Tag: cafe

The Origins of Swedish Meatballs

M's Adventures
Turkish meatballs are usually this shape although they can also be round.

I see the köfte (the Turkish meatball) everywhere in modern-day Turkish cooking. Never once have I thought how Swedish it seemed. It is surprising to think of it having a connection to Sweden. But, recently, I learned the origins of the Swedish meatball (köttbullar). Apparently, a Swedish King brought back the meatball from his travels to the Ottoman Empire.

In 1708, King Charles XII of Sweden decided to invade Russia. After a military defeat in 1709, he fled to the Ottoman Empire. The Swedish king went into exile for five days… but stayed for as a guest of the Ottoman Empire for five years. The Swedish king was at the Ottoman court for so long that the Ottoman treasury (who funded him) gave him the nickname, “registered immovable property.”

When King Charles XII returned to Swedish, he and his troops had acquired a taste for the Ottoman flavors ofmeatballs, stuffed cabbage, coffee, and sherbet. These foods entered the Swedish cuisine. The Swedish meatball was adapted to meet local tastes, including a creamy gravy, and lingonberry jelly. The first printed recipe for Swedish meatballs was in the 1755 cookbook by Swedish chef Casja Warg. As for the king, in 1718 when he tried to invade Denmark, again, he was fatally shot in the head.

Ikea in Turkiye sells the Swedish meatballs as a sandwich.

With the rise of Ikea, Swedish meatballs have become an internationally known dish. There is an Ikea store in Adana, out at the M1 mall, and they sell Swedish meatballs. You can even eat them at the cafe in the store. They are all beef as this is Adana.

In the freezer section at Ikea in Adana.

I wonder if the Turks enjoying the Swedish meatballs at Ikea think about the Turkish origins of their Swedish meatballs.

The Turkish Coffee Lady

M's Adventures
A selection of coffees.

Sometimes a place is just what the neighborhood needed. The Turkish Coffee Lady cafe is just such a place. It’s located in Alexandria, Virginia, on a main street in the old part of town.

Inside the Turkish Coffee Lady cafe.

The place is on a corner, up a few steps, and into a whole different world of ottomans and chatty laughter. The tableware is sumptuous and the food is elegant. There is not only the normal bite size baklava but large wedges of it as well. Who knew?

Lifting the lid on the Turkish delight.

The Turkish coffee is served on a golden tray with a delicate handle connecting the three small parts — one for the cup of coffee, one for the miniature decorated glass of water, and one for the miniature gold pot of ‘lokum’ or Turkish delight.

This place transports you to a different world. Maybe not all the way to Turkiye, but at least to a world of warmth and hospitality.

The corner location is a good one.

I look forward to trying out cafes in Turkiye when I move there…

Eden Center – Little Vietnam

M's Adventures
See the contrast between this restaurant and the stark white hallway.

One of the special things about living in the Washington, DC, area is Eden Center. Located about seven miles from DC, this shopping mall is like stepping into a whole different world. It is mainly Vietnamese restaurants, bubble tea shops, grocery stores, jewelers, banks, travel agents, and other businesses catering to the Vietnamese American community. Drive in under the red arch and the open strip mall stretches out on three sides.

In the shops, there are many wondrous things to try.

Most people stick to the restaurants, bakeries, bubble shops, and nail salons on surrounding the parking lot. But, go inside and wander down the hallways to find a travel to another time and place. No English spoken.

The game changer — mini crepe.

That said, Truong Tien, 6763 Wilson Boulevard, #6d, Falls Church, Ca 22044, the new restaurant may have changed all that. They have decorated their place to look like in old Saigon. Or at least in the mind’s eye. A Disney style Saigon.

A standard crepe served with utensils for you to cut and assemble.

A video about them went viral and now the gringos are flocking to them. The food is from Hue. They do have noodle soup but not pho. Even more of a game changer is that they make the classic crepe into three small taco style crepes. This is how this dish will become super popular and I imagine many other places will start to copy them.

Chillaxing at the club and charging the phone.

Another place that will get copied soon is TeaDM Plus, a boba shop located out on the parking lot. They have turned their place into a hangar disco club. The vibe is going out but it is safe for families and during the daytime. I can see many places changing to look like this place. It’s another alternative to hanging at a bar. Like a coffee shop but cooler. I foresee that non-alcoholic drinks will trend in 2024.

Find it next to the giant boba tea.

