I will strive to write my own material (and only take credit for what I write), but I can't help but sending some forwards along when I see them.
Having given up on the American media since Fox News started to become popular, I now rely on British intelligence (wit, sarcasm, and all) to understand the world around me. My political stance having become obvious with the previous sentence, I will say proudly that this bit of "other people's work" comes from my favorite news site "The Guardian"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/may/16/best-iced-coffee-frappuccino
2011年5月16日 星期一
2011年5月8日 星期日
Coffee Sophisticate
Coffee can be delicious for many different reasons. The first one for many drinkers is the sense of security that the beverage provides -- whether ensuring that one will be able to stagger out of the house in the morning, stay awake during vital meetings, or be able to meet a late-night deadline. The second is that coffees do not taste all the same so to have one that defies the negative stereotypes of "burnt tar" and "black acid" is rewarding in and of itself. A third reason I will pose here is that coffee goes well with many foods, so it contributes more taste to something else with taste. I know I am opening myself up for criticism on this front, since some people will strike the metaphor that coffee tastes like vodka (both liquids being essentially tasteless). I happen to like the taste of vodka too, so maybe my taste buds are the ones that should be scrutinized.
Onto the main topic, since I am offering due praise today, I can actually mention the subject of my blog openly. I am eternally grateful for websites, so the presentation of basic facts regarding any topic is done in a more refined and comprehensive way than I could do.
For those of you who have not been to Taipei, please go and experience the best of East Asian culture. Occasionally derided for being a "provincial metropolis" (oxymoron not withstanding) and second-tier compared to neighboring cities such as Tokyo and Hong Kong, it is actually the finest place in the region if one wants to enjoy productive blends of local and foreign culture at reasonable prices. Taipei's culture is neither flashy nor overly expensive, and is available in idiosyncratic doses all over the city, not just in dedicated "cultural districts" [a jibe at my current place of residence-->you can read about all the controversies regarding the West Kowloon C.D. --> for the pravda description, see http://www.wkcda.hk/]. Moreover, Taipei is a very inclusive place. The city's residents are generally friendly and welcome foreigners, two qualities found in lesser degrees within East Asia's other metropolitan zones. Therefore, all in all, Taipei is a soulful, multi-faceted place, preserving quality culture (high and low) in modest forms.
Jeanlook Coffee [http://www.jeanlook.com.tw/] embodies this spirit of Taipei. Two of my great friends from graduate school took me there as part of my first walk around a section of Da'an district that I had never explored before. We had dessert and coffee before a sumptuous and properly spicy Sichuanese dinner at Kiki's [http://www.kiki1991.com/]. Far from spoiling our appetites, the filtered coffee and sweets were perfect appetizers, bracing our stomachs for peppercorns and chilis galore. Moreover, the ambiance of Jeanlook, where one can have a quick cup upstairs at the to-go stand or descend into the cavernous basement to watch the baristas (literally working in an eye-level open configuration much like a sushi bar) and chat with friends while listening to instrumental jazz pumped in at a delicate volume. One barista worked steadily on extracting one pot of siphon coffee for the full hour that we were there, methodically working through each step with the solemnity of a religious officiant. Behind him, a board advertised courses on coffee science (brewing, tasting, appraising) aimed, I imagined, at attracting participants who treat coffee as a topic of intellectual pursuit.
I admit that I may have been attracted to Jeanlook for the qualities that I rarely enjoy in other establishments. Jeanlook gained many points for not being crowded, having polite customers who were not trying to show off, and moreover, looked like they were savoring the taste of their coffee, neither falsely nor pretentiously. Furthermore, Jeanlook reminds me of a coffee place that has featured on Wiser Half's blog [http://www.marshaln.com/?s=Jaho], Jaho Coffee in Salem, Massachusetts [http://www.jaho.com/pages/about-us]. Jeanlook is more European than Jaho, whether in interior design, food and beverage portion sizes, and such, but both places share the same understated sophistication which makes drinking coffee (quietly) pleasurable...
