso.  

The espresso shot had a medium brown crema, and a robust, full bodied flavour with distinct hints of chocolate. It was bright without being bitter, and potent without being burnt. The shot glass of water on the side is a nice touch also, and was used, as the serving size is a little larger than usual for a single shot. The coffee beans used were from Agust coffee roasters in Italy, which I haven't come across in Asia before, and are quite distinct in their own right. It's also interesting to be able to sample a robust Italian style espresso, which contrasts with the trend for citrusy single origin shots that are on offer in a number of cafes at present. 

The latte that I ordered had smooth foam, and a large serving size. It was quite mild, but the underlying espresso shot was muted rather than being completely lost, and could easily be detected in the aftertaste.  This may be the result of the larger espresso shot sizes mentioned earlier. The overall character was of coffee rather than warm milk, so despite the serving size, it avoids the easy mistake of serving warm caffeinated warm milk, rather than coffee. The foam maintained it's integrity throughout, without breaking up - a small detail, but one that's consistent with correct steaming temperature and duration, and something that I've seen a few cafes get wrong in recent weeks.

There is a good coffee menu on offer, with the usual combinations of espresso and milk, and brewed coffees. One thing that differs is the presence of shakerato on the menu (a shaken cold espresso), that I have not seen before, and something that I'm genuinely curious to see made. Prices were as expected, at 8.50 for the latte and espresso above.

Overall, La Ristretto's is interesting in that they are serving something genuinely different, and it's an opportunity to try a fairly authentic Italian espresso. The location may be an issue for some, in that it's in the middle of a medical centre, rather than in a standalone cafe. This should not deter you from visiting during non peak hours however, especially if you happen to be in the area. However do bear in mind that the cafe itself is quite small, so please let patients and staff take priority!

Loysel's Toy

The original Papa Palheta at Bukit Timah Road may have closed, but for those of us who miss the staff, the quiet courtyard, and the room that could have been from any city in any era, echoes and traces remain in a quiet cafe in a park by a river. Parts of it are still there, just slightly different than  before.

With songs from the 50's in the background, and old recycled wood given a new lease of life as tables and bar counters, Loysel's Toy in some respects resembles it's younger sibling, Chye Seng Huat Hardware. Loysel's Toy differs in that it has it's own identity, as a quiet haven in a riverside park. The busy interior section bustles with staff carrying coffees back and forth, with the cadence of conversations interrupted by the hiss of milk being steamed. Outside, the traffic and the city seem far away, as leaves rustle in in the breeze.

Loysel's Toy can be seen as an evolution of Papa Palheta. Papa Palheta was a coffee boutique, while Loysel's Toy was a full service cafe from it's very beginning. Some of the original concepts remain - a food menu which caters to what can be done well - but some new ideas have emerged over the years which have worked well. One is the bike rental option, which cleverly takes advantage of the riverside location. 

The most important part of any cafe is the quality of coffee, and regardless of location, this can make or break a cafe.  The espresso shot that I ordered consisted of a small volume of coffee, covered by a layer of medium dark brown crema. There was no bitterness evident, just a burst of robust, full bodied coffee, with hints of blackberry-like flavour present also. The potency never gave rise to burnt flavours - something that I have seen before in other cafes. This tells me that the roasting process has been very carefully controlled, and calibrated to bring out specific flavour elements in the coffee beans used. The mouthfeel is thicker than shots in other cafes, and tells me that the extraction time is right where it should be - not too long, bringing out bitterness, and not too short, leaving out some of the best parts of the ground coffee. It reminded me a lot of the espresso shots in the original Papa Palheta on Bukit Timah road, which remain as some of the best espresso shots that I have had in any city or country that I've been to. 

It's worth noting also that the water used in Loysel's Toy goes through an elaborate filtration process. It's an interesting touch that I don't see in every cafe, and speaks of the attention to detail, and the commitment to quality coffee, that was evident in the original Papa Palheta, and remains in Chye Seng Huat Hardware.

Lattes and milk based drinks in Loysel's Toy are single shot drinks. This is stated on the menu, and the option to add extra shots is available. This is certainly recommend, as the latte that I ordered was quite pale, and the robust espresso character above was lost, with milk as the dominant flavour. I added an extra espresso shot to the mix, and the difference was very, very evident. The potency was restored, but tempered by the milk, rather than being lost. Combined with the velvety smooth foam, and finished with some well executed latte art, the double shot latte combined the best elements of texture and flavour. 50 mls of fluid is a small volume of coffee, but it's sufficient to turn a very mild latte into a very good one indeed.



