Mrs Grendel and I help with fundraising for the Early Intervention Centre where Junior Grendel Number One get therapy.
We have been enourmously fortunate to have such kind and generous friends in the Perth specialty coffee community and the scrapbooking community.
An long time and very close friend from the UK has also just helped out in a most unique and creative way - read on. . .
Indigo Mougin is an ex-pat Australian, an entrepreneur, artist and philanthropist now living in the UK.
Her specialty is digital art forms but she collaborates with other artists in Charity events.
Over the weekend she raised a large amount of money for the Western Australian Autism Association’s Early Intervention Centre – and this is where the story gets strange.
Indigo exists only as a character as a game, and the $200,000 she raised is virtual money. The donation however, is real.
The money is ‘Linden Dollars, the currency of the online game ‘2nd Life’ created by Linden Labs. While Linden Dollars aren’t worth the same as Australian Dollars, there is an exchange rate and you can both buy and sell Linden Currency in the real world.
In this case the amount equates to about $1000 Australian and considering this was raised selling purely ‘virtual’ works of art that can only be enjoyed within the game, it represents an amazing success for a unique fundraising idea.
Indigo Mougin is a character in that game – an avatar of a real person, who is in fact, an ex-pat Australian living in England. She has friends in Australia with ties to the Autism Association and decided to help out their fundraising efforts with an innovative one of her own.
With the assistance of other virtual inhabitants of 2nd Life, Indigo established a charitable foundation within the game and commenced sales of art culminating in a large auction with artworks donated by various virtual artists.
Some works went for as much as $16,000 Linden Dollars each and the contributions come from all over the world, so in a very real sense, this virtual world has tied real people together to help an organisation with whom they have no direct links.
The donation to the Autism Association came about through a friendship in the real world, but the existence of points in reality where the virtual world can cross over and interact is quite remarkable
Even more importantly it demonstrates that the human behind each avatar remains the source of all that character contributes to the virtual world as in the real world.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Changing Hours
Cafe 54 are now open on Saturdays and have new menu items for Breakfast. One is intriguingly named 'Not Like Bruschetta' and includes salt and pepper squid and poached eggs. Sounds like just the thing!
They've also installed a 'Barista-cam' to thrill the heart of any coffee geek passing through - and they've continued the high-tech direction with the establishment of their own Coffee Blog at "Espresso54".
____________
Meanwhile up in Joondalup, T5 Espresso can confirm that they will definitely be open for the Joondalup markets starting Friday 8th December. The markets run from 6-9pm and T5 will stay open on Fridays from 8:00am till 9:00pm.
I know that Hamo is considering a 'Philosophy Cafe' at T5 on Friday evenings during the summer so that might work out very well for those in the North.
They've also installed a 'Barista-cam' to thrill the heart of any coffee geek passing through - and they've continued the high-tech direction with the establishment of their own Coffee Blog at "Espresso54".
____________
Meanwhile up in Joondalup, T5 Espresso can confirm that they will definitely be open for the Joondalup markets starting Friday 8th December. The markets run from 6-9pm and T5 will stay open on Fridays from 8:00am till 9:00pm.
I know that Hamo is considering a 'Philosophy Cafe' at T5 on Friday evenings during the summer so that might work out very well for those in the North.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Ristretto News
I've had a great email from Emaunuel of Ristretto in 160 Central in the CBD to update us on the Single Origin program he's been developing:
I also have some news about Cafe 54 and T5 - but that will have to wait, I'm off to the gym to work off some flat whites (or fat white perhaps. . .)
Ristretto is pleased to announce that Brazil COE Lot#3 Guilherme Dias De Castro - Fazenda Pedra Preta will be offered at Ristretto towards the end of this week and into next week along with Mountain Top Bin 549. These single origin coffees will run along side Ristretto's own custom blend on our 2nd Robur - we call them our "2nd Grinder offerings".It sounds like a great program - and Ristretto are one of the few cafes to regularly run Single Origins, which for the coffee lover/snob are a great learning experience. It sounds like the SO stocks are in short supply so I for one will be heading down early in the piece!
Both are reserve stock, only 21 bags of the Brazilian were produced and just 1 bag (to our knowledge) made it down under - thanks to St Ali, Melbourne.
The price at Ristretto will be slightly higher per usual i.e. "market prices" however for aficionados who mention Cafe-Grendel, usual menu price will be applied :)
You can find out more about both coffees at:
Cup of Excellence: Brazil
Mountain Top Coffee
This is the commencement of Ristretto's "formal" single origin program. Other scheduled coffees include (... the return of) Sumatran Blue Batak, Columbian COE Lot(s), Tanzanian Kilimanjaro, Sumatran Forrestrade, El Salvador Santa Ana, Brazil Cachoeria Yellow Bourbon, Indian Elkhill Nuggets and a few other interesting offerings.
The program will run through to February 2008 with a short break in the new year. We will be publishing notice of forthcoming coffees fortnightly at http://ristretto.com.au/
As "devotees of the bean" we love sharing great S.O. Why? We think it is one of the best way to experience and develop understanding of specialty coffee and what it has to offer. Tasting the characteristics of a single bean and finding out there is obvious appeal or some mystique in there. Finding out what an individual coffee is about and being rewarded with positive sensations - this is soooo removed from the simple generic hot morning caffeine drink to add sugar to scenario.
