Don't Panik – Eugene's little blog
Food, travel and Photography
As a photographer and coffee fanatic, it was a surprise to find the blog by Adbeus that features coffee from various little coffee shops in Montreal. I just love all the photos that feature the same overhead view and different table tops. Here’s a little attempt I did while I was in Singapore for business. My only regret was that I did not bring my DSLR along.
With a recent office relocation came the need to search for good, quick and nearby food. One thing about Kay-El is that you normally don’t find good bread. We did go to LeVain Boulangerie Patisserie a while back and the only problem with LeVain was distance and besides the atmosphere, the food is just above average. Coffee was also down to the individual barista. On two occasions that I was there, the coffee was noticeably worse than the previous visit a week earlier. Their breads, well, pretty great but it must depend on your basis for comparison. If I would prefer a more Asian twist to my breads, LeVain would meet that criteria. If you’re going for the European flavor, LeVain does disappoint somewhat.
So, it was a pleasure to find a little bakery and cafe tucked into the quiet nestles of Bukit Damansara (Damansara Hill) and within five minutes drive from my office. The coffee is consistently good (ten visits in three weeks) and their breads and pastries are simply up to mark. Of course not everything will satisfy everyone but to me, their white bread is simply the best. The cranberry walnut loaf is also good enough to eat it on it’s own… to paraphrase another bread maker’s slogan but this one is really special. I’d rate Bread shop a notch above LeVain. The modernistic concrete styling just complements the aroma and luscious softness of their breads and pastries. I’m a fan for sure!
The prices are also quite fair. It’s no more expensive than LeVain, Bread Story or Delifrance. The only pity is that they close on public holidays and Sundays but I really love it when I can pop in at 8am for a delicious croissant and latte before getting into the office!
The Bread Shop
11, Jalan Setiakasih 5,
Bukit Damansara,
50490 Kuala Lumpur
The past three weeks have been kinda strange as I’m been mostly in my home (and home office and home studio too!).
Obviously, that meant that I’ve lots of time to work on my espresso pulling on my Evolution. So far, I’ve found that fresh beans will produce superb crema and obviously, taste and aroma as well. Starbucks beans are nicely roasted but are weeks old when you buy them at their stores. Even this pricey tin of espresso from Illy wasn’t fresh enough.
For regular people like me who love their coffee but aren’t too anal about 100% freshness, Coffex provides the easiest solution. As the beans are roasted in Australia and air-flown, you are mostly guaranteed some semblance of freshness. How fresh? No beans I’ve tried (Boncafe, Illy, Starbucks, etc) provided me with instant lovely crema right out of the Evolution and the aroma is absolutely fantastic. My house smells like a little cafe after pulling a couple of shots.
Here’s 18 grams of Coffex Superbar tamped nicely and ready to go!
And of course, the results! Look at that lovely crema!
And my morning double-shot ready to get me started!
I’m pretty much a coffee person. Personally, coffee can sometimes make or break my day. Bad coffee stinks and is pretty much undrinkable. This is sadly the average coffee scene here in Malaysia. We don’t really get fresh ground beans and many cafes serve instant coffee powder anyways. So far, I get an acceptable cup at Starbucks or Dome. Otherwise, it’s pretty much a forgettable cup. Of course if you’re after the local brews of robusta beans then I find the ones in Yut Kee in KL and Bentong pretty respectable. For arabica bean coffee, it’s a rare cafe that serves up anything fantastic.
You know what they say… if you want it done right, you do it yourself! Easier said than done considering the high import tax this country slaps on Espresso machines… Since I’m pretty much making shots for myself, I decided that an entry level machine will suffice. I’ll splurge on a good grinder and freshly roasted beans instead.
So, the new addition to my kitchen counter top was a brand new spanking Gaggia Evolution. It’s pretty much the “kancil” of espresso machines. I would really love a Nuova Simonelli Oscar (in red) but it doesn’t really justify the cost at this time. Maybe when I’ve perfected the art of pulling shots with perfect crema and latte art will I upgrade my Evolution.
More to come once I’ve gotten some practice in 🙂
p.s. if anyone’s looking for a gift for me, a nice knocker would be a lovely gift 🙂
The past month or so, I’ve been treating myself to more expensive black liquid… no, no, not the petroleum variety but the caffeine packed stuff. Since I usually have time to make and enjoy my coffee on weekends, I figured no point getting some el cheapo coffee. Anyways, late April I got the Colombia Nariño El Tambo Black Apron exclusive but just last week, I was recommended by my regular Barista to try the Rwanda Blue Bourbon. So of course I did. Anyways, the Colombian, well, tastes like most latin American coffee I’ve tasted, kinda chocolately with a hint of citrus. Somehow I did not taste any floral notes that were claimed. The Rwanda Blue Bourbon on the other hand was quite good. I like my coffee bold but the Rwanda has complexity and body that I savor in a coffee. I also make them extra thick…
Both are quite good but somehow the Rwanda Blue Bourbon suits my taste better. Goes well with many simple breakfasts or heavier Malaysian fare too which is another advantage!
‘Affogato’ literally means ‘drowned’ in italian and that’s exactly what you do – submerge the ice cream with hot espresso. A perfect treat on a hot afternoon! Also, it’s a combination of some of my favorite ingredients – Coffee and Ice-cream!