Onto the main topic, since I am offering due praise today, I can actually mention the subject of my blog openly. I am eternally grateful for websites, so the presentation of basic facts regarding any topic is done in a more refined and comprehensive way than I could do.
For those of you who have not been to Taipei, please go and experience the best of East Asian culture. Occasionally derided for being a "provincial metropolis" (oxymoron not withstanding) and second-tier compared to neighboring cities such as Tokyo and Hong Kong, it is actually the finest place in the region if one wants to enjoy productive blends of local and foreign culture at reasonable prices. Taipei's culture is neither flashy nor overly expensive, and is available in idiosyncratic doses all over the city, not just in dedicated "cultural districts" [a jibe at my current place of residence-->you can read about all the controversies regarding the West Kowloon C.D. --> for the pravda description, see http://www.wkcda.hk/]. Moreover, Taipei is a very inclusive place. The city's residents are generally friendly and welcome foreigners, two qualities found in lesser degrees within East Asia's other metropolitan zones. Therefore, all in all, Taipei is a soulful, multi-faceted place, preserving quality culture (high and low) in modest forms.
Jeanlook Coffee [http://www.jeanlook.com.tw/] embodies this spirit of Taipei. Two of my great friends from graduate school took me there as part of my first walk around a section of Da'an district that I had never explored before. We had dessert and coffee before a sumptuous and properly spicy Sichuanese dinner at Kiki's [http://www.kiki1991.com/]. Far from spoiling our appetites, the filtered coffee and sweets were perfect appetizers, bracing our stomachs for peppercorns and chilis galore. Moreover, the ambiance of Jeanlook, where one can have a quick cup upstairs at the to-go stand or descend into the cavernous basement to watch the baristas (literally working in an eye-level open configuration much like a sushi bar) and chat with friends while listening to instrumental jazz pumped in at a delicate volume. One barista worked steadily on extracting one pot of siphon coffee for the full hour that we were there, methodically working through each step with the solemnity of a religious officiant. Behind him, a board advertised courses on coffee science (brewing, tasting, appraising) aimed, I imagined, at attracting participants who treat coffee as a topic of intellectual pursuit.
I admit that I may have been attracted to Jeanlook for the qualities that I rarely enjoy in other establishments. Jeanlook gained many points for not being crowded, having polite customers who were not trying to show off, and moreover, looked like they were savoring the taste of their coffee, neither falsely nor pretentiously. Furthermore, Jeanlook reminds me of a coffee place that has featured on Wiser Half's blog [http://www.marshaln.com/?s=Jaho], Jaho Coffee in Salem, Massachusetts [http://www.jaho.com/pages/about-us]. Jeanlook is more European than Jaho, whether in interior design, food and beverage portion sizes, and such, but both places share the same understated sophistication which makes drinking coffee (quietly) pleasurable...
A Brand by Any Other Name
I hesitate to criticize or incriminate, so I will have to leave all identifying details out of this entry. I imagine that this "leak" may inspire legal action (my mindset reflects my thorough indoctrination as a born and bred American...). Going along with this caveat is the friends/location I cannot identify along with the actual information regarding coffee.
On a purely theoretical level, if I may, I was intrigued on a recent trip by a coffee shop that uses cup sleeves from other establishments. My friends are regulars there, and the service is efficient and friendly, generous and professional. The coffee is the right temperature, flavor, and impact (knock your socks off and peel your eyes open). Nothing else would distinguish this place from any other of its caliber. However, one is temporary amused and disoriented by the cup sleeves that bear logos of nearby purveyors.
Sourcing is one issue -- strike one in the legal world. One wonders where the management procure all of these holders. Are they made, as many things in Asia are, to order by the "generic cup sleeve factory"--discards or extras from orders by other companies? Certainly one possibility, if the coffee shop owner is a friend or relative of the cup sleeve factory owner/manager.
