In contrast, there was nothing prissy or ‘precious’ about Baffi & Mo in Redfern St [see previous review]. Baffi & Mo is a great new spot, Right in the heart of Redfern. It’s an interesting blend between ‘comfy’ and stylish, but it pulls it off brilliantly. The room is dominated by one large communal table along with several tables and a leather sofa with a view of all the comings and goings on Redfern Street.  It features a bright and clean open kitchen, which while we were there was a picture of bustling efficiency.

While the breakfast options are not huge, they are certainly generous. They offer an excellent muesli with fruit & yoghurt, scambled eggs with a range of extras, and a variety of other breakfast and all-day options, including wraps and sandwiches. We tried the Scrambled Eggs with Chorizo,  which was delicious. The coffee was excellent – perhaps not surprising since Lou [one of the cafe co-owners used to be a barista trainer for Lavazza!

All-in-all, an excellent cafe experience, one where you don’t have to sacrifice on ambience and quality, even though it’s not located in what is seen as a traditional ‘cafe belt’. And, from what we could tell, certainly one that is appreciated by the locals. Highly recommended.

A lot has been said [and written] about the Maling Room – including rating in the Melbourne Top 5 in both of Crema Magazine’s annual Melbourne reviews – but we thought it was time to revisit Andrew Lew’s iconic café.

We visited on a Saturday morning and the place was hopping – loud, crowded and buzzing.  This time, we determined to review Maling Room from a normal all-round cafe point-of-view, including things like ambience, and of course food! The menu includes a great range of offerings, including Smoked Salmon Eggs with gruyere cheese, eighteen month aged Truffle Eggs, and Banjo Eggs with Hickory Smoked Bacon with HP sauce. We ordered the Akoori Scrambled Eggs – Indian-spiced with cumin, coriander onion and tomato, and kasundi chutney, and the Smoked Salmon Eggs, both of which were delicious.

My first short black was well-rounded, full-bodied and smooth, the second was a little thinner, although with a velvety mouth-feel; when I asked the barista the reason for the difference, he let on that the first was their house-blend, and the second was a different blend – a Rwandan, that had only been roasted a few days earlier. This is my kind of place; I thought: I can handle being tricked like this!

Probably the only downside is that when it gets busy, things at Maling Room can get a little noisy, due to the wide-open space and the wooden floors. However, this is a small price to pay for what is clearly one of Melbourne’s premier café experiences. Highly recommended. [AF]

The Maling Room

206 Canterbury Rd

Canterbury

This tiny spot on newly gentrified Bourke Street is an offshoot of a catering outfit called ‘The Plated Group’. It promised great things, having been launched with appropriate fanfare to the foodie cognoscenti in inner-city Sydney a couple of months ago, and has developed quite a following amongst locals since then.

Given its ‘foodie’ credentials we went there expecting great things, and were surprised to find that the food options were quite limited. The menu was fairly brief, offering the basics but not much more. Items included Homemade Muesli [$9.50], Toasted Banana Bread [$4.50], Fruit Toast and Ricotta [$6.50], Scrambled Eggs [$8.50] and a range of toasted sandwiches.

The scrambled eggs were nicely cooked, but the surprise was that pretty much everything you order apart from the eggs themselves are counted as an ‘extra’. I had mushrooms and smoked salmon with toast, so my dish quickly went from $8.50 to $14. The meal itself was OK, but nothing special – certainly adequate, but nothing more.

Again promising great things was the shiny Syncra Cynesso three group espresso machine on the stainless steel bench – an attraction for coffee purists ‘in the know’. However once again Side Plate disappointed, my flat white having a slightly ‘burnt’ character. The Cynesso is a beautiful machine, allowing custom espresso settings, but definitely needs to be perfectly tuned to turn out the perfect shot!

Service was pleasant enough – although to this reviewer’s mind, it just seemed a little fussy – perhaps the result of the close quarter contact, due to Side Plate’s rather intimate size. One slightly annoying detail – they don’t have a toilet for customers – in this day-and-age, you would not be wrong for considering that pretty much a ‘given’ for any cafe.

Overall the deal at Side Plate seemed to be one which over-promises and under-delivers; in these recessionary times, it’s also a little pricey for what you get. [AF]

664 Bourke St

Redfern East, NSW 2016

Situated on the south end of Errol Street in north Melbourne is Appetite – a small café with a big reputation for its all day brunch menu.

