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Coffeehouse and Cafe Reviews


phaelon56

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My favourite one is at this Vietnamese joint on Fraser and 17th.  Pho something, it has a huge yellow canopy and a big TV inside.  Best Vietnamese coffee I have ever had, nice and strong.

Pho something ... yeah. That oughta narrow it down! :laugh:

I love Vietnamese coffee ... but I'm never sure how to drink it. There's the glass with the condensed milk and the coffee dripping into it, and then there's the glass of ice.

So, do you add the ice to the coffee or vice versa? I'm guessing it's adding the ice to the coffee because I did it the other way the first time I tried it and made a hell of a mess!

A.

Ok, here's the drill:

1. Wait patiently until all coffee has dripped into the glass which has the condensed milk at the bottom.

2. Promptly remove coffee container once it's empty, stir the condensed milk vigorously until it has completely dissolved in the coffee.

3. Slowly add ice to the coffee a few cubes at a time.

4. Ask for a straw so you can still stir it using the added ice to cool the coffee.

If you're a fan, you HAVE to try out the yellow canopy place on Fraser and 17th. It's on the east side of Fraser, best Vietnamese coffee!

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Pho something ... yeah.  That oughta narrow it down!  :laugh:

I love Vietnamese coffee ... but I'm never sure how to drink it.  There's the glass with the condensed milk and the coffee dripping into it, and then there's the glass of ice.

So, do you add the ice to the coffee or vice versa?  I'm guessing it's adding the ice to the coffee because I did it the other way the first time I tried it and made a hell of a mess!

A.

Ok, here's the drill:

1. Wait patiently until all coffee has dripped into the glass which has the condensed milk at the bottom.

2. Promptly remove coffee container once it's empty, stir the condensed milk vigorously until it has completely dissolved in the coffee.

3. Slowly add ice to the coffee a few cubes at a time.

4. Ask for a straw so you can still stir it using the added ice to cool the coffee.

If you're a fan, you HAVE to try out the yellow canopy place on Fraser and 17th. It's on the east side of Fraser, best Vietnamese coffee!

Welcome to the craziness mangez! Be prepared to forfeit a good portion of your life to the sucking time vortex that is eGullet.

Preliminaries aside, I'm of the opposite school when it comes to drinking Vietnamese iced coffee: I'm with you on steps 1 and 2, but I add the coffee to the ice. That way, every little bit of coffee cascades over the ice as it's poured into the glass, thus ensuring a more uniform level of coolness for your initial sip. As far as the drip factor is concerned, it's kind of like pouring cups of Chinese tea at dim sum without dripping onto the tablecloth. It's all in the technique. And whenever I've had iced coffee, I've always been given a long-handled spoon for stirring; comes in handy while the ice melts as you're able to stir and prevent errant watery sips.

And mangez's right: you absolutely cannot miss this yellow-awninged Vietnamese pho place on Fraser at 17th. It's the only one that garish in the immediate vicinity.

Joie Alvaro Kent

"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg

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Pho something ... yeah.  That oughta narrow it down!  :laugh:

I love Vietnamese coffee ... but I'm never sure how to drink it.  There's the glass with the condensed milk and the coffee dripping into it, and then there's the glass of ice.

So, do you add the ice to the coffee or vice versa?  I'm guessing it's adding the ice to the coffee because I did it the other way the first time I tried it and made a hell of a mess!

A.

Ok, here's the drill:

1. Wait patiently until all coffee has dripped into the glass which has the condensed milk at the bottom.

2. Promptly remove coffee container once it's empty, stir the condensed milk vigorously until it has completely dissolved in the coffee.

3. Slowly add ice to the coffee a few cubes at a time.

4. Ask for a straw so you can still stir it using the added ice to cool the coffee.

If you're a fan, you HAVE to try out the yellow canopy place on Fraser and 17th. It's on the east side of Fraser, best Vietnamese coffee!

Welcome to the craziness mangez! Be prepared to forfeit a good portion of your life to the sucking time vortex that is eGullet.