Traditional Food in Serbia

M's Adventures

One can tell that modern day Serbia was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, not only in the architecture, but also from the food.

There seemed to be a bakery or sandwich shop on every corner in Belgrade. We went to a modern one built in wood and with space to sit. Some of the ones I saw on the street seemed to be more of a walk up style.

The pastries were much like in the Viennese traditional (in Danish, danish pastry is actually called “Viennese bread” as that is where the traditional stems from). In a small town near the Hungarian border, I had a sandwich made with a simple unleavened flatbread.

There is quite a cafe coffee culture here as well but the local coffee was topped high with whipped cream. Reminded me of that time I had Sacher Torte and had to ask for it “mit schlag” — with cream.

Every culture has a dumpling and one of the dumplings of Serbia is called a “knedle.” It is a round fried ball filled with, traditionally a plum, but now made with chocolate and anything else one could imagine. The dough is boiled first and has the consistency of a matzo ball or thicker.

I was delighted to see “potage” on the menu because as I am a bit of history buff, I had seen shows about medieval cooking where everyday the peasants at potage which was anything they could find to add to their pot. In Serbia, it was a thin delicate soup. At the place we had it, it was served in mini cast iron pots. Adorable.

We had other soups as well that were simple hearty soup that for some reason is not so easy to find in many restaurants. At least not in Rome.

Another classic food is meat stew. Served with pasta and sour cream on top. Very hearty.

They have Greek salad here, but their Serbian salad is called “shopska” (spelled differently but sounds like that) which means “hat” because the salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers, has a “hat” of shredded fresh cheese which is a bit like cream cheese.

Another food here is polenta (maize/corn) and I had it served as cakes topped with shredded meat. Before I lived in Colombia and Venezuela, I did not really like polenta or arepas or anything made out of cornmeal but now I have a hankering for it once in a while.

I like dairy products and one of the traditional types here is a cultured product that I think is made from the whey, a bit like kunefe in Turkey but more delicate. It was called “ayvar” and was served with toast and flossed pork.

As I hoped for, another local specialty is spicy pickled peppers, a bit like a banana pepper. One of the spiciest things I have tried in a while.

Then there is the rolled stuffed meat a bit like a chicken cordon bleu but this one was pork. The local slang term for it roughly translates to “a woman’s dream boyfriend” and it was about 10 inches long.

For dessert, one of the traditional items is called a snowball but it is more of a snow cloud or floating iceberg of meringue in custard.

Aside from traditional foods, Serbian food also includes pizza and gelato and all manner of international foods. More on that another time.

The Surprising Things About Living in Rome

M's Adventures


As I have done in previous cities that I have called home, at some point, I write about the less than delightful things about daily life (Dhaka, Bogota, and Lima). For Rome, since the honeymoon is over (I’m no longer charmed), I’ve decided to write about a combination of surprising and annoying things. Mostly, it’s just surprising things.

Small breakfasts: Romans like an espresso and a croissant for breakfast. Or coffee with milk like a cappuccino. I’m surprised at how easy it becomes to getting used to drinking espresso (a “caffe” is an espresso by default), all day long. Most Italians use sugar so in a way it’s like a power bar every few hours. I prefer no sugar… just the bitter coffee…

Cookies: for breakfast. Even savory ones. It’s also easy to grow accustomed to eating a cornetto (croissant) every morning. Or a pizza, keeping in mind that pizza is not pizza as one thinks of pizza.

A savory tomato cookie, both for breakfast and with drinks at happy hour.

Pizza: pizza is doesn’t always have cheese, and pizza is a breakfast item.

White pizza and red pizza. No other toppings needed.

Raw seafood and meat: on everything. Shrimp is the most “gringo friendly” but there is raw octopus, raw sea bass, raw everything on pasta. Even raw meat.

Raw shrimp with spaghetti.

Greens: green vegetables that I’ve never heard of. And they all seem to be bitter.

Drinking fountains: are everywhere. They are called “nasone” (nay-so-neh) and most flow all day long. So you only need one bottle. The reason they flow all the time is to keep the pipes free of bacteria.

Cost of Internet: Under 30 euro for mine. Internet and cell phone service is not very expensive.

Bureaucracy: Getting service for anything from a bank account to setting up Internet and so on, can be a hassle.

Venetian blinds on the outside of the window.