I also have some news about Cafe 54 and T5 - but that will have to wait, I'm off to the gym to work off some flat whites (or fat white perhaps. . .)
Monday, October 29, 2007
Northbridge Chinese Restaurant - Yum Cha
Yum Cha is for me the Holy Grail of Sunday morning dining.
Back in Brisbane I knew all the good spots but I had yet to find one in Perth comparable to the Brisbane experiences I remembered.
Sunday was Mrs Grendel's and my wedding anniversary and so we gathered with some friends and the junior Grendels at Northbridge Chinese Restaurant on Roe Street in Northbridge.
I had been given a recommendation for this place by Allen from the Newsagents under the Law Chambers building in Hay Street. As a recent arrival from Hong Kong he too had gone through the anguish of seeking a Yum Cha venue.
As one of the few places that will accept bookings, the 12-seat table we managed was only just large enough for us and while it was quiet when we walked through the door at 10.15, by 10.45 it was packed with a queue forming outside.
The trolleys were in full rotation with a standard range of delectable looking (and tasting) Yum Cha treats.
The squid was excellent, among the best I have had and each of the dishes was well executed and very tasty.
We did notice a few less dumpling varieties than some places, but later on more did seem to be circulating.
In all it was a great morning with terrific company and good food and Junior Grendel Number One got into the spirit and took a couple of the following photos for me - he's getting good at this!
Who: Northbridge Chinese Restaurant
What: Chinese Cuisine - Yum Cha
Where: Roe Street, Northbridge
When: Sunday, 28 October 2007
Coffee: Coffee? Tea! Jasmine and others
Accessibility: Very Poor - several steps at the front, crowded and difficult to maneuver inside.
Back in Brisbane I knew all the good spots but I had yet to find one in Perth comparable to the Brisbane experiences I remembered.
Sunday was Mrs Grendel's and my wedding anniversary and so we gathered with some friends and the junior Grendels at Northbridge Chinese Restaurant on Roe Street in Northbridge.
I had been given a recommendation for this place by Allen from the Newsagents under the Law Chambers building in Hay Street. As a recent arrival from Hong Kong he too had gone through the anguish of seeking a Yum Cha venue.
As one of the few places that will accept bookings, the 12-seat table we managed was only just large enough for us and while it was quiet when we walked through the door at 10.15, by 10.45 it was packed with a queue forming outside.
The trolleys were in full rotation with a standard range of delectable looking (and tasting) Yum Cha treats.
The squid was excellent, among the best I have had and each of the dishes was well executed and very tasty.
We did notice a few less dumpling varieties than some places, but later on more did seem to be circulating.
In all it was a great morning with terrific company and good food and Junior Grendel Number One got into the spirit and took a couple of the following photos for me - he's getting good at this!
Who: Northbridge Chinese Restaurant
What: Chinese Cuisine - Yum Cha
Where: Roe Street, Northbridge
When: Sunday, 28 October 2007
Coffee: Coffee? Tea! Jasmine and others
Accessibility: Very Poor - several steps at the front, crowded and difficult to maneuver inside.
New Cafe - Northbridge
I hear rumours and reports of a new cafe in Northbridge - still with the shiny cafe L-Plates and all.
I'll pop in and report once they've had a chance to work the kinks out.
I'll pop in and report once they've had a chance to work the kinks out.
Totally Unique
Don Adan Coffee - Barrios Estate in Honduras, produce an absolutely splendid Pacamara arabica that Kamran at Fiori has been using to great effect in blends and as a single origin (at Pranzo).
Gerado Barrios has come up with a new way to do two things at once by redesigning the coffee bags and adding a very stylish touch - hand painted colours on the screen print. This gives the bags a unique look just made for marketing and the hand painted bags allow workers to earn some extra money. This sends more money back to where it is needed at very little additional cost to the consumer.
Here they are in all their technicolour glory"
"Sidney" forever!
Gerado Barrios has come up with a new way to do two things at once by redesigning the coffee bags and adding a very stylish touch - hand painted colours on the screen print. This gives the bags a unique look just made for marketing and the hand painted bags allow workers to earn some extra money. This sends more money back to where it is needed at very little additional cost to the consumer.
Here they are in all their technicolour glory"
"Sidney" forever!
Hotel Coffee - the result
Sadly I was not surprised.
Apart from one lonely manual machine allegedly hidden in one of the smaller bars at the Burswood resort, all of the machines that I could see were automatics. The fact that the coffee they were using was Coffex did not help.
From one perspective I can understand their rationale - after all if you have a hotel full of guests and a room service culture, you may need to be able to just press a button on a machine while you busily prepare the hot chips and tomato sauce, or whatever, that they also ordered.
There should be at least one place in the hotel where the coffee lover can get a fix - but the automatic machines were ubiquitous and this lack of options resulted in poor coffee no matter where you were.
This is doubly disappointing because everything else was done so nicely - the food was great, the cocktails also, the room lovely. . .
I do have a photo of the coffee and I'll post it up - just as well I wasn't expecting any latte art - hard with dish-sud foam I reckon.
I am going to make a seperate post about the whole resort experience though because it was great.
Apart from one lonely manual machine allegedly hidden in one of the smaller bars at the Burswood resort, all of the machines that I could see were automatics. The fact that the coffee they were using was Coffex did not help.
