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2009-07-21
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See or Be Seen -- That's the fun part of open-space Cafes in a strip mall. Except that one in Landmark occasionally hit the headlines from some papparazzi in action, few of them actually get the credits the establishment allow it to have. Pacific Coffee has closed on its current location, and the next day after it closed, The sign of Habitu came out. Just as I was about to savour the Latti di Rose I bragged about in one of my earlier reviews here on Openrice, I realized, that another location ha
For the first week of opening, anyone who drops off a business card in the morning between 8 am to 10 am will get a free coffee (and that means a latte or Cappucino). Should you arrive anytime at this new Habitu from 10 am onwards, you can drop off your business card to get a buy-1-get-1-free beverage of your choice...which, apparently is a good deal too.
With total disregard of what's on the menu because I've been to other Habitu's for a few times, I have meanly ordered the Latte di Rose the minute I approached the front of the line, while my company will have the Cafe Mocha for her share of the famed scrumptiousness of sipping chocolate here at Habitu. My heart chilled a little as I dig in $39 for the Rose Latte, doubting inwardly that somehow something has gotten wrong in the math -- Could the latte's price be jacked up over a period of 3 months (since my last visit), or did I really remember wrong?
The Cafe Mocha was made first with a base of espresso and sipping chocolate just about as thick as warmed chocolate ganache, then topped with steamed milk and a spoonful of milk foam. Right now the milk has filled the top but the barista insisted on the whipped cream. With careful hands he managed to top the architectural wonder, but lost out to the artistic element. The drizzle of chocolate syrup was not intended to be any Jackson Pollock-esque, but it has reached a level of messiness on top of melting whipped cream that was rather unappetizing as a whole.
Latte di Rose was easier in terms of construction. A dose of MONIN Rose Syrup into Espresso and Steamed milk will get you this floral fabulousness of a Latte. It was only when the latte art was completed did I realize that a proper Habitu Rose Latte has whipped cream on the top. When I mentioned it, the barista's hand stopped in midair for 5 seconds until I dismissed the idea and threw it out the window.
The mocha has a certain lightness in terms of coffee taste, but when it comes to balanced proportions between coffee, chocolate and milk this one has done it right. The whipped cream and chocolate syrup made this a drinkable dessert, and for fact a not very sweet one. Latte di Rose released a whiff of rosy aroma before we lifted the cup. The floral element hit the nose as honey sweetness reached the tongue, finished with a light sting on the espresso which seemed rather out of place in the midst of all mellowness of steamed milk and rose syrup. The mall maybe crowded with people from early in the morning to late at night, and it's not so much as a place to see, or to be seen by anyone around you).
Caffe Habitu still needs some tuning up to reach its usual standards. The service may be prompt when they take your orders, but trays and empty coffee cups with dirty dishes were left unattended for quite a while before someone attended to them. The most 'disturbing' factor, however, was later when I realize that this Caffe Habitu charged more (a few dollars per coffee, at least) than say, any other locations. I feel somehow cheated, and that's the moment which got in sync with my mind when I doubted inwardly that a Latte di Rose costs $39 dollars. It's not because it isn't worth it, it's just that it doesn't sound fair to charge an ordinary latte for $35 and the 'rose' factor as "an addtion of syrup"...when all Habitu fans will know that despite the Latte di Rose was not on the menu, it remains one of the favorites that mark how special the Cafe is.
Now we'll also know, that the Latte di Rose is not the only special thing Habitu has on its sleeves, apparently so is its marketing, and everything else. Perhaps that's how much convenience will cost for anyone too lazy to walk an extra block with no air conditioning in the midst of summer under a blazing sun for a cup of coffee.
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