Lack of public toilets: In Rome, you need to grab a coffee or eat at a restaurant to use the toilet. See my article about bidets to understand why you may find a bidet in every bathroom. One can flush the toilet paper in the toilet in Rome, but as you can see from the photo, sometimes, it’s best not to.

If you should be so lucky, the toilet will not be “out of service.”
And if you are really lucky, the flush is on the floor.

The crowds: Normally, there would be a few million people visiting Rome at any moment. If one lives in the tourist center part of Rome, one has to “go with flow” of the crowd when walking.

The customer service: one has to figure out how to navigate some places. The more touristy, the worse it is.

Tipping: One really doesn’t have to do it because it’s adding as a service fee. If you are American, they may expect you to tip.

Whipped cream: It seems like it’s on everything. But it’s not served in a pretty way, just applied with a spoon or spatula. I like that it’s offered at gelaterias.

The whipped cream gets applied to the gelato, not squeezed out of a canister.

So while the honeymoon period is over, it’s not all bad.

Coffee Brands in Italy

M's Adventures

****Update August 9, 2022****** I have learned that the small glass of water with your coffee is for BEFORE your coffee — as a palate cleanser.

In Italy, every coffee bar/cafe, has a different brand of coffee. Why? Because they get their dishware etc. sponsored by the brand. If you only drink a certain brand of coffee, then you have to drink at a certain cafe.

While coffee beans are not grown in Italy, the Italians are quite obsessed with coffee. But it’s not a fashion item. It’s more that they drink espressos all day long, at about a rate of one every few hours. It’s a social event as well so if someone says, “shall we have a coffee?” then they are inviting you to be sociable.

A “caffe” is by default an espresso. One way to tell if you have become a local is if the barista assumes that you mean an espresso when you order a “caffe” — rather than double checking with you that it’s an espresso that you want and not an “americano” (which is an espresso with hot water added).

I’ve had many awful cups of espresso here so far and some are okay ones. I prefer them without sugar so I can actually taste the coffee. Italians almost always add sugar. It’s like the equivalent of a Redbull. A shot of caffeine to get you through the next couple of hours. An espresso has half the caffeine of a cup of filtered drip coffee. The key is to drink the espresso quickly and chase it with a glass of water or a sweet baked item.

Coffee was introduced to Europe through Venice a few centuries ago and the oldest coffee shop, Cafe Florian, is still in business in Venice. The second oldest, Antico Cafe Greco, is in Rome, right by the Spanish Steps.

As for Starbucks, there is one in Milan. Or go to Seattle for them, and enjoy the many types of coffee in Italy when you are in Italy.

Binge Watching Italy

M's Adventures
A shop in Monti, Rome.

If you want to binge on watching videos about Italy, here are some I’ve found. Mostly on food. Mostly about Rome. I will not list all of them as there are too many, but a few that will give you some leads to follow.

Rick Stein is one of my favorite TV chef presenters. The thinking chef’s chef. Here in Corsica and Sardinia.

Alex Polizzi is a British-Italian TV presenter. Here’s an episode from Puglia.

Spaghetti with clams in Rome.

Insider is a channel about food. This host is Italian and in this short video, the topic is Limoncello. There are many other videos from Insider like this one pasta in Bari. Or focaccia in Genoa.

WocomoCook is another YouTube channel that I found. Here is an episode about food in Umbria.

A show on pizza from Munchies.

A vlog channel by expat guys who live in Rome.

Or visiting during lockdown.

Choice TV show on Roman food.

Farm to Table, here in Tuscany.

Two Greedy Italians. Need I say more?

Floyd was a chef who had a good time, this time in Liguria.

Pizza by the slice (taglio) sold by weight is a very Roman food.

If you want months worth of binge watching, Rick Steves provides! Rick Steves has eight hours of free TV shows on Italy alone! He also has free audio tours, apps, books, etc. He is much raunchier on his audio tours! If you want a private guide in your ear, he has those! If you just want to watch him give good advice, watch him here.

Also, many people like Dream of Italy. Here, the host is in Amalfi and Naples.

Italy Unpacked is a more scholarly approach.

Then, there’s this guy is quite wealthy (he is an angel investor and helped start Virgin America) but decided to make a travel show because he didn’t find any that matched his lifestyle. Swish.

Possibly the most famous car in Rome? This is in Monti.

A BBC documentary on Rome.

Another BBC documentary, this one on Sicily.