From one perspective I can understand their rationale - after all if you have a hotel full of guests and a room service culture, you may need to be able to just press a button on a machine while you busily prepare the hot chips and tomato sauce, or whatever, that they also ordered.
There should be at least one place in the hotel where the coffee lover can get a fix - but the automatic machines were ubiquitous and this lack of options resulted in poor coffee no matter where you were.
This is doubly disappointing because everything else was done so nicely - the food was great, the cocktails also, the room lovely. . .
I do have a photo of the coffee and I'll post it up - just as well I wasn't expecting any latte art - hard with dish-sud foam I reckon.
I am going to make a seperate post about the whole resort experience though because it was great.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Hotel Coffee
Mrs Grendel and I are having out 7th anniversery in a few days.
We are dopping of our boys with the in-laws ("drop them off at 6pm and make sure you are here by 7.30am" - so much for a sleep-in!).
However. . .
We are going off to a nice hotel, having dinner in a nice restaraunt and generally trying to reconnect from our busy lives.
The hotel is a 5-star place, very stylish, great reputation etc. but like every 5-Star hotel I have ever set foot in, I expect their coffee will be abysmally bad.
I am prepared to be surprised - but don't actually expect to be.
The general rule at 5-Star hotels is that a large coffee company will have been contracted to supply the beans and machines, sometimes the beans may have been roasted in Australia, but just as often imported from italy - the mystique of 'imported' still seems to hold sway with many people.
The reality of course is that with imported beans you are further from the source and the opportunity to address issues of quality with the producer. Beans are also going to be stale.
Why, in a country with a good local roasters in almost every state and territory, do we have hotels who use only the finest ingredients in their kitchen and have those prepared by talented and renowned chefs, but serve mass-roasted, stale coffee by half trained staff who really shouldn't be acknowledged by the term 'barista'.
Our top hotels like to showcase the best of Australian cuisine - now we need them to showcase the best of Australian coffee.
So, in this period of electoral nightmares - lets commence a campaign of real merit - getting good locally roasted coffee into the best hotels.
At least that way next year's 11.5 hours without the kids might also come with a good espresso.
We are dopping of our boys with the in-laws ("drop them off at 6pm and make sure you are here by 7.30am" - so much for a sleep-in!).
However. . .
We are going off to a nice hotel, having dinner in a nice restaraunt and generally trying to reconnect from our busy lives.
The hotel is a 5-star place, very stylish, great reputation etc. but like every 5-Star hotel I have ever set foot in, I expect their coffee will be abysmally bad.
I am prepared to be surprised - but don't actually expect to be.
The general rule at 5-Star hotels is that a large coffee company will have been contracted to supply the beans and machines, sometimes the beans may have been roasted in Australia, but just as often imported from italy - the mystique of 'imported' still seems to hold sway with many people.
The reality of course is that with imported beans you are further from the source and the opportunity to address issues of quality with the producer. Beans are also going to be stale.
Why, in a country with a good local roasters in almost every state and territory, do we have hotels who use only the finest ingredients in their kitchen and have those prepared by talented and renowned chefs, but serve mass-roasted, stale coffee by half trained staff who really shouldn't be acknowledged by the term 'barista'.
Our top hotels like to showcase the best of Australian cuisine - now we need them to showcase the best of Australian coffee.
So, in this period of electoral nightmares - lets commence a campaign of real merit - getting good locally roasted coffee into the best hotels.
At least that way next year's 11.5 hours without the kids might also come with a good espresso.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Happy Birthday Pranzo
Pete and Jan's cafe 'Pranzo' turns 5 today.
A West Perth icon, their move to Fiori Coffee opened a new chapter in what was already one of the area's best cafes.
Pete has a terrific barista in Nicole who turns out excellent coffees to a seemingly endless line of local mining and fashion executives and Jan in the kitchen is responsible for me (and I suspect many other people as well) needing full gym memberships (ok - I'm really responsible for that but Jan is easier to blame!)
Get up there and wish them happy birthday if you are in the area today.
A West Perth icon, their move to Fiori Coffee opened a new chapter in what was already one of the area's best cafes.
Pete has a terrific barista in Nicole who turns out excellent coffees to a seemingly endless line of local mining and fashion executives and Jan in the kitchen is responsible for me (and I suspect many other people as well) needing full gym memberships (ok - I'm really responsible for that but Jan is easier to blame!)
Get up there and wish them happy birthday if you are in the area today.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Grendel's Sweet Spiced Beer Sauce
Mrs Grendel is away - and she has the car. So the boys are enjoying a 'Curious George' marathon, well they were, Jr Grendel 1 is now battling the forces of evil in Command and Conqueor while Jr Grendel 2 watches Seasame Street for the 3rd time today.I've got a loaf of bread in the oven and just finished making spiced beer sauce.
I have no idea what it is for. It is one of those things I make up from time to time and I have been thinking about it since Kamran went to make our latest batch of beer (and added a stick of cinnamon).
I used a 500ml can of India Pale Ale, 1 cup of brown sugar, two sticks of cinnamon and some chopped fresh ginger. I reduced this over a low heat for half an hour. I then filtered the sauce before adding the ginger pieces and cinnamon sticks back into the jar.
