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2009-12-17
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第一兩次試太子大廈一樓的 Cova 咖啡, 已是幾年前的事. 須知當時的我, 跟本連掂都還未掂過部 Espresso Machine, 當然不明白怎去冲, 或甚至識欣賞一杯真正好的 Espresso Based Coffee. 但那時的我, 早老就覺得唔多妥似的. 為何這間的咖啡, 好像不是那麼好貨式的! 那時的判斷是, COVA COFFEE 不太好喝啊... (但後來發現這 Conclusion 不是太正確! ( 幾年過後, 就算不一定是學師滿成, 也起碼識得分辦出什麼才是好飲或只是一般! 幾年後的再度來臨及經前後測試, 終於可以肯定地 convince 到自己, 這 Cova 兩樣都不是! 不幸地, 我確實了這間 Cova Branch 的水準, 簡直可以說是混水摸魚, 欺騙客人- 是差到離晒大譜! The difference between this COVA compared to say the Admiralty COVA outlet: (http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?
不幸地, 我確實了這間 Cova Branch 的水準, 簡直可以說是混水摸魚, 欺騙客人- 是差到離晒大譜!
The difference between this COVA compared to say the Admiralty COVA outlet: (http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2048848) - can be attributed purely to a matter of Coffee Barista Training Skills and their understanding of how to fully exploit their equipment, considering nearly most variables remain constant. A similar story can be told of say Le Gouter Bernardaud, where the Elements oulet is sometimes a few notches up on the averagingly very low standards set in the 2 x IFC outlets, particularly the upstairs outlet. Or comparing Barista Lily @ Coffee Assembly to different staff members @ Cafe Corridor sometimes, or say experiencing the different baristas outputs at my previously highly-rated FUEL, or even GVSTO or Cafe Suzuki, COCO @ Mira, Delta or Caffe Kenon, etc. It can vary to the point of becoming a matter of night & day.
As such, all I could try my best to convince you is that, you might find it completely unbelievable in this minute possibility - but at my current level of understanding of coffees, I finally realised it could prove unfair to write-off certain coffee shops or their coffee blends just because you've tried them once or twice at certain outlets! A coffee and its machine is such highly sensitive pieces of equipment, even I can still be awestruck at the vast differences, which the end skills of the Coffee Maker can contribute to your final produced cup. My estimate is that it could well fluctuate in the vicinity of upto 800-1,000% easily, despite all other things remaining a constant. If you think I'm exaggerating and choose not to believe in me, I'm completely fine with that. Other alternatives might include enrolling yourself in a proper coffee training course or if you want to take a short-cut, pls don't hesistate to engage in a long chat with Coco Espresso's Johnson and ask him to demonstrate and make to you, a really bad, an average, an above average and then a really good coffee for your own experience's sake - you may just finally become surprised at the thousands of levels of adjustments possible and the levels of skills required, that are all controlled by the HUMAN FACTOR alone, much like needing to buy the exact numbers inorder to win the 1st Lotto Prize. And even Johnson can't perfect either, you see, despite his full understanding of his machinery. You can imagine how other poorly trained Barista will perform.
My Take-Out coffee this day was acrid, carrying a bitter end-note and overly thin at the base espresso, reminding me of ashy cigarette water. It smelt of burntness as well. The puck is way under-dosed as usual, the desired flavours having no chance to be extracted under the right contact and pressure due to a lack of grinded beans. The Milk frothing part was quite soapy but acceptable, although failed in being overheated... This isn't the worst coffee I have tried by far - CWB's Agnes b. Cafe, Taste Coffee in Northpoint & Mozzarella Cheese Bar or perhaps a myriad of other experiences can fill the top steps of the podium , these managing to even out-perform a rather bad Pacific Coffee I had another night!
Having said that, the one in this COVA falls within range of being one of the Top 10 worst coffees I've had the displeasure of drinking - surely, this is a monumental mistake on the part of COVA and management. Yet as incredulous as it seems, people queue up for coffees here constantly just as they queue up at Starbucks, sipping coffees from their green stirrers thinking they're straws somehow. Don't write off COVA yet, I've shown u its possibly to buy decent ones in other outlets. But by all means - please feel free to write off this shop's baristas and coffees, it really is that bad and below standards! Nothing personal, mind you. Purely the management's rather than the staff's fault.
High '1' to Low '2'
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