A great way to learn history is with Tony Robinson. He is a great story teller, here about Caligula.

Reel Truth History makes documentaries. This one on Rome.

So many classical and historical views all in one.

And, if you want to watch people buying A Place in the Sun in Italy…

Rome is very proud of their free drinking fountains. Stay hydrated!

Or follow tour guides (and me) on Instagram. More about who I follow in another blog posting.

A ‘bar’ in Rome. Drinking a coffee is a social activity and Romans do it all day long.

Top Ten Restaurants in Lima

M's Adventures

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The artichokes at Jeronimo.

Six months ago, I posted my top ten restaurants in Lima (that one was based mainly on the insider knowledge. Shout-out to her!), but as I’ve been going to other restaurants on my own, here is an updated list. It is still based on the following: good food, good service–every time, all the time. I’m highly allergic to places that are so famous that it’s impossible to get a reservation (or use a reservation system that puts me right off my dinner). My list is of places that serve Peruvian and “international standard” food (as in, everyone serves a green salad). So, to the list!

  1. El Pan de la Chola (in the “international standard” cafe/bakery category): Still at number one, despite being a “bakery and sandwich shop.” Consistently delicious. Good service. Every time. They now have salad, and they have wine and beer. Try it for nighttime and enjoy the completely hipster vibe.
  2. Cosmé (also in the “international standard” but they also serve ceviche and other Peruvian dishes, and at night!): Still the unknown place I take out-of-town visitors. Still love the red cabbage salad. Best “secret” place as they seem to do zero publicity. Open at 6 p.m.
  3. Jeronimo (In the “international standard” category and world class): Yes, they use an annoying reservation system, but, go right when they open up at lunch, or sit at the bar. This was the first restaurant opened by Moma Adrianzen, who has since brought Chinga Tu Taco and Frida to the Lima food scene. Jeronimo is a world-class restaurant of the caliber that you would find in London, San Francisco, New York, Melbourne, etc.
  4. BEST NEWCOMER: Mérito (Venezuelan chefs making fusion Venezuelan-Peruvian): Straight in at number four. They have only been open for six months (it’s been an active six months) and their menu is fairly small. Delicious food. Great service. Only one dish was not perfection. The longest yuca fries I’ve seen in a long time. Lots of pea shoots pepper almost all the dishes.
  5. La Preferida (a classic Peruvian-Italian bodega, with game!): It would probably be number one but it’s not open for dinner.
  6. La Mar (Gaston Acurio’s cevicheria): Only open for lunch, till 5 p.m.
  7. El Mercado (Rafael Osterling’s cevicheria): Only open for lunch. Go at 12:15 p.m. and wait in line. The shrimp mini burger is superb.
  8. La Picanteria (a cevicheria): Only open for lunch. Located in the “some day I’ll be the hip area of town” Surquillo, just two blocks behind the central market.
  9. Osso: (Also, “international standard”, and yes, as event though it’s a steakhouse, they have vegetarian options and not just salad.) The location in San Isidro is so large that you will most likely get a table, even at night.
  10. Osaka (a Peruvian-Japanese “Nikkei” place with a uber-hipster locale in San Isidro): The tuna with foie gras keeps Osaka on the list (although I wish they would turn on the light — the mood is clearly wasted on me).
  11. La Isolina (brought to you by the sons of La Red cevicheria): Serves old-fashion home recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  12. La Red (the cevicheria that started it all): The legend. Only open for lunch.
  13. Taller Razeto (Italian): This would be higher on the list but it is located out in La Punta and it’s a journey to get out there. Still, some of the best pasta and pizza in Greater Lima.

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Foot long yuca fries from Mérito served with a vibrant Andean herb sauce.

And yes, again, I’ve been to Central, Maido, Rafael, and Astrid y Gaston. If you want to try a up-and-comer a la Central, try Statera. It’s the newest offshoot of Noma/Central style food. Foam, baby, foam!

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The edges of the octopus was crunchy like potato chips.

I eat regularly at a few other places, but as the food is not Peruvian (even if they have adapted some of their dishes to accommodate the tastes of Peruvians), I’m not including them on my list. Yet.

  • Dhaasu (zero fusion here, but using local ingredients).
  • Viet
  • Dae Jang Geum
  • JingXian

I’ve also finally activated an Instagram account for M’s Adventures: madventures.me #madventuresdotme

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Lemon merengue pie at Jeronimo. Not just tasty, but also inspired.