Preliminaries aside, I'm of the opposite school when it comes to drinking Vietnamese iced coffee: I'm with you on steps 1 and 2, but I add the coffee to the ice. That way, every little bit of coffee cascades over the ice as it's poured into the glass, thus ensuring a more uniform level of coolness for your initial sip. As far as the drip factor is concerned, it's kind of like pouring cups of Chinese tea at dim sum without dripping onto the tablecloth. It's all in the technique. And whenever I've had iced coffee, I've always been given a long-handled spoon for stirring; comes in handy while the ice melts as you're able to stir and prevent errant watery sips.

And mangez's right: you absolutely cannot miss this yellow-awninged Vietnamese pho place on Fraser at 17th. It's the only one that garish in the immediate vicinity.

Thanks, it's great news to hear another fellow Vietnamese coffee addict. This is indeed a fine support group.

You're right Mooshmouse, if you go to a trusted restaurant where you know the amount of ice is in the proper proportion, by all means, be bold and chill the coffee all at once by pouring it straight into the glass of ice. It's certainly more dynamic as you sip the perfectly chilled coffee when your fingers caress the condensation from the melting ice!

However, this Fraser Pho place lately had been rather generous providing a large jug of ice yet not giving me an extra empty glass, making this pour-coffee-over-glass-of-ice a lost art!

They also serve pretty good spring rolls there, and there is an interesting rice dish I can't remember if it's number 26 or 29. A mixture of various local Vietnamese dishes on 'baby rice', quite authentic as you add your own fish sauce on top.

Edited by mangez (log)
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Thanks, it's great news to hear another fellow Vietnamese coffee addict.  This is indeed a fine support group.

For those of you who haven't yet been indoctrinated into the cult of Vietnamese iced coffee, it really does give you the ultimate sugar and caffeine rush. Because of it's sweet, creamy goodness, I've often been sucked into the trap of ordering one to follow up a late-night Vietnamese food fix. Then I'm left wide awake on the sofa until all hours of the morning, channel surfing and finding nothing on but Planet of the Apes or Star Trek reruns from the William Shatner era (tribbles anyone?). :blink:

Joie Alvaro Kent

"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg

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Then I'm left wide awake on the sofa until all hours of the morning, channel surfing and finding nothing on but Planet of the Apes

Roddey McDowell rules! And Planet of the Apes is the only thing Heston ever did that I can watch, now that he's an NRA gun-slinging dufus.

Get your hands off me you damn dirty ape!!!!

Think I'm gonna grap me a coffee and watch the late show! Can I come and get some cookies peppyre?? :laugh:

A.

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I had my first espresso today. Actually, I had 2 double espressos. And this was about an hour after I had my 2 morning coffees. :wacko: I don't think I'd ever felt so jittery in my life!

I was meeting a student at Brighouse library (in Richmond) today and I noticed that Tree Organic Coffee had set up a little stand right by the entrance. Remembering this thread, I ordered a double espresso, and the man asked me if I wanted a long one. I said (somewhat hesitantly): "Uhm...I don't know. This is my first espresso. I usually drink Starbucks." The last word out of my mouth was met with snorts of disgust followed by admonishment from all three baristas. :shock: The man made me 2 doubles and only charged me for one, which was so kind of him. :smile: I didn't add any milk or sugar, but I was surprised that it was really good! The crema (foamy stuff?) at the top was delicious. I much prefered the espresso made with less water. The man (I'm assuming he's the owner) also explained to me briefly that Starbucks can't control the roasting temperature of the beans correctly because they roast in such large batches, so a lot of the beans burn.

The little stand inside the building is permanent, and the cheesecakes and apple pie in the display case looked homey (in a good way) and tasty. Tree Organic Coffee apparently has a downtown location too.

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Ling, you were saying before how a lot of restaurants, I agree with you, I have noticed quite a few serve illy coffee which is extremely tasty, i think one of my favs, though soo expensive, can't bring my self to by it for home. Right now JJ Bean has there Xmas blend which is really good and Intelligensia is also great.

DANIELLE

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."

-Virginia Woolf

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Ling, I am so proud of you for being brave enough to try your first espresso. A double no less!! Brava!! You'll be hooked now and you'll never be able to go back. Welcome!!

**edited because apparently I need my espresso

Edited by peppyre (log)
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Coming from Brazil I could not find really good coffee here until I made my own with a Bialetti. It's like a percolater and makes even decaf taste good!