A deep bronze colour while in the saucepan it is a dark treacle now and tastes great!
Now what? Beer sauce on ice cream? perhaps beer thickshakes, baked ham with beer baste, pears in beer sauce - the possibilities are endless!
I must be bored or perhaps I'm just procrastinating the start of the job application.
Domestic Coffee - Cold Process
Cold Process coffee is a real treat and coming up to summer it is an essential to have in the fridge for iced coffees, coffee-laced desserts, coffee liqueurs and even just for the morning pick-me-up.
You have to plan a little in advance to enjoy it, but you can make a fair bit in one go and it will keep in the fridge for two weeks.
Essentially you are making a coffee concentrate, using cold water and freshly ground coffee.
It is a low-tech (no-tech really) coffee making method that extracts lots of the wonderful flavours, and much of the caramelised sugar of the roasted beans but much less of the volatile oils and bitter acids. There is also less caffeine, but since you are making a concentrate there is plenty of caffeine for any one's level of need.
The best way to make cold process coffee is to use a specially designed brewing system such as the 'Toddy'. Unfortunately these are not readily available in Australia, however the process is simple enough that you can usually create your own brew setup.
If you are lucky enough to own a Toddy then I envy you - the design is terrific, and very simple.
I usually make do by steeping the coffee grounds in a plunger for 24 hours and then filtered the concentrate into a glass jar for the fridge. Assuming that no one else has a Toddy either, I'll explain how I make it this way.
I'd recommend a ratio of about 4 litres to one kilo of coffee - about 1 litre per 250 grams. If that seems like a lot of coffee to use in one brew, remember that you are making a concentrate for use throughout the week. For this you will need a fairly large plunger, or a clean jar of similar size.
Grind the beans fairly coarsely and add the cold water. Give the grinds a very light stir or tap to ensure they are all wet, cover the plunger/jar with plastic wrap and allow it to sit for between 12-24 hours. A 12- hour brew is fairly mild, and the 24 hour a bit richer, with a little more caffeine (but still less than any hot-brew method).
If you have made it in a plunger, place the mesh over the top and plunge as you normally would. You may then want to run the concentrate through a paper filter as well. If you used a jar, then a funnel with a paper filter is essential - choose a fridge-friendly storage jar and filter the concentrate into that.
You now have a terrifically smooth and mellow coffee, rich with flavour and with a full range of uses. You can store it for a fortnight and you will never ever need 'instant' coffee again (not that ANY Cafe Grendel reader would be accused of drinking instant coffee. . .)
This a great workplace coffee too - quick to make, easy to store and an aroma guaranteed to drive your colleagues nuts.
I understand that you can also make tea using this process - with a similar outcome. I think I will try it with some of the orange pekoe I bought earlier in the year.
I have a recipe - a secret up until now, for a real ice cream treat.
P.S. I am going to attempt to find a supplier of the 'Toddy' in Australia - I'll let you know how that goes.
You have to plan a little in advance to enjoy it, but you can make a fair bit in one go and it will keep in the fridge for two weeks.
Essentially you are making a coffee concentrate, using cold water and freshly ground coffee.
It is a low-tech (no-tech really) coffee making method that extracts lots of the wonderful flavours, and much of the caramelised sugar of the roasted beans but much less of the volatile oils and bitter acids. There is also less caffeine, but since you are making a concentrate there is plenty of caffeine for any one's level of need.
The best way to make cold process coffee is to use a specially designed brewing system such as the 'Toddy'. Unfortunately these are not readily available in Australia, however the process is simple enough that you can usually create your own brew setup.
If you are lucky enough to own a Toddy then I envy you - the design is terrific, and very simple.
I usually make do by steeping the coffee grounds in a plunger for 24 hours and then filtered the concentrate into a glass jar for the fridge. Assuming that no one else has a Toddy either, I'll explain how I make it this way.
I'd recommend a ratio of about 4 litres to one kilo of coffee - about 1 litre per 250 grams. If that seems like a lot of coffee to use in one brew, remember that you are making a concentrate for use throughout the week. For this you will need a fairly large plunger, or a clean jar of similar size.
Grind the beans fairly coarsely and add the cold water. Give the grinds a very light stir or tap to ensure they are all wet, cover the plunger/jar with plastic wrap and allow it to sit for between 12-24 hours. A 12- hour brew is fairly mild, and the 24 hour a bit richer, with a little more caffeine (but still less than any hot-brew method).
If you have made it in a plunger, place the mesh over the top and plunge as you normally would. You may then want to run the concentrate through a paper filter as well. If you used a jar, then a funnel with a paper filter is essential - choose a fridge-friendly storage jar and filter the concentrate into that.
You now have a terrifically smooth and mellow coffee, rich with flavour and with a full range of uses. You can store it for a fortnight and you will never ever need 'instant' coffee again (not that ANY Cafe Grendel reader would be accused of drinking instant coffee. . .)
This a great workplace coffee too - quick to make, easy to store and an aroma guaranteed to drive your colleagues nuts.
I understand that you can also make tea using this process - with a similar outcome. I think I will try it with some of the orange pekoe I bought earlier in the year.
I have a recipe - a secret up until now, for a real ice cream treat.
Enjoy!Reduce the coffee and maple syrup together over a low flame, when the volume is half what it was, turn off the heat and stir in the dark chocolate.