 

Secret Eco-Rooms With A View of Gocta Waterfall

M's Adventures

fullsizeoutput_1ebNo that you have done Machu Picchu, you want to do the next big thing… Kuelap, the Gocta Waterfall, and so on. Then, the question is where to stay. The secret, secret, place to stay in Gocta… no, not that one… is… Gocta Natura. But only if you like “natural” and bohemian (and no WIFI). This small organization will give you ALL the FEELS. Warm, fuzzy, friendly. Gocta Natura has five cabins in the woods overlooking the waterfall. The price is per person and they employ a gourmet chef. Like I said, ALL. THE. FEELS. You’re gonna love it. If you like rustic, eco-friendly. If not, stay at the famous Gocta Lodge hotel located up the hill behind Gocta Natura. (Note: I have not stayed at either of the Goctas. This is just based on the rave reviews of someone I know who is “in the know”.). To see the waterfall up close, you can ride a horse for part of the hike, as it may be hot and sweaty. Then, once you have seen “the nature,” you get to go back to your peaceful cabin and enjoy gourmet cuisine.

fullsizeoutput_1ecThe closest village to Gocta Waterfall is Cocachimba. It’s got a village green and the village doesn’t seem to consist of more than the buildings surrounding the green. The Gocta Lodge is at the end of the village behind a high wall. To get to the Gocta Natura, you have to walk the path on the way to the waterfall. Cocachimba’s altitude is 4,000 feet above sea level, making this village a better place to sleep if you suffer from altitude sickness. Chachapoyas is at 7,600 feet (2,300 meters) and Kuelap is 10,000 (3,000 meters).

NBQ-zoYyUGKo-Kt9puXvQJLa8hJMnDM0VliVWZtYhqp7DvPBFXproGE46UnE18JMfilsFsfqY7WEt9GhZvu_wnxBSUFu7RY_o9VJLYF_1gZgZPUEf8fFZ3FhxUyTQfLmigOp6tMXuAJPVpiH8UGc9V9MGOnMi4BWRUWSXgmeXs5j4Iiod994erOl0CI7d_A1bUV19uNWUKn4yPVtwNaooyEboBogAbYI liked the drive up to the village of Cocachimba. Amazing views and amazing coffee. All along the road, locals were drying their coffee beans on tarps spread out in front of their houses. At one of the village restaurants, I had a delicious mug of coffee. When I asked what brand they had used, they explained that it was their own coffee, from their own beans, from their own tree. They weren’t showing off.

The photo of the fighting cocks was taken at a spot along the road to Cocachimba that had a spectacular view of Gocta waterfall. When I saw the location of the cages, I wondered why the owner of that house didn’t open a B&B in that location. I would think that tourists are a better source of income… and with fewer feathers?

Coffee Tasting in Lima – Alpha to Omega

M's Adventures

hpnxbod0onpvzyc33ukcakzdtsv3nd7_ecxehcvqqdxokod0ukcp6zdvmbrdsuf9ubre5etbsfemsakdowuwhcr5p0nzubr-lf4gv_fxriqgnwj6_b0jwe0govni_4jinuezdd_coxbfaz8bgfyfjpdgotlkfqr7l7j_frmn8jjfbq-_4sotqplpzjI organized a coffee tasting with the guys from Artidoro Rodriguez coffee. After five hours of learning about coffee and drinking coffee, I was too caffeinated to write this blog posting… I realized how little I know about coffee. For the food geeks, there is a coffee tasting certification class in Lima (one week for eight months–not sure why they don’t do a two month class). Anyway, back to what I didn’t know…. Notice in the photo below that there is some magical ratio of weight of ground coffee to water at a certain temperature (I think this is why the Brits say, “water from a freshly boiled kettle”).

brfmvt3pkp_vrir5694d8ojao2lyr5mkilb7xtxvqi8dw6nthmbdf46omagr2bur8dj4ikdz5wzvq-oobk8y5u1b4ssexdm4att3gg_d0jyajwxyglbtshnekvrzri3boy_1rqavemjt9mx58cidyssofiyl9-ctsyhwq6vif2hqpc9lv1zczs7ogxThe coffee tasting class cost 100 soles (about $30) per person. It was planned from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. but we got a five hour class, freebies, coffee (duh!) and so much info that I had a buzz not solely from the coffee! The owners, Felix and Julian, are experts in tasting and roasting respectively. Felix is the grandson of Artidoro Rodriguez so a legend in the making (Juan Valdez was made up by marketeers!). You heard it here!