Another problem is the ethics of advertising. One could say that sitting in Store A, enjoying a perfectly brewed cuppa, there is little temptation to visit Store B, as advertised on the cup sleeve. In fact, one may be so glad not to be at Store B and at Store A instead. That could be one way of promoting Store A. However, since the cup sleeves are intended to strengthen the bond between customer and said store, our anonymous Store A could be accused of contravening and downright distorting that process.
All philosophical musings aside, I admire the ingenuity and pragmatism of Store A. I will sometimes keep cup sleeves with unusual logos or that are associated with special memories. However, most are dutifully placed in the paper recycling bin, to be reincarnated again and again.
On a purely theoretical level, if I may, I was intrigued on a recent trip by a coffee shop that uses cup sleeves from other establishments. My friends are regulars there, and the service is efficient and friendly, generous and professional. The coffee is the right temperature, flavor, and impact (knock your socks off and peel your eyes open). Nothing else would distinguish this place from any other of its caliber. However, one is temporary amused and disoriented by the cup sleeves that bear logos of nearby purveyors.
Sourcing is one issue -- strike one in the legal world. One wonders where the management procure all of these holders. Are they made, as many things in Asia are, to order by the "generic cup sleeve factory"--discards or extras from orders by other companies? Certainly one possibility, if the coffee shop owner is a friend or relative of the cup sleeve factory owner/manager.
Another problem is the ethics of advertising. One could say that sitting in Store A, enjoying a perfectly brewed cuppa, there is little temptation to visit Store B, as advertised on the cup sleeve. In fact, one may be so glad not to be at Store B and at Store A instead. That could be one way of promoting Store A. However, since the cup sleeves are intended to strengthen the bond between customer and said store, our anonymous Store A could be accused of contravening and downright distorting that process.
All philosophical musings aside, I admire the ingenuity and pragmatism of Store A. I will sometimes keep cup sleeves with unusual logos or that are associated with special memories. However, most are dutifully placed in the paper recycling bin, to be reincarnated again and again.
Just Cold
Sometimes a girl just needs a cold one...
I have just enough alcohol tolerance to be a cheap date so inasmuch as I would like to be swilling fine Belgian ales on a hot spring evening (yes, Hong Kong is already moving into hot monsoon season...), the best I can do is to drink cold espressos.
My wiser half and I discovered the beauty of caffe freddo during our trip to Italy as part of a family Holy Land tour (fear not--we were agnostic, atheist, and lapsed Catholic pilgrims). W.H. doesn't drink coffee but he was impressed by the agitating technique as utilized in preparing martinis, pulverizing ice and blending it with espresso (doppio, methinks) before pouring the frothy product over more ice or serving it as is.
I was shocked silly that my coffee-deriding spouse would be so excited about such a beverage, but discovering iced coffee in its ideal form was a highlight of our trip and has become an occasional topic of fond reminiscence. It has also become a dire necessity in present weather conditions (am not complaining, as I fear the cold-climates).
Back in my old neighborhood of Tsim Sha Tsui for a half-hour, I decided to spend my time finishing up some notes for a paper and to inspire my thinking (see The Oatmeal: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/caffeine), I needed coffee. I wasn't hanging out with people or "to be seen" in a posh establishment but geography and thirst drew me to the Espressamente Illy cafe at the K11 Art Mall. I don't know it is called an art mall, but it's very surreal... [http://www.k11concepts.com/en/]
I had just spent a glorious day with my nephew romping around Ocean Park [http://www.oceanpark.com.hk/html/en/home/] for 5 hours, and was ragged in appearance (but very upbeat in spirit -- nothing like the young to revive one's crusty 33-year-old soul). The counter server eyed me delicately with the "I'm too polite to comment on why you don't belong in our sophisticated establishment" but since she didn't say a word nor try to shun me, I went ahead and ordered up an espresso freddo for the dear price of HKD28 [today's rate: $3.60 -- for shame, I know!]
