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2010-05-11
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According to the workers, BARISTA CAFFE in Hong Kong was actually related to the original Korean 'Barista Caffe' chain. Over time however as they shifted and moved about from venue to venue from Wanchai to TST, etc, the latest reincarnation of Barista Caffe has finally separated from its Korean heritage - it is now fully locally owned as a business model. The Espresso blend is Italian sourced, but most of its single origin beans are localised roasted. Reminding me a little of Cafe Golden. ***
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PUMPKIN AND CARROT SOUP -
Not bad but a bit localised in taste, as it was a bit diluted watery!
SOLE FILLET WITH CREAM SAUCE AND SPAGHETTI -
Dipped in egg batter first before frying, you wouldn't expect a Dover Sole quality fillet but surprisingly this tasted pretty good for a frozen fish. The spaghetti had a fair bit of garlic in it but at least it was al dente. The Cream sauce was very Hongkie style.
BAKED PRAWN WITH CHEESE & MUSHROOM WITH SPAGHETTI -
This was quite good, at least the prawns had its advertised taste and didn't had black heads like some of those imported Vietnamese/Thai ones. Spaghetti same as above, slightly too strong of garlic and also slightly too oily, I guess.
CHICKEN ROLL WITH BBQ SAUCE WITH BAKED POTATO -
This came out look just like a chicken ballotine. What surprised me was that the skin was crispy but the inside was still tender albeit falling short of being moist. The baked potato needed more sour cream and bacon though, the BBQ sauce also too generic tasting.
ASSORTED CAKES -
I cannot remember exactly what we had anymore as this was a while ago but from memory their Earl Grey cake with some chocolate pearls was very enjoyable. Can't remember the other 2 pieces but they weren't too bad.
ESPRESSO -
A surprisingly good espresso. The shop actually explained to me that the coffees here are roasted locally, but this espresso was so very Italian and I am pretty certain its not locally roasted because we simply can't emulate that unique Italian profile no matter how hard we try, there are some tricks up the Italian's sleeves when it comes to bean selection and roasting knowledge. This was very balanced and enjoyable, although I would probably say it was near the end of its freshness cycle!
MANDHELING GRADE 1 -
This on the other hand is definitely locally roasted. To non-regular coffee drinkers, a Mandheling is always one of the 1st coffees I recommend to them, especially when it comes to drip or siphon coffee. Why? Because it has a very attractive aroma and a dry finish which makes you want to drink more! Its also earthy, it is mild-bodied, never too acidic but has that potent character to arouse all sensories. I actually quite enjoy this myself and there's a reason why Drip Coffee countries like Japan adores this bean (also Golden Mandheling, an entirely different bean with a similar name), especially when they often add cream or milk to it. Having said that, Mandheling does not work as well under an Espresso Machine as its a bit overwhelming pungent, dirty, too dry, also much more acidic than the cupping notes will lend you to believe. Not to mention its crema doesn't hold up much even though it looks bubbly during the extraction itself, so many people will not understand its character. One of the most complicated and under-estimated beans in the world.
KENYA AA FROM KIRIMARA ESTATE -
This actually wasn't my 1st choice, but they ran out of others including the Yemen Maccari I was really after! The Kirimara Estate should taste a bit winey with an amber hue, slightly more sparkling acidic than other coffees, with a longish complicated finish, similar to tea mixed with red wine vinegar. However this batch was definitely a bit over-roasted as it'd lost its desired original characters. It turned out to be quite bland in performance! The same bean extracted with an Espresso machine however is much more sour in taste, it can most probably not suit 95% of local coffee drinkers not really used to its very rich yet corrosively acidic profile. (That includes myself, as it can be quite a trip if you're unprepared!)
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SUMMARY:
A QUALITY CAFE WITH QUALITY FOOD AND COFFEE. PRICING SEEMS SLIGHTLY ON THE HIGH SIDE AT 1ST, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW A SOUP, MAIN COURSE, ANY COFFEE & A SMALL CAKE WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE SET DINNER PRICED AROUND $78-88, IT CAN BE MILDLY SATISFYING IF YOU DON'T MIND ENJOYABLE SLIGHTLY LOCALISED WESTERN FOOD. (THIS PLACE'S FOOD REMINDS ME OF THE FOOD SERVED IN YMCA IN TST FOR SOME REASON, HAHA! )
RECOMMENDED BUT DON'T EXPECT MIRACLES!
张贴