ck_gg9o4_pmvmxly_y-5h6jrafmnkar10zbojykcqevhm0xbhxvwxacxdhwvcn9wgrjranve-uhvveju7cystubxmhpx-kas17nwrd8cqlhljuxbyvwhvvtxdfxc0h4ffvuftrpxeo3tjy7aocphhfafmosotbyfiuy_ova-wpij11wklzrlinhcsrI set up the class with Julian via email. The class was in Spanish as Felix feels more comfortable in Spanish. Julian’s English is good so he translated when he could. Plus, I had my secret superpower with me (a bilingual friend who is professional level simultaneous translator level, and a subject matter expert to boot!). We tried more than ten brands of coffee and around six methods of making coffee. As it was a tasting, we could choose to not swallow the coffee and spittoons were provided… but I drank the coffee (hence the buzz).

9t5q9-bs1osqtlr9o9vxawhu3ntqwwryvdzjgc6pmagfj36hqwwspqmrorm0rbwehzze5s45zmdvk3tbqpm632speuugo20civf0tmiuv8plr9aimuigezbpgir_6mwy_bxapta7ct1nrt8bfdu7c1zvigewkpvw3l-tjlbpzvk_sblqgshwxv1unrWe learned so much that I can’t recall most of it. But, there are two types of coffee beans and Peru has lots of areas where both kinds (robusta and arabica) of beans can be grown to produce gourmet coffee. We learned about weighing our coffee when we make it. We learned that there is a coffee grading scale from zero to 100 points. 80 or above is gourmet. Aridoro Rodriguez is 84 (no  shame in that!). Coffee from 60 to 80 is commercial coffee. Below 60… fuggedaboutit. We learned that shiny beans are no good. Shiny beans have been over roasted, one way to compensate for deficiencies. Notice the shiny burned look of the two groups in the photo below. The smallest bunch of beans are roasted correctly. No oily sheen. Just a healthy luster.

y_aq8gg5cnd3slkdznrwwkungden1qxwkky1tz7kjubqsu4tqa2juijh4untex0pc4tpjcnxsn4jc07agejzpdjlk6eqnrxr07muj7rggkoqum4xctq2jq8rgo8grqgq2lumygasgzadwpsqhcyxsap8zymfxzrilsggobxxgsvb7snp3eqm5zpyynWe learned that slurping is good when tasting coffee. We looked at runty beans called “snails” and how they are picked out as a specialty. Just smaller, uglier, but with equal potential (some deep zen going on here, amiright?).

6e3hxhwt92tcc2kgoq4e9ztntjfznlszfd68phrgsix4x_unin3e2imwp2puu1jvgpf4a8mixmrrijvi_ivkey-2nfzynqhxd2difxifzmawszyofp-qscvcap_zw8onfvvj5ctmmwdt1idns6hte39dcvydc4olwy2xg8_netf-e5n3h3v8ueifgdWe learned that beans need to be separated before roasting so they roast at the same degree. That it’s a matter of seconds from the “first pop” of the first bean roasting to the full on fireworks of popping, and, that in those ten seconds, the coffee roaster can make or destroy a batch of coffee. A roast lasts around eight minutes but I can’t recall the exact details. We also learned that after roasting, coffee grounds should “exhale” for eight hours before being used to brew coffee. We learned about “fragrance” and “aroma” and all the other ways to know one’s coffee. We even learned about coffee “tea” (see raisin-like things next to weak cup of liquid in photo below), and then our minds were blown.

vgzs3l3bykenfekexnqn95bfizn14dimdpuwq66xsw1e72te7oqehh8piaasp0iyjb4kkgjnkq035nwdfnszrv9rbsgzuwj7wgrcyfbmifpvrvl4g7sr6tmdmnet5n8euke11u6alynvohtxudtjzsqqpxyn8slxfqhwq5vwijp2ihepcddd1tilqsWe learned even more. About people, livelihoods, the environment, pride in product, taste, and that Felix and Julian are looking to open up a coffee bar somewhere in Miraflores. We learned of the coffee places approved of by Felix. We sniffed… we sipped… we giggled… we roared with laughter… we… take the class! Learn. Get caffeinated. Get mo’ on joe!

ytsbs7jqqzbzkpnjlvep_bhtjb7uwdlr3x35hnhj6cy76i0i5-xo_ekgbphixb3a7je2g8dujr59m_teya0ofgfuiwingt6dzorqig4m-cvvvyikdcou7f0ejhbhgzbf7iq9pwexu0i1yrxjhi74ggngc7ifyghzqmajtn9d8i18t6frjyhhbcrhjoThe key point that Felix told us was… no two cups of coffee will be the same… each cup is as individual… as an individual…

O-M-ega. This just got deep.