Apparently, the high constant heat pulls out all the yummy flavor of the grind and leaves the bitterness behind.

It's really an espresso maker but I drink it Americano and make a delicious cold soy latte.

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Ling, I am so proud of you for being brave enough to try your first espresso.  A double no less!!  Brava!! 

thanks :smile:

DameD: I've always enjoyed Illy too, and I finally sucked it up and spent the $17 bucks to get a can of the ground coffee at Urban Fare today. I remember seeing Illy at Gourmet Warehouse for less, but I don't go out there very often.

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Coming from Brazil I could not find really good coffee here until I made my own with a Bialetti.  It's like a percolater and makes even decaf taste good! 

Apparently, the high constant heat pulls out all the yummy flavor of the grind and leaves the bitterness behind.

It's really an espresso maker but I drink it Americano and make a delicious cold soy latte.

Max, is this coffee maker electric or manual? Is it available locally?

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But I don't know how to get to Victoria Dr.

Over the Georgia Viaduct and keep going straight/east along Venables Street. Follow Venables until it forms a T with another street: Victoria Drive. Hang a left and go north along Victoria Drive for about 3 or 4 blocks. You'll see Bosa on your right hand/east side.

Presto.

Joie Alvaro Kent

"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg

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Coming from Brazil I could not find really good coffee here until I made my own with a Bialetti.  It's like a percolater and makes even decaf taste good! 

Apparently, the high constant heat pulls out all the yummy flavor of the grind and leaves the bitterness behind.

It's really an espresso maker but I drink it Americano and make a delicious cold soy latte.

Max, is this coffee maker electric or manual? Is it available locally?

Bialetti is a brand name for one of the many types of this espresso maker. I bought mine at Bosa's on Victoria and Frances. I bought a 1-cup and a 6-cup maker. It's very afforadable and you heat it with your stovetop element (gas or electric.) You can find a thread on "Beverage" "Coffee". Seems like people have differing preferences on which brand to use. They may take a little more effort to clean but it's well worth it.

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But I don't know how to get to Victoria Dr.

Over the Georgia Viaduct and keep going straight/east along Venables Street. Follow Venables until it forms a T with another street: Victoria Drive. Hang a left and go north along Victoria Drive for about 3 or 4 blocks. You'll see Bosa on your right hand/east side.

Remember Moosh, Ling is a woman who was wondering Davie Street at 3am ... and couldn't find Fresgo! I think she'll need a map! :raz::wink:

A.

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But I don't know how to get to Victoria Dr.

Over the Georgia Viaduct and keep going straight/east along Venables Street. Follow Venables until it forms a T with another street: Victoria Drive. Hang a left and go north along Victoria Drive for about 3 or 4 blocks. You'll see Bosa on your right hand/east side.

Presto.

I had to print out a map so I could find Prana Yoga--and that's 5 minutes away. You have a lot of faith in me. :laugh: I'll make it out of the downtown core one day....

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I had to print out a map so I could find Prana Yoga--and that's 5 minutes away. You have a lot of faith in me.  :laugh: I'll make it out of the downtown core one day....

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

If I have to wait in my car with my hazard lights on at the east end of the Georgia Viaduct and drive you to Bosa myself, then I guess that's what it's gonna take!

Conversely, I could always just buy you what you need and bring it to yoga class. If Illy is what the lady wants, then Illy is what she shall get... one way or another. :wink:

Joie Alvaro Kent

"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg

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Noticed on the weekend at West 41st and Boulevard--half a block west, on the south side--windows are papered over, and a big sign: CAFE ARTIGIANO COMING SOON.

I believe its the former Terrafazzione location.

Love sharing an Autostrada panino for breakfast w/s.o.

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Noticed on the weekend at West 41st and Boulevard--half a block west, on the south side--windows are papered over, and a big sign: CAFE ARTIGIANO COMING SOON.

I believe its the former Terrafazzione location.

Love sharing an Autostrada panino for breakfast w/s.o.

Egads! ANOTHER new eGulleter. Apparently people actually read Jamie's stuff! :biggrin: Welcome to your new addiction Ms. Agrodolce.

Yes I believe that is the old Torrefazione ... Artigiano is certainly spreading its wings. Thanks for the news!

A.

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