What I tried: Ristretto
Business Focus: Coffee/Food
Caffe Zero on Hay Street in West Perth has recently undergone extensive renovations. They are also attempting some innovations with their coffee by buying beans from a ‘micro-roaster’ in Melbourne.
Their new look is terrific, very stylish, light and airy with splashes of colour against white walls. They have an extensive breakfast menu and a lunch menu that changes regularly.
I can’t judge the food there as I haven’t tried it, but observing the dishes served to others it looked pretty good.
I ordered a ristretto, which while a little longer than I prefer, didn’t look too bad. The crema was light with some russet streaks, and the aroma was light but earthy – generally undistinctive however.
The mouthfeel was similar, light rather than chewy, but generalised. There were no distinct tones – either good or bad that came through the shot and overall I would describe it as ‘unremarkable but inoffensive’.
Probably a good deal better than much of the coffee in Perth, but not distinctive enough to represent a reward for the initiative the café owner is showing by trying a unique blend from a micro-roaster and of course that is the risk of taking such a path.
I suspect that Caffe Zero might be worth checking out for its food, but I wouldn’t expect too much as yet from the coffee.
I’m hoping they keep working at it, as a mini-micro-roaster (if 800 grams a week qualifies me as such!) I’d love to see a place working from such an individually prepared coffee.
I am also aware that the unique nature of each roast on a small scale means that the flavours and impact of the coffee can change radically with each new roast (I have prepared more than a couple of mediocre roasts myself after all!). With that in mind I may try again in a few weeks and see if anything has changed.
Business Focus: Coffee/Food
Caffe Zero on Hay Street in West Perth has recently undergone extensive renovations. They are also attempting some innovations with their coffee by buying beans from a ‘micro-roaster’ in Melbourne.
Their new look is terrific, very stylish, light and airy with splashes of colour against white walls. They have an extensive breakfast menu and a lunch menu that changes regularly.
I can’t judge the food there as I haven’t tried it, but observing the dishes served to others it looked pretty good.
I ordered a ristretto, which while a little longer than I prefer, didn’t look too bad. The crema was light with some russet streaks, and the aroma was light but earthy – generally undistinctive however.
The mouthfeel was similar, light rather than chewy, but generalised. There were no distinct tones – either good or bad that came through the shot and overall I would describe it as ‘unremarkable but inoffensive’.
Probably a good deal better than much of the coffee in Perth, but not distinctive enough to represent a reward for the initiative the café owner is showing by trying a unique blend from a micro-roaster and of course that is the risk of taking such a path.
I suspect that Caffe Zero might be worth checking out for its food, but I wouldn’t expect too much as yet from the coffee.
I’m hoping they keep working at it, as a mini-micro-roaster (if 800 grams a week qualifies me as such!) I’d love to see a place working from such an individually prepared coffee.
I am also aware that the unique nature of each roast on a small scale means that the flavours and impact of the coffee can change radically with each new roast (I have prepared more than a couple of mediocre roasts myself after all!). With that in mind I may try again in a few weeks and see if anything has changed.
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