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Drink up, my friends, may your cup runneth over. In the best of company.

A Coffee Expert’s Choice of Where to Drink A Cup of Gourmet Josephus in Lima

M's Adventures

mk3cgijzqrjy-rlnr3y51egskptmg1vy-j-5m-wgw39oittpz6dpdklt8dg7gh5y5fhew_7kffg9hwh15wul4i34ga8z4gwaquftsvuotvfmq7nuu90qyogpctagmtqjxfts8wz_b17mknv0y34c7xasotu2tgro162ayucl1xuuwe34qghfuca7wjRecently, I organized a coffee class tasting at Artidoro Rodriguez (I’ll write about that another time, once the caffeine has worn off. But, if you want a foretaste, read about how gourmet coffee is a hot item (!!!) in Peru.). Felix of Artidoro Rodriguez is an expert coffee taster (a different skill from being an expert roaster). Naturally, we asked Felix where he drinks coffee in Lima, and he told us his list of where to drink gourmet coffee (gourmet coffee is coffee with a grade of more than 80 on the 100 point scale. Don’t ask about coffee below 60 — okay, okay, more about that another time). Now, I need a cup of Joe. Gourmet Joe!

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La Teoría de 6 Cafés, Calle Gral Mendiburu 890, Miraflores: They have cold brewed coffee as well (there is more caffeine in cold brew). Felix, the coffee roaster of Artidoro Rodriguez coffee (and grandson of Artidoro), may be biased as he is friends with the folks at this cafe (or did they become friends over a cup of coffee?). Note in the photo below that this cafe serves cold brew with orange juice along with other hipster coffee trends.
Milimétrica Espresso Bar, Av. la Paz 580, Miraflores: The link from Beanhunters provides lists of where to drink gourmet coffee around the world.
Colonia & Co, Av San Martin 131, Barranco: From the photos, it looks like they even have a real hipster with a manbun working here.
Caleta Dolsa, Av San Martin 223, Barranco (couldn’t find a link on the cafe so inside I include one of the area including a tip on a hotel to stay in): this place is only a few months old. It’s located in a sunken (basement) space.
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And these two:
Neira Café Lab, Calle Enrique Palacios 1074, Miraflores: Also has lists of cafes, plus a notification about a foam competition. 
Cafe Verde (this link includes even more coffee shops to try, though Aromia is gone), Av. Sta. Cruz 1305, Miraflores

 

Best Coffee (Shops and Cafes) an Bakeries

M's Adventures

I can’t leave Bogota without mentioning coffee. Coffee shops are very popular here. Some of the famous brands of coffee are Juan Valdez, Oma, Amor Perfecto, and lesser know is Bourbon, but it gets confusing because some of the coffee shops use other brands but make the coffee so well that your experience will be changed! One of those places is in the Hilton on 7th Avenue. The barista certainly takes a long time to make your coffee (including asking you how you want it – percolated, drip, etc. etc.) and it is nice. But not good if you actually just need a cup of coffee. The cafe looks like a 1920s location so the decor is appealing as well. I like Bourbon, both for their coffee and their cafe. And the fact that they make coffee with almond milk, for those who care about that sort of thing.

13220685_10154160417399618_6869800116600708308_oBut, the best bakery is Arbol del Pan (Calle 66 Bis, #4-63: they are located up near Gordo and La Fama, on a street parallel to La Fama). Their coffee is okay but it’s their breads that are the best. Plus, they are open for breakfast. They make a poached egg, asparagus and prosciutto croissant that is delectable. This is not to say that I don’t still enjoy Eric Kaiser and Masa’s products. But, I think I like Arbol’s almond croissant best. On top of which, the staff speak English and the owner has one of those great back stories (architect decides to become baker… and it’s a woman-owned business, for those who care about that sort of thing!).