The counter server motioned for me to sit down at one of the twelve-odd tables and wait quietly for my beverage. My fellow customers were a motley bunch of expatriate families, local artists (as one could tell from their conversations), and elderly gentlemen of both local and non-local variety dozing off to low-volume bossa nova and clicking of spoons and saucers.
My espresso freddo arrived in a tall, slim glass with a bendy-top straw practically centered in the middle of the Guinness (stout) colored liquid. (I don't drink but I do see alcohol from time to time) The server also brought a similar-sized glass of ice water. The espresso itself did not come with ice but was perfectly cold, and included a hint of sugar. Each of twenty sips was powerful, no sense at all of being watered down in the cooling and blending process. It certainly seems impossible to have so much flavor with no compromise or consistency of taste, but this cafe manages the challenge. I also felt much better for spending 30 minutes to try it.
I have just enough alcohol tolerance to be a cheap date so inasmuch as I would like to be swilling fine Belgian ales on a hot spring evening (yes, Hong Kong is already moving into hot monsoon season...), the best I can do is to drink cold espressos.
My wiser half and I discovered the beauty of caffe freddo during our trip to Italy as part of a family Holy Land tour (fear not--we were agnostic, atheist, and lapsed Catholic pilgrims). W.H. doesn't drink coffee but he was impressed by the agitating technique as utilized in preparing martinis, pulverizing ice and blending it with espresso (doppio, methinks) before pouring the frothy product over more ice or serving it as is.
I was shocked silly that my coffee-deriding spouse would be so excited about such a beverage, but discovering iced coffee in its ideal form was a highlight of our trip and has become an occasional topic of fond reminiscence. It has also become a dire necessity in present weather conditions (am not complaining, as I fear the cold-climates).
Back in my old neighborhood of Tsim Sha Tsui for a half-hour, I decided to spend my time finishing up some notes for a paper and to inspire my thinking (see The Oatmeal: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/caffeine), I needed coffee. I wasn't hanging out with people or "to be seen" in a posh establishment but geography and thirst drew me to the Espressamente Illy cafe at the K11 Art Mall. I don't know it is called an art mall, but it's very surreal... [http://www.k11concepts.com/en/]
I had just spent a glorious day with my nephew romping around Ocean Park [http://www.oceanpark.com.hk/html/en/home/] for 5 hours, and was ragged in appearance (but very upbeat in spirit -- nothing like the young to revive one's crusty 33-year-old soul). The counter server eyed me delicately with the "I'm too polite to comment on why you don't belong in our sophisticated establishment" but since she didn't say a word nor try to shun me, I went ahead and ordered up an espresso freddo for the dear price of HKD28 [today's rate: $3.60 -- for shame, I know!]
The counter server motioned for me to sit down at one of the twelve-odd tables and wait quietly for my beverage. My fellow customers were a motley bunch of expatriate families, local artists (as one could tell from their conversations), and elderly gentlemen of both local and non-local variety dozing off to low-volume bossa nova and clicking of spoons and saucers.
My espresso freddo arrived in a tall, slim glass with a bendy-top straw practically centered in the middle of the Guinness (stout) colored liquid. (I don't drink but I do see alcohol from time to time) The server also brought a similar-sized glass of ice water. The espresso itself did not come with ice but was perfectly cold, and included a hint of sugar. Each of twenty sips was powerful, no sense at all of being watered down in the cooling and blending process. It certainly seems impossible to have so much flavor with no compromise or consistency of taste, but this cafe manages the challenge. I also felt much better for spending 30 minutes to try it.
2011年5月7日 星期六
Hot and Cold
[I have realized that writing a blog requires immense discipline, which my Wiser Half possesses and I sorely lack. My sole excuse for starting but not finishing several entries (so when it rains, it may indeed pour) is that I procrastinate in every other aspect of my life with the thing called work. It's the end of the academic year here, which means there is enough work to fill all 24 official hours of each day and then some. Being 2 inches close from Paradise does not mean that one is there. However, when my schedule becomes more flexible and I am in a better mood because I'm focusing on research rather than juggling all three "spheres" of my professional workload, I will probably write more...]
