Sunday 28 July 2013

La Ristretto's


Novena medical centre is exactly as you would expect - unremarkable corridors lined with doctors offices, waiting rooms, more doctors offices, yet more waiting rooms, and in the midst of all this, an unexpected outlier - a small and cosy Italian style cafe, serving up interesting ristretto shots. 


The inside is quite small and cosy, but the limited space is put to good use. A communal table lies in the centre of the room, flanked by counter seats, and a door that leads to a shaded outdoor seating area. Tampers and espresso shot cups line the shelves, while the staff pull shots at an open bar counter lined with espresso machines and grinders. I like the concept - it's always interesting to see the baristas at work, and for coffee geeks, to see the shots themselves being pulled. This can tell you a lot about the quality of coffee at a cafe - a spaghetti strand sized column of dark black liquid slowly lining a shot cup is a sign of good underlying espresso, while a 10 second downpour of pale brown liquid is a hint that you should quietly slip out the entrance without waiting for your drink. Fortunately, La Ristretto's shots were good examples of the former, with a 20 second extraction of potent espresso.  



The espresso shot had a medium brown crema, and a robust, full bodied flavour with distinct hints of chocolate. It was bright without being bitter, and potent without being burnt. The shot glass of water on the side is a nice touch also, and was used, as the serving size is a little larger than usual for a single shot. The coffee beans used were from Agust coffee roasters in Italy, which I haven't come across in Asia before, and are quite distinct in their own right. It's also interesting to be able to sample a robust Italian style espresso, which contrasts with the trend for citrusy single origin shots that are on offer in a number of cafes at present. 



The latte that I ordered had smooth foam, and a large serving size. It was quite mild, but the underlying espresso shot was muted rather than being completely lost, and could easily be detected in the aftertaste.  This may be the result of the larger espresso shot sizes mentioned earlier. The overall character was of coffee rather than warm milk, so despite the serving size, it avoids the easy mistake of serving warm caffeinated warm milk, rather than coffee. The foam maintained it's integrity throughout, without breaking up - a small detail, but one that's consistent with correct steaming temperature and duration, and something that I've seen a few cafes get wrong in recent weeks.



There is a good coffee menu on offer, with the usual combinations of espresso and milk, and brewed coffees. One thing that differs is the presence of shakerato on the menu (a shaken cold espresso), that I have not seen before, and something that I'm genuinely curious to see made. Prices were as expected, at 8.50 for the latte and espresso above.

Overall, La Ristretto's is interesting in that they are serving something genuinely different, and it's an opportunity to try a fairly authentic Italian espresso. The location may be an issue for some, in that it's in the middle of a medical centre, rather than in a standalone cafe. This should not deter you from visiting during non peak hours however, especially if you happen to be in the area. However do bear in mind that the cafe itself is quite small, so please let patients and staff take priority!

Sunday 21 July 2013

Loysel's Toy

The original Papa Palheta at Bukit Timah Road may have closed, but for those of us who miss the staff, the quiet courtyard, and the room that could have been from any city in any era, echoes and traces remain in a quiet cafe in a park by a river. Parts of it are still there, just slightly different than  before.

With songs from the 50's in the background, and old recycled wood given a new lease of life as tables and bar counters, Loysel's Toy in some respects resembles it's younger sibling, Chye Seng Huat Hardware. Loysel's Toy differs in that it has it's own identity, as a quiet haven in a riverside park. The busy interior section bustles with staff carrying coffees back and forth, with the cadence of conversations interrupted by the hiss of milk being steamed. Outside, the traffic and the city seem far away, as leaves rustle in in the breeze.

Loysel's Toy can be seen as an evolution of Papa Palheta. Papa Palheta was a coffee boutique, while Loysel's Toy was a full service cafe from it's very beginning. Some of the original concepts remain - a food menu which caters to what can be done well - but some new ideas have emerged over the years which have worked well. One is the bike rental option, which cleverly takes advantage of the riverside location. 