I arrived at about 11:30 on a Sunday morning and ordered Poached Eggs and Bacon on toast, along with a creamy latte. The staff were very friendly and the service was very good. The coffee arrived and I was greeted with a mug of nice smooth coffee with a dark and slightly nutty flavour and a velvety mouth feel.

A few minutes later, the food arrived – a plate of nicely presented wholegrain hand-cut toast with bacon and poached eggs on top, accompanied by baby spinach and seasoned with a sprinkle of ground parsley and cracked pepper.

The eggs were superb and were matched by the bacon, which was rindless and beautifully smoked; the whole piece was a wonderful chewy texture throughout, without being rubbery or dry. I am sure they must get the bacon from the deli at the Queen Vic markets down the road!

The food is fantastic, the coffee is good and the staff are wonderful. If you are on your way to the Vic markets, stop by Appetite, it’s just a short walk up the road and well worth the trip.

Appetite on Errol – Errol Street, North Melbourne

In spite of the fact that Velluto Nero struck gold with the Sydney Morning Herald Good Living crowd [April 08], we found it surprisingly empty when our reviewers first visited late last year.

First, the coffee. Our flat white came with a nice rosetta, but lacked body or any special character; hopefully the espresso would be better. It wasn’t, but luckily when we review a cafe we take it so seriously we go several times, and our reviewer’s piccolo latte on the third visit was quite good – maybe it was a different barista! However, from a coffee perspective it’s got nothing on Mecca, just around the corner.

Velluto Nero serve a range of sandwiches and other simple lunch items, but the menu was of surprisingly lacklustre quality, considering they pose as a potential lunch option for busy city workers. In fact, the Roasted Vegetable Focaccia I had was probably the worst ever – it was so tasteless, it could have won a blandness award in a Monty Python skit.

They have a roaster in the front, as if to emphasise their roasting credentials and proudly showcase their ‘coffee awards’. In fact, they’re great on the self-promotion, but there has to be a reason this place is not buzzing. The 1978 Brunello Rondi film of the same name got a 4.6 out of 10 in a film buff site we visited and in this reviewer’s mind, we would find it hard to rate the cafe much higher.

Velluto Nero
259 Clarence St, City

What makes the difference between a good coffee and a truly superb one? It comes down to a number of things. Firstly, most of our Top Five cafés roast their own coffee, largely because they want maximum control over as many elements of the process as possible. Secondly, our top cafes are not into food. They generally do offer some basics, even if nothing more than a friend or two, but they’re primarily espresso bars.

In fact, there are a number of other things that go into making the difference, but overall it’s the commitment of the owner to excellence right through the process – from sourcing of great coffee through to well-roasted and blended beans, the freshness of the coffee – and the perfect shot that a great barista offers at the end of the process!

Sydney has always been regarded as somewhat of a transient city – one that is fickle to the trends that come and go. But one thing that doesn’t seemed to have changed all that much over the past couple of years anyway, are the main players on the purist espresso scene -  with the burgeoning desire for knowledge about specialty coffee, the guys that created the wave of espresso excellence in Sydney are still riding high on that wave. Riding on their laurels too? No – most of them are continually experimenting with roasts and blends, and even new coffee-making techniques. There is great dedication needed to stay at the top and in so doing, these cafés continue to illuminate the way for the new-comers following in their wake.

And just one further thing – many of our reviewers have lived and worked overseas; let’s be clear – these five cafés are the equal of pretty much any on the world stage – our congratulations to them for their passion for excellence!

1.Mecca

67 King St
Sydney NSW 2000

Tel: (02) 9299 8828

Underneath the cornices of the beautiful old Grace Hotel, on the corner of York St and Sydney’s CBD’s busy King St, lies a real gem. And Paul Geshos is determined that Mecca should live up to its name – as a rare oasis for coffee lovers in Sydney’s CBD!

With two beautiful Mirage’s side by side, they certainly pump them out – and they need to, once the city crowd of aficionados starts lining up at the door from first thing in the morning.

But Mecca is also pushing the boundaries with other types of coffee, including the Siphon unit – a vacuum coffee maker, which works on the principle of expansion and contraction of water vapour to infuse the coffee grounds, a method primarily employeed by coffee nerds, but becoming increasingly popular with specialty coffee aficionados.