- 200ml cold process coffee
- 100ml Maple Syrup
- 50 grams dark chocolate
You can used this warm or cool over ice cream - or as the base for a milkshake.
P.S. I am going to attempt to find a supplier of the 'Toddy' in Australia - I'll let you know how that goes.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Flies
Like ten thousand city roast robusta beans with wings, and at least as potent, the spring flies have arrived.Crawling, bothering, sticky things.
No wonder the ancient Egyptians revered dung beetles.
Night time roasting for me now, daytime roasts don't discourage the flies sufficiently. Some adopt a kamikaze approach to coffee adoration and immolate themselves beneath the 2000 watts of blistering heat from the roaster.
Others, keener of wit, settle on the power cord, waiting their chance to follow me through the portal to heaven as I carry the coffee back inside.
A $2 fly swatter is the end to their grand ambitions if they make it inside.
And in other news, the temporary position I currently occupy is being made permanent - I have to apply again to get the permanent spot, but it is great to finally get the opportunity to do so.
If I get it I might even buy a new fly swatter.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Marmalade Eager Theatre Gang
Whaaaaat? I hear you ask.
That's right - Marmalade Eager Theatre Gang - an anagram of "The Great Leader Anagram Game"
In celebration of (or frustration with) the looming federal election I offer this diversion.
I've used "John Winston Howard" to get all the lovely letters in 'winston' and got this: Wow John, Hot Innards.
With Kevin Rudd I managed: Drunk Diver and now sincerely wish his name was 'kervin' cause that extra 'r' would have been real handy.
Make your contributions in the comments - there is a prize for the funniest. You can use any variation of their names - such as initials, full names etc and the leaders of other parties are included - such as Bob Brown (good luck with that one!)
That's right - Marmalade Eager Theatre Gang - an anagram of "The Great Leader Anagram Game"
In celebration of (or frustration with) the looming federal election I offer this diversion.
I've used "John Winston Howard" to get all the lovely letters in 'winston' and got this: Wow John, Hot Innards.
With Kevin Rudd I managed: Drunk Diver and now sincerely wish his name was 'kervin' cause that extra 'r' would have been real handy.
Make your contributions in the comments - there is a prize for the funniest. You can use any variation of their names - such as initials, full names etc and the leaders of other parties are included - such as Bob Brown (good luck with that one!)
Perth Coffee and Food Roundup
Eggs Benedict at Tiger Tiger, still possibly the greatest breakfast in Perth. Also they are asking people to vote for the next Single Origin bean so pop in and make you preference known. They now have slabs of their excellent fudge available – I resisted temptation (for now).
Matt at Abstract Gourmet has found yet another great restaurant, but it may be closing down soon.
The Slow Food people are having a great night of tasting and learning about biodynamic food on November 2, including the movie “The Real Dirt on Farmer John”. Book early.
Fiori Coffee have some great Kenyan beans in stock that are shaking my preconceptions about Kenyan coffee. They also have what is probably the only supply of green Kopi Luwak - which as I have mentioned already, they have generously donated as a fundraiser to the Autism Association. I am also sure I heard Kamran mumble something about "never letting that stuff near my mouth" but I could be wrong. ..
Epic have a new car – very stylish.
T5 will/may be opening on Friday nights soon when the Joondalup summer markets commence.
The 5 Senses Malawi ristretto cups are great and seeing regular service in my house - I reckon they make a terrific ethical Christmas present so grab some while they are in stock.
Crave Provedore Floreat have opened a second store – this time in Napoleon Street, Cottesloe:
Mooba are opening a Subi outlet.
Velvet has been selected as Perth’s best café by The West Australian (again!) so Justin Kenny should be very proud – nice work.
If you are into the Perth Coffee scene and have some more news, please let me know!
Matt at Abstract Gourmet has found yet another great restaurant, but it may be closing down soon.
The Slow Food people are having a great night of tasting and learning about biodynamic food on November 2, including the movie “The Real Dirt on Farmer John”. Book early.
Fiori Coffee have some great Kenyan beans in stock that are shaking my preconceptions about Kenyan coffee. They also have what is probably the only supply of green Kopi Luwak - which as I have mentioned already, they have generously donated as a fundraiser to the Autism Association. I am also sure I heard Kamran mumble something about "never letting that stuff near my mouth" but I could be wrong. ..
Epic have a new car – very stylish.
T5 will/may be opening on Friday nights soon when the Joondalup summer markets commence.
The 5 Senses Malawi ristretto cups are great and seeing regular service in my house - I reckon they make a terrific ethical Christmas present so grab some while they are in stock.
Crave Provedore Floreat have opened a second store – this time in Napoleon Street, Cottesloe:
Barker & Hale
24A Napoleon St
Cottesloe
Ph/fax 08 9284 6644
Mooba are opening a Subi outlet.
Velvet has been selected as Perth’s best café by The West Australian (again!) so Justin Kenny should be very proud – nice work.
If you are into the Perth Coffee scene and have some more news, please let me know!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Great Perth Coffee Tours
Riding the train into the new Perth Station today I suddenly thought of the opportunity to do a really fun coffee tour series through Perth.