The most important part of any cafe is the quality of coffee, and regardless of location, this can make or break a cafe.  The espresso shot that I ordered consisted of a small volume of coffee, covered by a layer of medium dark brown crema. There was no bitterness evident, just a burst of robust, full bodied coffee, with hints of blackberry-like flavour present also. The potency never gave rise to burnt flavours - something that I have seen before in other cafes. This tells me that the roasting process has been very carefully controlled, and calibrated to bring out specific flavour elements in the coffee beans used. The mouthfeel is thicker than shots in other cafes, and tells me that the extraction time is right where it should be - not too long, bringing out bitterness, and not too short, leaving out some of the best parts of the ground coffee. It reminded me a lot of the espresso shots in the original Papa Palheta on Bukit Timah road, which remain as some of the best espresso shots that I have had in any city or country that I've been to. 

It's worth noting also that the water used in Loysel's Toy goes through an elaborate filtration process. It's an interesting touch that I don't see in every cafe, and speaks of the attention to detail, and the commitment to quality coffee, that was evident in the original Papa Palheta, and remains in Chye Seng Huat Hardware.












Lattes and milk based drinks in Loysel's Toy are single shot drinks. This is stated on the menu, and the option to add extra shots is available. This is certainly recommend, as the latte that I ordered was quite pale, and the robust espresso character above was lost, with milk as the dominant flavour. I added an extra espresso shot to the mix, and the difference was very, very evident. The potency was restored, but tempered by the milk, rather than being lost. Combined with the velvety smooth foam, and finished with some well executed latte art, the double shot latte combined the best elements of texture and flavour. 50 mls of fluid is a small volume of coffee, but it's sufficient to turn a very mild latte into a very good one indeed.



The coffee menu is exactly as expected - a good combination of espresso, milk based drinks, and brewed and filtered coffees. The addition of Chye Seng Huat Hardware has seen the coffee roaster move to Tyrwhitt Road, and the resulting space has been put to the good use with the addition of a brew bar. This allows for a variety of brewing methods to be catered for. A retail section is present also, with a mixture of coffee beans, keep cups, paper and chemex filters available. The retail section is smaller than Chye Seng Huat Hardware however, and does not contain the same extensive selection of items.

There were two different coffee blends available when I visited - the original Terra Firma blend, and the 1000 cups blend. Both are robust, but differ slightly in the levels of acidity evident in each.

It may be slightly out of the way, but the cafe in the park by the river is definitely worth visiting.

Sunday 14 July 2013

Maison Ikkoku

There's a stark contrast between old and new taking place in Maison Ikkoku. On a quiet side street, the calm of a quiet Saturday afternoon is broken by the hum of conversation and the hiss of milk being steamed under pressure. The painted brick walls with industrial style copper pipes and light fixtures are far removed from the original shophouse that was here, and are closer to a contemporary urban studio apartment. There are some quirky touches also, with old pieces of furniture suspended from the walls, and doors recycled into tables on an outdoor terrace.

An espresso shot is the foundation of many different coffees. It's hard to make a bad drink with a good espresso, and so much easier to make a bad drink with an over extracted shot. The espresso shot that I ordered arrived with a medium dark brown crema, and a small volume of coffee. (The crema colour is an indicator of freshness. If it's pale, it's stale, which is why I always make a note of this. The small volume suggests that the shot was not over extracted, which would give rise to unpleasant flavours in the shot, as non soluble coffee grounds end up in the cup). It was bitter, with hints of woody flavours, and a slightly thick mouthfeel. The aftertaste was bold and lasting - overall a well executed espresso. So far, so good.
I ordered a latte also. The espresso was definitely muted by the milk. It was smooth, with the coffee flavour not lost or drowned out by the milk. However, the overall quality is reduced by the presence of larger bubbles in the milk foam - this is something that I have seen before in Maison Ikkoku. This might seem like the most minor and insignificant point imaginable, but there are valid underlying reasons for pointing this out. Larger bubbles do not impart the same silky smooth mouthfeel that microfoam does. Also, the baristas have gone to the effort of creating latte art. Unfortunately, larger bubbles cause the foam to break apart, so the overall affect is lost after a few minutes. This is something that is fixable, and it's a shame to see their efforts go to waste for the sake of a small change to the steaming technique. It's also the difference between a very good latte, and an average one. One thing to bear in mind however - the point above is simply not relevant for anyone who prefers drip or brewed coffee, and might not even be an issue for anyone else.
There is also a good selection of brewed and drip coffees available for anyone with different tastes. Pourover coffees are on the menu, along with cold dripped, syphon, aeropress, andV60 all available as options. Coffee choices include pretty much everything except ristretto shots. That's ok though, there's more than enough on offer. One thing that Maison Ikkoku does well is the pairing of different bean types to different brewing methods, and the baristas are well versed in which method to pair to which bean. This is great to see, and speaks volumes about the cafe, and the owners intentions and reasons for starting.