It’s a method that best showcases single origin coffees, and they’re currently offering this unique brewing method with exotic origins like Ethiopian Sidamo, Kenya AA Auction Lot 639 Gatomboya and Guatemala El Injerto Estate Pacamara. They offer the Siphon-brewed coffee for $3.50 up [depending on origin]. It’s difficult to explain in print, however, if you’re planning to explore coffee to new levels, this is certainly worth checking out!

Head Barista: Alex Kum

2.Toby’s Estate

32-36 City Rd
Chippendale NSW 2008

Tel: (02) 9211 1459

Toby’s is one of the ‘big names’ of the boutique coffee roasting business in Australia, supplying several hundred cafés in New South Wales, and soon to expand to Victoria.

They also have several retail cafes, including the original in Cathedral St, Woolloomooloo, and our favourite – the Chippendale location – on City Road opposite Victoria Park, and close to Broadway.

One of the pioneers of specialty coffee in Sydney, Toby’s have been up there, but not quite top of their game for the last couple of years. However, with a couple of new baristas, and innovations like the new Mirage Idro Compresso hand lever unit [at their Chippendale store] they’re definitely back up there with the best!

With a house espresso blend that is full-bodied and chocolatey, this is truly excellent coffee destination - highly recommended.

Head Barista: Joel Scott

3. Campos

193 Missenden Rd
Newtown NSW 2042

Tel: (02) 9516 3361

We ‘discovered’ Campos seven years ago [Crema issue Spring 2002] and others took up on our review that year, and in subsequent years.

With their success has come growth – they’ve expanded to become one of Sydney’s leading suppliers of specialty coffee to cafes.

Typically with a tangy, fruity flavour and hint of spice, their shots come to their peak with milk-based coffees, and since approximately 90% of Australians drink milk-based espresso, they’ve picked their niche well! It’s always busy and the main complaint if often finding a seat. But we see its business as a just reward for their commitment to espresso excellence - Campos is still the benchmark by which others are judged!

Head Barista: Ben d’Emden

4.Single Origin

60-64 Reservoir St

Surry Hills

Tel: (02) 9211 9055

As the name suggests, these guys have chosen to make a name for themselves in single origin coffees.

A buzzy atmosphere - one that’s almost a little too frenetic for some - they manage to pour out some of the best espresso shots in town. Typically your espresso will have a spicy, caramelly flavour ['House Origin' blend], but they also offer single origins like Habar from Honduras, El Salvador Santa Anna and Panamanian Boquete.

Single Origin hit the scene almost 6 years ago with their café in Sydney’s trendy Surry Hills, and over that time, have built up a loyal following.

Head Barista: Shoji Sasa [pictured]

5.Grind Espresso

6 Surf Road
Cronulla NSW 2230
Tel: (02) 9568 5535

An oasis of relaxation in beachside Cronulla - Grind features the sort of cosy, grungy atmosphere that you would expect to find in Newtown’s King St. Its walls are lined with all sorts of knick-knacks, photos and reviews - most of them good! And there’s a reason for that. Richard Calabro and his team churn out the sort of coffees that you could almost drive down to Cronulla especially for.

Let’s cut to the chase - they don’t do food but that’s not why you come to Grind. It’s an espresso bar and yes, it’s all about the coffee. And what great coffee it is too - it certainly holds its own with any of its more citified Sydney compatriots - smooth, bold and with an excellent crema - these guys do it right. If you’re down that way, make sure you make a visit; for the true espresso aficionado, this one’s definitely worth the 40 minute drive!

Owner/head Barista Richard Calabro

and the winner is…  congratulations to Tim Adams from Queensland who won first place, taking home the Australian Barista crown for 2009. Tim will go on to represent Australia at the 2009 World Barista Championships, to be held in Atlanta, 16th to 19th April 2009. Congratulations also to Zoe Delaney and Con Haralambopolous, both from Victoria, who took home 2nd and 3rd place respectively.

To discuss this topic (or any other topics), visit The Forum for news, views and opinions.

