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8 Boutique Cafe's Slayin' The Coffee Scene

ShanghaiWOWeng 2019-04-04


 

There are about 8,000+ cafes in Shanghai and many coffee addicts in the city. Shanghai is the number 1 coffee-consuming city in the country.


A great cup of coffee at a café is akin to tasting a fine glass of wine. The manufacturing place, breed of beans and cooking method are all factors that determine the taste of coffee, and only a true connoisseur will be able to tell the quality of the coffee. After drinking numerous coffee's around town, here are the 8 that we think are slaying the coffee scene.



Ashidae

Hand-pressed coffee research center



Many often think of hand-pressed coffee when thinking about a great cup of coffee, and a true expert at this is Ashidae. Accepting customers by reservations only and operating on the weekends, the Japanese cafe remains a great mystery and produces great deeply roasted coffee.



Japanese coffee culture is pretty enchanting and we can often expect to learn a lot here. Enjoy a warm cup of coffee in the courtyard and be surrounded by the rich caffeine smell.



For those who don’t really try out Japanese coffee, Ashidae is pretty iconic with its smoky caramel and bitter flavor. It has a smooth and sweet texture and leaves a sweet aftertaste after drinking water. 



The rich and layered drink and brand was founded by a couple from Sebarok Island. The Husband oversees the roasting of the beans while theWife hand presses it using the V60 method. For those who know coffee, this will be truly a must-try drink. 



In 2019, there will be some new changes, including the addition of desserts in the menu. The desserts will change with the season and each will be specially crafted.



Scared that you won’t be able to get a reservation? Well, they have extended their operations to Thursday to Sunday. However, do note that there is a limited serving of desserts daily, so do be early!


Address: 88 Jiang Ying Lu

Tel: 186 1601 9635

Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday 12pm - 7pm


Nonnbee

Smooth rich Japanese coffee



The coffee house is a hidden gem, and many will often pass by it or mistake it for a bar due to a lack of signage at the storefront.



The hit favorite here is the flannel filter coffee. The beans are specially purchased by the couple from Japan personally every month. They are mainly from the Tokyo cafe, Cafe de l’ambre.



The traditional method of making coffee creates a velvety texture. It is a skill that is hard to master. There is a sweet and aromatic bitter flavor along with the smooth texture if the coffee is made well.



The coffee here are spectacularly made, largely due to the barista’s skill. This is often a laborious task, and also the reason why there’s limited servings daily.



The signature drink here is a sweet coffee, which is hand-pressed and made cold rapidly, before milk, sugar, and ice are added. There is a sweet milky flavor with slight sourness from the coffee, creating an interesting texture and flavor.  



There is also a deep roasted Mandheling drink, which has an interesting and sweet flavor. The cafe has a slightly different ambiance and menu as compared to ther est, and is definitely one to check out.


Address: 1245 Wu Ding Xi Lu

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 1pm - 5pm, 7pm - 11pm


COFFii&JOY

New coffee brand to look out for



There are many great cafe brands in the city, with most of them being independent and small. It is often hard to find a great one in a mall, but COFFii&JOY defies stereotypes.



This new gem was recently opened and opts for a branded style. Their single coffee menu is pretty delightful and the overall ambiance is lovely and young. 



The Yirga Cheffe here has a citrus and mulled wine feel, and on a cold day, is a refreshing treat with white toast fragrance. It will appeal to youths and puts a smile on a cold weathered day. We are pretty impressed with how the team managed to pull off such great quality drinks, and after inquiring, we realized that the crew has a great passion for coffee, putting in great effort, including going all over the world to find the perfect bean to make their drink.



There is also syphon coffee, an equivalent of the hand-pressed coffee. The whole syphon coffee making process is a performance in itself, and it creates a balanced and rounded flavor. However, if the water temperature is too high, it will affect the layers of the drink made.



Geisha coffee is a royal species, and using the Syphon making method, it brings out a unique honey and milk type of sweetness, and citrus flavor with jasmine aroma.



The Mandheling is often seen as a dark chocolate equivalent and the sourness is a great standout. Complemented with milk, it has an almond and chocolate milk taste, and is a must-have to perk yourself up. 



The crew here provides special latte art for every takeaway drink, leaving you with a smile on your face as you leave the store.



Aside from a good cup of coffee, the staff here is pleasant and good to look at. So if you ever need a place to give you a nice pick me up, this is one more reason to go.


Address: 455 Yi Shan Lu 

Opening hours: 10am - 10pm


Small Arms Big Heart

A delightful competition-level cafe brand  



As coffee starts to pick up in the city, many are changing their impression and understanding of the coffee roasting process. Beans grown in the same region can taste different when roasted by different chefs, which is why many often look to find a good roastery chef for a good cup of coffee. 


 
Where can you find such great beans? Well, at Small Arms Big Heart, where a coffee machine occupies a large part of the storefront.