Prices as are expected - $8.50 for the latte and cappuccino above - and broadly in line with what is charged in other quality cafes.

Along with Smitten and Chye Seng Huat Hardware, Maison Ikkoku has a very well stocked retail section, with accessories that are not always found elsewhere. There is a good selection of items for brewed or filtered coffees, including Chemex and V60 coffee drippers, cone filters and syphons. There are also tampers on sale for home baristas. Unfortunately, Maison Ikkoku does not sell coffee beans. This is something that I would like to see happen, as there are some interesting blends and single origins  from Columbia and El Salvador being used.

Overall, there are a good selection of brewing methods available, as well as helpful staff pulling quality shots. The milk steaming issue won't affect everyone, but it's unfortunate to see this when everything else is done so well. Also, Maison Ikkoku can be very crowded at weekends, with queues for seats - opening the second floor cocktail bar during the day would help to alleviate this. It's certainly worth a visit, and along with Symmetry and EspressoLab, is a good choice for anyone craving caffeine in the Arab Street area.





Saturday 6 July 2013

Kiasu Espresso, Tanjong Pagar

Kiasu! For anyone unfamiliar with the term, it's a Hokkien word which in a nutshell, means "fear of losing". If you see a form of behavior that makes you shake your head, and wonder what on earth the person is thinking (for example, a fit and healthy 20 something year old elbowing an elderly person aside to get a seat on the train in the morning, before instantly "falling asleep" only to magically wake up at their station), then there's a good chance that you've witnessed Kiasu in all it's dubious glory.

Fortunately, there was absolutely no trace of Kiasu behaviour from the bright young crew of Kiasu espresso in Tanjong Pagar. (Apart from the bird on the logo, obviously. Just look at him, planning on eating all the breadcrumbs before the other birds get a chance to eat. Kiasu bird).
I'M WATCHING YOU KIASU BIRD
Espresso - a layer of dark red brown crema floated over a medium volume of dark brown espresso. The initial flavours were citrusy, almost to the point of being tart. It's not astringent however, so it's not an unbalanced shot. The mouthfeel is not syrupy, a little loose, but not badly so, and doesn't affect the overall quality of the shot. 
Latte - there was a tempered potency, with a strong espresso aftertaste. The latte was smooth without losing much of the underlying coffee character. The initial coffee hit is muted in subsequent sips, but by no means is it lost altogether. 

One issue however was the presence of larger bubbles in the foam, which caused the foam to fall apart over time. It's a pity, as the intricate latte art was so well executed, and this caused the overall effect to be lost. This would be a more significant issue for anyone whose preference is for cappuccinos, where the ratio of foam to liquid is more larger, and which could subsequently affect the texture and mouthfeel.

Overall, it's not a bad choice for anyone whose office is based in the area, and it is certainly preferable to the burnt coffee and bowls of warm caffeinated milk that are served elsewhere. At $8.50 for a regular latte and a single espresso, it's certainly no more expensive, for what is better coffee than the established franchises nearby. However, there are also a number of other independent cafes nearby in Outram park, which consistently serve high quality coffee, and which are near enough to compete for customers. At present, the standard of coffee served is good, but with some small amendments to the execution process, it could be even better.