The other day I was preparing to go through the process of designing a new blend and I called my broker to request some samples. He said “I’ve got just the coffee for you! El Salvador Bourbon, she’s my new girlfriend!”  After introducing me to his new love I found myself to be a little confused as to why he had fallen so head over heels; I certainly didn’t share the same attraction. However, keen to find out why my broker had fallen so hard I decided to give her a second chance to leave an impression.
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We asked Russell Beard, from The Source Espresso Bar in Sydney, which coffee he’s excited about right now and to tell us a bit about it – here is what he had to say…. 

Q. Favourite bean right now and why?

Guatemalan COE Lot# 22 Finca La Perla (only 16 bags produced).
It was a Cup of Excellence (COE) finalist coffee from Guatemala – we were in Tokyo at the SCAJ and this coffee was on the table. When we brewed it (pour over) it had a cloudy apple juice appearance. We tasted it & all just looked at each other and….Wow! A special moment. I was hooked! So much so that we will be getting more coffee from this farm in the coming weeks/months.

La Perla means “Sleeping Woman” in Xamac, a Mayan language used in the Ixil Triangle, where the farm is located, some 38 kilometers northeast of Chajul, in the province of El Quiché. The farm produces Catuaí and Bourbon between 3000 and 6500 feet. Soil is loose, clayey and sandy over a limestone base. Producing quality coffee is very important to the owners of La Perla. They pay attention to detail – from harvesting at the exact moment to wet milling and drying the beans. This is evident in the fact that they have been finalists in the Cup of Excellence program in 2001, 2002, 2006 & 2008.

The lovely thing about the COE program is that the farmer is celebrated and receives the accolade & thus benefits financially; which in turn lays the platform for more interesting and exquisite coffee’s for the future….watch this space!

Q. How is it best appreciated?

I experienced this coffee as pour over /filter & drip. I wouldn’t roast this coffee too dark, as this would take away some of the delicate nuances inherent in this lovely bean.

Q. Flavour/cup profile?

The coffee was clean (as expected of a COE winning coffee) with beautiful apple acidity, nice heavy viscosity in the mouth, just beautifully sweet like honey. Once brewed it’s appearance was almost tea-like or like a cloudy apple juice.  

The Coffee

Farm: La Perla Y Anexos  Farmer: Finca La Perla Y Anexos
City: Chaju  Region: El Quiche  Country: Guatemala
Variety: Caturra  Type of shade trees: Inga  Harvest: October to May
Processing System: Sun and Wet Mill
Climatic Conditions: Average temperature: 18°C, Annual rainfall: 5000mm, Relative humidity: 75%
Type of soil: Loamy (balance of clay, sand and limestone)

Note: The Cup of Excellence is the most esteemed award given out for top coffees. These awards come from a strict competition that selects the very best coffee produced in that country for that particular year. These winning coffees are chosen by a select group of national and international cuppers and are cupped at least five different times during the competition process. Only coffees that continuously score high enough are allowed to move forward in the competition. The final winners are awarded the prestigious Cup of Excellence® and sold to the highest bidder during an internet auction.

Birdie Num Nums occupies an interesting space in Melbourne’s cafe lexicon in that it caters specifically for young families, whereas many cafes do not. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of arty-types and groovy young things here as well, especially in the front section of the cafe, which is warm and welcoming with recycled timber and interesting nic nacs softening the space.  Conversely the back section, with its shade cloths and central sand pit, is ‘kid central.’

Food here is modern bistro with Greek influences, reminiscent of Pireaus Blues, the enduring Greek restaurant on Brunswick Street, which was founded by the same family.  The food is rustic and pleasantly plated – my crispy squid on Vietnamese-style shredded salad with crushed peanuts and sweet roasted chilli dressing ($16.5) hit all the right notes. Coffee is pretty good too, which comes as a bit of a revelation considering the generic brand (Grinders ‘Giancarlo’ Blend); a word of caution though, on the day I visited both the coffee and service out the back – in the ‘family friendly’ area – were not quite up to scratch, whereas out the front it was a different story altogether, where the service seemed to hum, and the coffee was of a noticeably higher standard.

Still, good food and a great kid-friendly atmosphere provides welcome relief for busy mums, and who knows, maybe you will even hear the occasional ‘howdy partner’ within these hallowed walls?

Reviewed Nov’08 [PS]

Birdie Num Nums
745 Nicholson Street
Carlton North