So if anyone is interested I will be hosting some coffee tours - starting at about 7.30 am and finishing at 8.30 am. First date will be set shortly but it will be a Wednesday in November and will focus on the CBD.
We'll start at Cafe 54, head to Tiger Tiger for the Single Origin special, up King Street to Velvet then round into the arcade for a final top-off at Ristretto.
We'll stop for a bite to eat at one of the cafes to ensure we don't over caffeinate on empty stomachs.
The idea of the tour will be to experience the variation in flavours from different blends and roasters and to see how 'different' is also 'good'.
Cost: Nothing, but you'll be paying for your own coffees and breakfast.
We may walk down the Mall - or catch the Red Cat if we have people who'll struggle with the distance between Cafe 54 and Tiger Tiger.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Real Dirty Slow Food
In 1979 our family visited the USA and I was intrigued by the immense range of products on the shelf of the supermarkets, almost all coming with additives of one sort or another. I didn't enjoy much of what I could find to eat or drink while I was there (the 'orange plastic' cheese, the watery honey and especially the 'milk with vitamins A-Z') but didn't give it much thought either (hey I was 9!).
Two years later I saw a film called "Bitter Harvest" about a farmer struggling with contamination on his farm and subsequent contamination of consumers who used the farm produce. The end result was the total loss of the dairy herd.
At the same time that this film was circulating there was another documentary of the same title being produced by a film student that was documenting the slowly failing farm of a young farmer named John Peterson. Footage from that film makes up part of a new documentary of collapse and resurrection of a family farm - one based on principles of organic and later biodynamic production.
While studying agriculture and animal husbandry at high school I was fortunate to be introduced to the concept of minimising or eliminating the use of pesticides wherever possible.
Organic and biodynamic farming methods have gained a lot more credibility since I studied and are becoming the preferred approach for many producers of high quality vegetables and animals for consumption.
The Perth Slow Food Convivium is a local driving force bringing together producers and consumers end encouraging quality and biodiversity as well as supporting education through the Kitchen Garden program.
They are holding a fundraising evening where the documentary "The Real Dirt on Farmer John" will be shown (read about the film here). It chronicles 25 years in the life of John Peterson and even better, Farmer John will be there to give a little presentation at the start of the movie. Local producers have been invited to do tastings and a glass of wine is included in the price of $16.00.
Everyone who books to go along will receive a free Slow Food Goodies bag to take home and there will be a raffle of a Slow Food Producers Hamper on the night.
You can download the booking sheet for the movie night here: Farmer John Movie
Date: Friday 2nd November 2007
Time: 8 pm but be there from 7.00 pm for tastings and a glass of wine (6.30pm set-up for producers)
Venue: Astor Cinema
Cnr Beaufort & Walcott Sts, Mt Lawley
Costs: $16.00 members & non members
Get yer wellies on and get along.
Two years later I saw a film called "Bitter Harvest" about a farmer struggling with contamination on his farm and subsequent contamination of consumers who used the farm produce. The end result was the total loss of the dairy herd.
At the same time that this film was circulating there was another documentary of the same title being produced by a film student that was documenting the slowly failing farm of a young farmer named John Peterson. Footage from that film makes up part of a new documentary of collapse and resurrection of a family farm - one based on principles of organic and later biodynamic production.
While studying agriculture and animal husbandry at high school I was fortunate to be introduced to the concept of minimising or eliminating the use of pesticides wherever possible.
Organic and biodynamic farming methods have gained a lot more credibility since I studied and are becoming the preferred approach for many producers of high quality vegetables and animals for consumption.
The Perth Slow Food Convivium is a local driving force bringing together producers and consumers end encouraging quality and biodiversity as well as supporting education through the Kitchen Garden program.
They are holding a fundraising evening where the documentary "The Real Dirt on Farmer John" will be shown (read about the film here). It chronicles 25 years in the life of John Peterson and even better, Farmer John will be there to give a little presentation at the start of the movie. Local producers have been invited to do tastings and a glass of wine is included in the price of $16.00.
Everyone who books to go along will receive a free Slow Food Goodies bag to take home and there will be a raffle of a Slow Food Producers Hamper on the night.
You can download the booking sheet for the movie night here: Farmer John Movie
Date: Friday 2nd November 2007
Time: 8 pm but be there from 7.00 pm for tastings and a glass of wine (6.30pm set-up for producers)
Venue: Astor Cinema
Cnr Beaufort & Walcott Sts, Mt Lawley
Costs: $16.00 members & non members
Get yer wellies on and get along.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
I did promise
To reveal all last weekend regarding my less-than-cryptic comment about Kopi Luwak, but to be honest I have been so flat out at work I have not had the chance to straighten out a good post.
Let's just say for starters that these guys:
are absolute champions.
Kamran and Louise were sent a little present from their coffee supplier of 730 grams of Kopi Luwak. Now some Kopi Luwak is from beans fed to caged civet cats - and worse, they use robusta beans. The premium Kopi Luwak is from wild civets stealing the choice, plump ripe coffee cherries from Arabica coffee plants with the droppings collected by the farmer.
This is what Kamran has - the good stuff indeed and he and Louise have donated the Kopi Luwak to me to use as a fundraiser for the Autism Association. This is incredibly generous as the promotional value alone of a unique coffee like this is immense.