The coffee menu is exactly as expected - a good combination of espresso, milk based drinks, and brewed and filtered coffees. The addition of Chye Seng Huat Hardware has seen the coffee roaster move to Tyrwhitt Road, and the resulting space has been put to the good use with the addition of a brew bar. This allows for a variety of brewing methods to be catered for. A retail section is present also, with a mixture of coffee beans, keep cups, paper and chemex filters available. The retail section is smaller than Chye Seng Huat Hardware however, and does not contain the same extensive selection of items.

There were two different coffee blends available when I visited - the original Terra Firma blend, and the 1000 cups blend. Both are robust, but differ slightly in the levels of acidity evident in each.

It may be slightly out of the way, but the cafe in the park by the river is definitely worth visiting.

Maison Ikkoku

There's a stark contrast between old and new taking place in Maison Ikkoku. On a quiet side street, the calm of a quiet Saturday afternoon is broken by the hum of conversation and the hiss of milk being steamed under pressure. The painted brick walls with industrial style copper pipes and light fixtures are far removed from the original shophouse that was here, and are closer to a contemporary urban studio apartment. There are some quirky touches also, with old pieces of furniture suspended from the walls, and doors recycled into tables on an outdoor terrace.

An espresso shot is the foundation of many different coffees. It's hard to make a bad drink with a good espresso, and so much easier to make a bad drink with an over extracted shot. The espresso shot that I ordered arrived with a medium dark brown crema, and a small volume of coffee. (The crema colour is an indicator of freshness. If it's pale, it's stale, which is why I always make a note of this. The small volume suggests that the shot was not over extracted, which would give rise to unpleasant flavours in the shot, as non soluble coffee grounds end up in the cup). It was bitter, with hints of woody flavours, and a slightly thick mouthfeel. The aftertaste was bold and lasting - overall a well executed espresso. So far, so good.

I ordered a latte also. The espresso was definitely muted by the milk. It was smooth, with the coffee flavour not lost or drowned out by the milk. However, the overall quality is reduced by the presence of larger bubbles in the milk foam - this is something that I have seen before in Maison Ikkoku. This might seem like the most minor and insignificant point imaginable, but there are valid underlying reasons for pointing this out. Larger bubbles do not impart the same silky smooth mouthfeel that microfoam does. Also, the baristas have gone to the effort of creating latte art. Unfortunately, larger bubbles cause the foam to break apart, so the overall affect is lost after a few minutes. This is something that is fixable, and it's a shame to see their efforts go to waste for the sake of a small change to the steaming technique. It's also the difference between a very good latte, and an average one. One thing to bear in mind however - the point above is simply not relevant for anyone who prefers drip or brewed coffee, and might not even be an issue for anyone else.

There is also a good selection of brewed and drip coffees available for anyone with different tastes. Pourover coffees are on the menu, along with cold dripped, syphon, aeropress, andV60 all available as options. Coffee choices include pretty much everything except ristretto shots. That's ok though, there's more than enough on offer. One thing that Maison Ikkoku does well is the pairing of different bean types to different brewing methods, and the baristas are well versed in which method to pair to which bean. This is great to see, and speaks volumes about the cafe, and the owners intentions and reasons for starting.

Prices as are expected - $8.50 for the latte and cappuccino above - and broadly in line with what is charged in other quality cafes.

Along with Smitten and Chye Seng Huat Hardware, Maison Ikkoku has a very well stocked retail section, with accessories that are not always found elsewhere. There is a good selection of items for brewed or filtered coffees, including Chemex and V60 coffee drippers, cone filters and syphons. There are also tampers on sale for home baristas. Unfortunately, Maison Ikkoku does not sell coffee beans. This is something that I would like to see happen, as there are some interesting blends and single origins  from Columbia and El Salvador being used.

Overall, there are a good selection of brewing methods available, as well as helpful staff pulling quality shots. The milk steaming issue won't affect everyone, but it's unfortunate to see this when everything else is done so well. Also, Maison Ikkoku can be very crowded at weekends, with queues for seats - opening the second floor cocktail bar during the day would help to alleviate this. It's certainly worth a visit, and along with Symmetry and EspressoLab, is a good choice for anyone craving caffeine in the Arab Street area.