I am an unlikely fan of Katy Perry (my students are absolutely shocked that I know and appreciate her work), but this post is not about her or her mind-numbingly catchy hit song [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms9IxBXuJbs].
Rather, my mind turns to the notion of coffee and gelato being served in the same establishment, as in the Holly Brown stores [http://www.hollybrowncoffee.com/].
As mentioned in my last post, I am still gleefully terrified of Hong Kong island because my mental compass is now squarely centered in Kowloon. However I try to make the most of my ignorance and anxiety about the area to discover new haunts by accident.
I found Holly Brown while I was walking laps around the Central district waiting for a friend. I didn't want to get completely lost since I wanted to return to our designated rendezvous point on time when she called. However I was also starting to feel rather strange taking notes and muttering to myself in front of the Coach leatherware store (normal behavior for an academic, bizarre and troubling for the rest of the world).
The storefront attracts customers seeking cold refreshment with the broad counter on the right-hand side of the entrance. Holly Brown offers the typical 10+ flavors in barrels and two or three more "on tap." One can get several toppings, ensuring a typically pleasant experience of sweet, icy, and if one chooses the frozen yogurt rather than the gelato, milky dessert.
I entered the place with my friend when we met up, and only after ordering our yogurt snacks did I realize that we could have chosen coffee. The coffee counter is recessed on the left-hand side of the gelato/yogurt counter, arranged so that one must literally walk further into the shop and look around to see the plated desserts, pastries, and espresso bar. If one walks all the way to the back of the first-floor (another floor exists quietly, with washroom), the set of large roasting equipment serves to confirm Holly Brown's claim of preparing their own beans.
The coffee bean menu, an accordion style brochure, features thirteen entries. Each entry consists of the bean type (varietal), relevant flag, and several bullet points, each marked by an indeterminate bean image. Points stress the historical significance of the bean and the commercial value. All the beans seem exquisite and worth the stiff prices that they are sold for.
From front to back, the brochure features:
* Kopi Luwak (coffee beans processed in a civet's digestive system before washed and ground for human consumption, which MarshalN says is ample proof that coffee drinkers are strange)
* Jamaica Blue Mountain
* Hawaii Kona
* Brazil Bourbon
* Cafe de Cuba Serrano Lavado
* Nepalese Terai
* Ethiopian Harrar
* Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
* Guatamala (that's it...?!)
* Indonesian Sumatra Mandheling
* Panama Bouquet (a first for me, supposedly "one of the finest coffees to be found, but sounds suspiciously like a blend of random beans)
* Papua New Guinea Sigri Estate
* Tanzania
All of the bean varietals are packaged in the same signature blue and brown bags bearing the Holly Brown logo. Unlike Starbucks and Pacific Coffee, among other chains, Holly Brown does not provide any stereotypical images of a particular varietal's origins. Consumers cannot readily associate a bean with its homeland. In some ways, this practice is refreshing. One might say that "coffee is coffee" so any national and other loyalties are overstated. Terrain and other environmental conditions do matter, but since we know governments rise and fall, a new name for a country should not affect the qualities of its coffee. On the other hand, the uniformity in packaging inspires suspicions about whether the coffee is properly sorted. Is one really consuming what one buys?
Back to the gelato question, the two-product arrangement in the cafe has expected advantages and disadvantages. Customers in groups of two or more can accommodate varying preferences or prolong their meetings by consuming one thing then another. Both the gelato and coffee sides offer courteous and professional service and keep their goods distinctly separate. There is no self- or cafe-imposed segregation so one must love the aromas of both gelato and coffee, because they co-mingle in the air. Purists who can't stand one or the other will be frustrated.
I had a flavorful latte there with a chocolate croissant for an indulgent dessert a few weeks later, and my innate bias aside, thought it was better than my frozen yogurt order. I will probably go again when I'm worn out from wandering around Central.