Odd that one should be so happy about being given dried cat poo. Still it is not every dried cat poo that is worth several hundred dollars.
My next challenge is of course to market this effectively to eke the most cash from what is a relatively small amount of coffee. At the moment I am thinking of perhaps having an 'event' down the business end of town where we sell it by the cup.
The scariest part is that I have to roast it and I think I'll do this with a second roasting setup on standby and already warmed up just in case.
I'm actually pretty curious to see how it goes.
Needless to say I am open to offers if anyone wants the whole lot for themselves!
Let's just say for starters that these guys:
are absolute champions.
Kamran and Louise were sent a little present from their coffee supplier of 730 grams of Kopi Luwak. Now some Kopi Luwak is from beans fed to caged civet cats - and worse, they use robusta beans. The premium Kopi Luwak is from wild civets stealing the choice, plump ripe coffee cherries from Arabica coffee plants with the droppings collected by the farmer.
This is what Kamran has - the good stuff indeed and he and Louise have donated the Kopi Luwak to me to use as a fundraiser for the Autism Association. This is incredibly generous as the promotional value alone of a unique coffee like this is immense.
Odd that one should be so happy about being given dried cat poo. Still it is not every dried cat poo that is worth several hundred dollars.
My next challenge is of course to market this effectively to eke the most cash from what is a relatively small amount of coffee. At the moment I am thinking of perhaps having an 'event' down the business end of town where we sell it by the cup.
The scariest part is that I have to roast it and I think I'll do this with a second roasting setup on standby and already warmed up just in case.
I'm actually pretty curious to see how it goes.
Needless to say I am open to offers if anyone wants the whole lot for themselves!
Good Features
Water. Either in a bottle on your table - or available in jugs on a bench. This is for me an essential in a good cafe. Fortunately it is also routinely offered across Perth and remarkable only when it is not on offer.
I also like the opportunity to wash my hands before I eat, but placing a wash basin in a cafe is not the easist thing in the world, but I have seen it here in Perth at Delish in Floreat Forum. Right there in the middle of the cafe is a wash basin, very stylishly outfitted, some soap and paper towel. When you are going to be eating with your hands after a long morning riding trains and buses it is a real pleasure to be able to wash your hands.
Interesting stuff on the walls - at least then if you are staring off into space you can look like you are actually deep in appreciation of art.
A lounge chair - for those days when you really need to crash into something comfy. This is a big ask though given the space constraints for most cafes.
WiFi - I love the idea, but I really must buy something with WiFi in to make use of it. . .
Oh, and good coffee - because even if it has some nice features there is no point without good coffee.
I also like the opportunity to wash my hands before I eat, but placing a wash basin in a cafe is not the easist thing in the world, but I have seen it here in Perth at Delish in Floreat Forum. Right there in the middle of the cafe is a wash basin, very stylishly outfitted, some soap and paper towel. When you are going to be eating with your hands after a long morning riding trains and buses it is a real pleasure to be able to wash your hands.
Interesting stuff on the walls - at least then if you are staring off into space you can look like you are actually deep in appreciation of art.
A lounge chair - for those days when you really need to crash into something comfy. This is a big ask though given the space constraints for most cafes.
WiFi - I love the idea, but I really must buy something with WiFi in to make use of it. . .
Oh, and good coffee - because even if it has some nice features there is no point without good coffee.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Black Star Coffee
Two brown paper bags arrived from Queensland on Thursday.
Unlike other more famous Qld brown paper bags that I remember mention of as I was growing up in Brissie, mine were actually filled with something useful - coffee beans.
'The Rev' a fellow commentator on Hamo's Blog arranged to send me a bag of "The People's Blend" and "Revolution Espresso" from Black Star Coffee, a social enterprise that this year was
made part of a Brisbane City Council social enterprise hub - an initiative to assist social enterprises in growth and sustainability.
Black Star coffee uses Fair Trade Organic specialty coffees, roasted in small batches - an artisan roaster. Using a 50 year-old Probat they are fairly new on the Brisbane roasting scene but they are already making an impact - and great coffee too.
I tried each as a ristretto, an espresso and a flat white. It took me a few shots to adjust the pour from the Blue Horse I've been drinking this week, but after a couple of tries I had lovely thick russet ropes of espresso dripping into my cup.
"The People's Blend" is reasonably bright (perhaps some PNG or Timor beans in the blend?) but is saved from being over acidic by the medium dark roast whuch has caramelised the sugars nicely to offset the acid in the beans. It was a very smooth taste with good mouthfeel and a clean finish.
The pour was thick and ropey and the beans - about a week out from roasting, delivered a good rich crema.
It cut very nicely through milk and there was a familiar flavour there reminiscent of some of the flavours from Capricorn Estate or even monsooned beans.
"Revolution Espresso" I enjoyed the most - almost a classic espresso blend but roasted a little lighter than might be traditional. It was very balanced - not a lot of acidity but lots of warm toasty tones and a great chocolaty finish. This one was the best as a ristretto - and to my taste also the best through milk.
I'm not entirely sure what beans are in this blend but I'd guess at an Ethiopian presence along with a South American (Columbian?) bean and some others - one day perhaps I will be able to just sniff in the direction of a bag of coffee and tell you which side of the tree from the upper ridge of the western edge of the plantation. . .
Not likely however!
Suffice to say I liked it a lot.