Kiasu Espresso, Tanjong Pagar

Kiasu! For anyone unfamiliar with the term, it's a Hokkien word which in a nutshell, means "fear of losing". If you see a form of behavior that makes you shake your head, and wonder what on earth the person is thinking (for example, a fit and healthy 20 something year old elbowing an elderly person aside to get a seat on the train in the morning, before instantly "falling asleep" only to magically wake up at their station), then there's a good chance that you've witnessed Kiasu in all it's dubious glory.

Fortunately, there was absolutely no trace of Kiasu behaviour from the bright young crew of Kiasu espresso in Tanjong Pagar. (Apart from the bird on the logo, obviously. Just look at him, planning on eating all the breadcrumbs before the other birds get a chance to eat. Kiasu bird).

I'M WATCHING YOU KIASU BIRD

Espresso - a layer of dark red brown crema floated over a medium volume of dark brown espresso. The initial flavours were citrusy, almost to the point of being tart. It's not astringent however, so it's not an unbalanced shot. The mouthfeel is not syrupy, a little loose, but not badly so, and doesn't affect the overall quality of the shot. 

Latte - there was a tempered potency, with a strong espresso aftertaste. The latte was smooth without losing much of the underlying coffee character. The initial coffee hit is muted in subsequent sips, but by no means is it lost altogether. 

One issue however was the presence of larger bubbles in the foam, which caused the foam to fall apart over time. It's a pity, as the intricate latte art was so well executed, and this caused the overall effect to be lost. This would be a more significant issue for anyone whose preference is for cappuccinos, where the ratio of foam to liquid is more larger, and which could subsequently affect the texture and mouthfeel.

Overall, it's not a bad choice for anyone whose office is based in the area, and it is certainly preferable to the burnt coffee and bowls of warm caffeinated milk that are served elsewhere. At $8.50 for a regular latte and a single espresso, it's certainly no more expensive, for what is better coffee than the established franchises nearby. However, there are also a number of other independent cafes nearby in Outram park, which consistently serve high quality coffee, and which are near enough to compete for customers. At present, the standard of coffee served is good, but with some small amendments to the execution process, it could be even better.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

3FE, Dublin

Occasionally, I'll come across a faded good review clipped from a newspaper hanging on the wall of a cafe. 3FE has a shelf filled with trophies from the Irish barista championships instead. This is one of a number of signs that suggest that 3FE is not simply another cafe.

With a bright, airy and almost industrial interior, and the hum of conversation, traffic and tunes in the air, this is the most recent incarnation of 3FE. A micro roastery in a third floor apartment became a shared space in a bookstore on Middle Abbey Street, and finally a standalone cafe / retail space on Grand Canal Street. The location has changed over the last year or two, but the quality of coffee is as good as ever. 

There is a good retail section, with a large selection of coffees from a number of different regions. Different brewing methods are catered for also - I saw an Aeropress and a Chemex woodneck on display. Both are good alternatives to espresso based drinks, with the Chemex using a paper filter to give a clean extraction, and the Aeropress using a partial vacuum to extract flavour.

As always, I started with a single espresso shot. An espresso shot tells me a lot about the quality of coffee in any cafe - for example, whether or not the beans are fresh. Despite its deceptively simple appearance, a good shot is the product of a number of different variables - grind size, extraction time and pressure. Getting it right is not simply a question of pushing a button and hoping for the best - so a well executed shot speaks volumes about the barista - it's the end result of hours of practice, and patience.

The espresso shot arrived with a dark red / brown crema, which I associate with freshly roasted beans. The volume was somewhere between a ristretto and an espresso - this tells me that the extraction time was correct, which gives a shot that is not too bitter (under extracted) or harsh (over extracted). There was a smooth, rich flavour which reminded me of brown sugar or licorice, with no harsh or burnt notes, and a syrupy, not astringent, mouthfeel - everything I look for in a well executed shot.

The cappuccino that I ordered paired velvety smooth microbubbles with the underlying coffee character of the shot above. The espresso is not drowned out by the steamed milk - it's still there - but it is complemented by the smoothness of the foam. The end result is a hybrid of potent espresso tempered by smoothness. 