I am an unlikely fan of Katy Perry (my students are absolutely shocked that I know and appreciate her work), but this post is not about her or her mind-numbingly catchy hit song [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms9IxBXuJbs].
Rather, my mind turns to the notion of coffee and gelato being served in the same establishment, as in the Holly Brown stores [http://www.hollybrowncoffee.com/].
As mentioned in my last post, I am still gleefully terrified of Hong Kong island because my mental compass is now squarely centered in Kowloon. However I try to make the most of my ignorance and anxiety about the area to discover new haunts by accident.
I found Holly Brown while I was walking laps around the Central district waiting for a friend. I didn't want to get completely lost since I wanted to return to our designated rendezvous point on time when she called. However I was also starting to feel rather strange taking notes and muttering to myself in front of the Coach leatherware store (normal behavior for an academic, bizarre and troubling for the rest of the world).
The storefront attracts customers seeking cold refreshment with the broad counter on the right-hand side of the entrance. Holly Brown offers the typical 10+ flavors in barrels and two or three more "on tap." One can get several toppings, ensuring a typically pleasant experience of sweet, icy, and if one chooses the frozen yogurt rather than the gelato, milky dessert.
I entered the place with my friend when we met up, and only after ordering our yogurt snacks did I realize that we could have chosen coffee. The coffee counter is recessed on the left-hand side of the gelato/yogurt counter, arranged so that one must literally walk further into the shop and look around to see the plated desserts, pastries, and espresso bar. If one walks all the way to the back of the first-floor (another floor exists quietly, with washroom), the set of large roasting equipment serves to confirm Holly Brown's claim of preparing their own beans.
The coffee bean menu, an accordion style brochure, features thirteen entries. Each entry consists of the bean type (varietal), relevant flag, and several bullet points, each marked by an indeterminate bean image. Points stress the historical significance of the bean and the commercial value. All the beans seem exquisite and worth the stiff prices that they are sold for.
From front to back, the brochure features:
* Kopi Luwak (coffee beans processed in a civet's digestive system before washed and ground for human consumption, which MarshalN says is ample proof that coffee drinkers are strange)
* Jamaica Blue Mountain
* Hawaii Kona
* Brazil Bourbon
* Cafe de Cuba Serrano Lavado
* Nepalese Terai
* Ethiopian Harrar
* Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
* Guatamala (that's it...?!)
* Indonesian Sumatra Mandheling
* Panama Bouquet (a first for me, supposedly "one of the finest coffees to be found, but sounds suspiciously like a blend of random beans)
* Papua New Guinea Sigri Estate
* Tanzania
All of the bean varietals are packaged in the same signature blue and brown bags bearing the Holly Brown logo. Unlike Starbucks and Pacific Coffee, among other chains, Holly Brown does not provide any stereotypical images of a particular varietal's origins. Consumers cannot readily associate a bean with its homeland. In some ways, this practice is refreshing. One might say that "coffee is coffee" so any national and other loyalties are overstated. Terrain and other environmental conditions do matter, but since we know governments rise and fall, a new name for a country should not affect the qualities of its coffee. On the other hand, the uniformity in packaging inspires suspicions about whether the coffee is properly sorted. Is one really consuming what one buys?
Back to the gelato question, the two-product arrangement in the cafe has expected advantages and disadvantages. Customers in groups of two or more can accommodate varying preferences or prolong their meetings by consuming one thing then another. Both the gelato and coffee sides offer courteous and professional service and keep their goods distinctly separate. There is no self- or cafe-imposed segregation so one must love the aromas of both gelato and coffee, because they co-mingle in the air. Purists who can't stand one or the other will be frustrated.
I had a flavorful latte there with a chocolate croissant for an indulgent dessert a few weeks later, and my innate bias aside, thought it was better than my frozen yogurt order. I will probably go again when I'm worn out from wandering around Central.
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