On reflection I think that "The People's Blend" would be the better of the two in a plunger and I'll take it to work with me on Monday where I am sure my colleagues will enjoy both the coffee and the packaging.
Speaking of which - this is pretty funky, I like the use of stamps, and maintaining a theme that is in keeping with the origins of coffee - usually from the developing world, and also reflecting the ethos of the roastery.
Sometimes Fair Trade and Organic are not synonymous with quality, but in the case of Black Star Coffee they seem to have sourced some good quality coffees and they are roasting them well. Their choice of an older Probat roaster is a good one and the stability of the Probat delivers through these beans.
If you live in Brisbane and you are not drinking Black Star then you may want to check it out - impressive stuff from an impressive business model.
Who: Black Star Coffee
What: Fresh Artisan Roasted Coffee Beans
Where: Blackstar Coffee, Davies Park, Jane Street, West End, Brisbane.
Phone: (07) 3342 7724
When: Saturday, 6 October 2007
Coffee: Fair Trade Organics Coffees - contact Black Star for further information.
Unlike other more famous Qld brown paper bags that I remember mention of as I was growing up in Brissie, mine were actually filled with something useful - coffee beans.
'The Rev' a fellow commentator on Hamo's Blog arranged to send me a bag of "The People's Blend" and "Revolution Espresso" from Black Star Coffee, a social enterprise that this year was
made part of a Brisbane City Council social enterprise hub - an initiative to assist social enterprises in growth and sustainability.Black Star coffee uses Fair Trade Organic specialty coffees, roasted in small batches - an artisan roaster. Using a 50 year-old Probat they are fairly new on the Brisbane roasting scene but they are already making an impact - and great coffee too.
I tried each as a ristretto, an espresso and a flat white. It took me a few shots to adjust the pour from the Blue Horse I've been drinking this week, but after a couple of tries I had lovely thick russet ropes of espresso dripping into my cup.
"The People's Blend" is reasonably bright (perhaps some PNG or Timor beans in the blend?) but is saved from being over acidic by the medium dark roast whuch has caramelised the sugars nicely to offset the acid in the beans. It was a very smooth taste with good mouthfeel and a clean finish.The pour was thick and ropey and the beans - about a week out from roasting, delivered a good rich crema.
It cut very nicely through milk and there was a familiar flavour there reminiscent of some of the flavours from Capricorn Estate or even monsooned beans.
"Revolution Espresso" I enjoyed the most - almost a classic espresso blend but roasted a little lighter than might be traditional. It was very balanced - not a lot of acidity but lots of warm toasty tones and a great chocolaty finish. This one was the best as a ristretto - and to my taste also the best through milk.I'm not entirely sure what beans are in this blend but I'd guess at an Ethiopian presence along with a South American (Columbian?) bean and some others - one day perhaps I will be able to just sniff in the direction of a bag of coffee and tell you which side of the tree from the upper ridge of the western edge of the plantation. . .
Not likely however!
Suffice to say I liked it a lot.
On reflection I think that "The People's Blend" would be the better of the two in a plunger and I'll take it to work with me on Monday where I am sure my colleagues will enjoy both the coffee and the packaging.
Speaking of which - this is pretty funky, I like the use of stamps, and maintaining a theme that is in keeping with the origins of coffee - usually from the developing world, and also reflecting the ethos of the roastery.
Sometimes Fair Trade and Organic are not synonymous with quality, but in the case of Black Star Coffee they seem to have sourced some good quality coffees and they are roasting them well. Their choice of an older Probat roaster is a good one and the stability of the Probat delivers through these beans.
If you live in Brisbane and you are not drinking Black Star then you may want to check it out - impressive stuff from an impressive business model.
Who: Black Star Coffee
What: Fresh Artisan Roasted Coffee Beans
Where: Blackstar Coffee, Davies Park, Jane Street, West End, Brisbane.
Phone: (07) 3342 7724
When: Saturday, 6 October 2007
Coffee: Fair Trade Organics Coffees - contact Black Star for further information.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Boucla Photo Update
I took the family to Boucla on Wednesday and also took the camera!
I had a 'Persian Slipper' a tasty spicy beef filled pastry and a slice of the truly scrumptious chocolate ricotta cake - not to be missed. As always the Fiori coffee was superb, even if Mrs Grendel did put sugar in hers. . .
The photos should also show you just what I meant about 'Aladdin's Cave'.
I had a 'Persian Slipper' a tasty spicy beef filled pastry and a slice of the truly scrumptious chocolate ricotta cake - not to be missed. As always the Fiori coffee was superb, even if Mrs Grendel did put sugar in hers. . .
The photos should also show you just what I meant about 'Aladdin's Cave'.
Kopi Luwak
Kopi Luwak has been written about quite a bit - so I won't say too much about it. For those who haven't heard of it, it is coffee that has gone through the digestive system of the 'Luwak' an asian palm civet cat native to the Indonesian archapelego.
The digestive enzymes apparently remove some of the bitterness and reduce the caffeine resulting in a mild but still full bodied coffee.
It is very rare, and hence very expensive.
The ABC's Foreign Correspondent program recently did a great story - also available to view online and I recommend it as a good starting point.
Why this sudden interest in Kopi Luwak?
You'll have to wait for the weekend.
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