One thing that I noticed (apart from the well executed latte art) is that the barista asked if I wanted one or two espresso shots - this is a nice touch, allowing different tastes and preferences to be catered for. There is also a drip bar, for anyone who prefers pourover coffees, with three different blends (la pira, la perla and mugera) on the menu. Small details can also tell me a lot about a cafe - the weighing scale on the counter is a good example. This suggests that specific weights of  ground coffee are used for each type of coffee bean - it's another indication of time and effort spent to produce quality coffee.

The staff deserve a special mention also, engaged and knowledgeable about coffee, a passion for what they do shines through. Good things happen when people follow their passion - the proof was sitting on the table in front of me, in the form of a perfect espresso shot.

When Things Go Wrong, Part 3

I've had a lot of espresso shots on my travels - from stand up espresso bars on the streets of Rome that have remained unchanged for decades, to pop up coffee bars started by a new generation of enthusiastic young baristas. There have been some very good espresso shots, some just about average shots, and occasionally shots that were so bad that I couldn't even finish them.

The shot below falls into the third category. This was supposed to be a single espresso, however this is clearly an over extracted shot, where the volume of liquid is closer to that of a double espresso. This will certainly have an impact on the quality of the shot, as a continued extraction will result in unpleasant flavours. This was certainly the case - my first impression was of a very unusual aftertaste, which reminded me of styrofoam or rubber. We're not off to a great start with this one.

After the crema had dissipated, I noticed a sheen of oil droplets coating the shot. There was also a smell of frying permeating the cafe where this was served. What may have happened is that the extraction system in use in the cafe is inadequate, and that the aerosolised droplets of oil have coated the coffee cups. When a shot is pulled, the cooking oil floats on top of the liquid, infusing flavour into the coffee, and not in a good way. This was also apparent in the cafe's milk based drinks - there was an unusual aftertaste of butter, which is something that I don't particularly want to experience again.

Something was still not quite right however. Even by looking at the shot, I could see that something was still wrong. An espresso shot in a quality coffee will contain black liquid, but one which is also quite clear - there should be nothing floating in it. The shot below was a murky brown colour, and contained a significant  amount of very fine coffee particles. It's obvious in the picture below - the darker portion at the centre of the spoon contains the particles in question. This suggests that the grinder settings are incorrect, and are producing too fine a grind for espresso shots. The machines themselves are not at fault - both the grinder and espresso machine themselves were commercial grade - but they way in which they are being used is incorrect.

It's interesting to note that very finely ground coffee and an over extracted shot should be two mutually exclusive events. It's much, much easier to over extract a shot when the grind size is too coarse, and steam can pass through the ground coffee much more easily. A fine grind should offer more resistance, slowing the passage of steam through the coffee in the portafilter, and reducing the volume of liquid in the shot. So what happened? The barista seemed uncertain when I ordered a single shot, and my have served a double shot instead. Alternatively (and I suspect that this is what happened) the shot may have been topped up with hot water, to avoid the appearance of short changing the customer by serving a half full cup - I noticed a significant amount of steam rising from the shot when it was served, and a break in the crema where hot water would have been poured in. I don't normally see steam rising from espresso shots, and certainly not in the quantity that I saw here. If this is what happened, then it speaks volumes about the cafe's approach to producing quality coffee, and of the level of coffee knowledge amongst the staff. A good friend produces quality shots in his apartment in Tampines with a simple hand grinder and a MyPressi twist - the shots that he has produced have consistently been of a much, much higher quality than the shot above, which was made with professional equipment. Why is this? He genuinely loves coffee, and has a very good understanding of coffee fundamentals - for example, how grind size and extraction times matter, and are inversely proportional to the quality of shots that are produced as a result.

Also, and this may seem like the most minor and trivial point to take issue with, I automatically deduct points when I see "expresso" on a menu. It's espresso. If you want to compete as a quality coffee place, show me that you understand the underlying product. Together with the issues above, it suggests that the level of coffee knowledge is sadly lacking, something that no amount of attempts at latte art will make up for.

As for the cappuccino (wouldn't be a complete post without an espresso and a cappuccino)...well, it's basically warm caffeinated milk, with absolutely no coffee character whatsoever, and with a powdery texture that remains in your mouth, due to the incorrect grind settings described above.

I like to give cafe's a chance to improve, and not to give them a bad review after only one visit. However, the problems above are fundamental, and I don't plan on coming back for more.