Recently, we went to try their cinnamon Costa Rican coffee, and we were pleasantly surprised by the smooth and slightly sweet coffee with a fruity flavor. At different temperatures, we could taste the cinnamon and cranberry notes.



Just a friendly reminder, to ensure quality coffee, the cafe does not make hand-pressed coffee when they’re busy. Nonetheless, the Italian coffee is outstanding as well.



Their flat white has a hazelnut taste and creamy texture with a chocolate aftertaste. After trying it out, we realized that this was the winning recipe from the famous Taiwanese Da Vinci brand.

The fast-paced cafe is located in a small courtyard in the city, and it is a great place to hang out after a rainy weekend for a sunny start to your week. 



Address: 89 Tai Xing Lu

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8am - 5pm; Saturday and Sunday 9am - 5pm


Coffee Is

Traditional non-greasy Italian coffee



On Guoyang Nan Lu, the cafe is a popular icon and is run by an interesting couple. The husband does the roasting of the coffee beans while the wife manages the operations. It brings a homey feeling and ambiance, with many of the guests being long time customers of the brand.



The main difference from other Italian coffee brands is that the beans here do not have an oily coating, and this is an uncommon sight, which makes the beans even harder to roast.



The deep roasted coffee, when managed and roasted well, often produces a little oil and has a clean and aromatic taste, fitting the mould of a perfect Italian coffee, unlike the current commercialized ones that are bitter, without much flavor.  



Using Geisha beans to make their latte, it has a rich and clean flavor, with a flowery jasmine aroma, with citrus scents. The Geisha drink, however, is limited in quantity and is sold at a great price. An alternative has a chocolate milk and nutty flavor, which is a must-try.


The hand-pressed coffee is value-for-money and at RMB 30abottle, is a great steal, and one that will be well-loved by coffee lovers.



Address: 391 Xiang Yang Nan Lu; 19-169 Nanjing Xi Lu

Opening hours: 7am- 6pm


Yushan Coffee

Experience SOE with love



A new store this year, the owner here is a popular figure in the coffee industry, and in the early days, started SOE, which was named after a woman he loves. Now, Yushan is named after his daughter’s name, and the Chinese characters form “snow” in Chinese, which is his wife’s name.



The trendy SOE (Single origin espresso), is a rich Italian coffee and like a black sheep, it is easy to identify and describe.


The Italian coffee is a simple white or black coffee, and when trying out SOE, there are 4 ways to have it - latte, flat white, Sacarello and Piccolo, depending on your preferences.



We like our coffee dirty, and the first flush is often the strongest and most aromatic, and with cold milk, it gives a smooth and sweet flavor with smoky dark chocolate taste. 


Swipe left to see more pictures


Additionally, the Colombian coffee has a sour, sweet, and bitter flavor, and the coffee that leaves the greatest impression is the roasted nut and caramel flavor, which has a sour taste to it. The latte has a flowery aroma, with a sweet and sour smooth texture, and tastes of brown sugar.



There is a hand-pressed bar, and during the afternoon break, this is a great place to enjoy a quick rest before heading back to work, all refreshed.


Address: 899 Ling Ling Lu

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8am - 4pm; Saturday and Sunday 11am - 5pm


uncle no name espresso

A new way to try Australian coffee



After Starbucks made Flat White famous, many came to know more about Australian coffee. However, truly Australian coffee lovers will know that Melbourne produces authentic, rich, and fragrant Australian coffee.


Speaking of Australian coffee in Shanghai, uncle no name espresso is a standout as it is run by an Australian guy, and next door, there is a small restaurant run by him as well. 



The coffee here is simple and provides a laid back ambiance and coffee experience for customers.


Try out a milky coffee here, or a small cup of Piccolo coffee or flat white to start your day on the right foot. 


Address: 178 Yong Kang Lu

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 08:30am - 6:30pm


O.P.S. CAFÉ

Pushing the limits of coffee



Lastly, the popular O.P.S Cafe is one not to be missed. Pushing the boundaries of coffee, the small 9m store is often filled with customers who are here for their quality brew. 



Many will know the barista, Siwei, A-guang and more, who puts great effort and passion into their craft. 




Leveraging on the end of winter, the cafe also launched a wintery menu. Siwei’s Irish coffee uses syrup to balance out the whisky flavors, and a dollop of sherry with cream pulls the entire drink together.


The smooth and creamy flavors bring out the best of the classic Whisky and coffee combination and highlights the floral, fruity, and nutty flavors of the drink. 


Swipe left to see more pictures


The Hot Plate here is like a souffle with a crisp caramel shell, and a soft and silky, milky egg sauce. The souffle is a firm favorite amongst the ladies, and also one to warm up your winter.



As for this drink, Siwei mentioned that it is made from hand-pressed coffee that has been cooled quickly, rose syrup, osmanthus rice wine, and sherry. It has a nutty flavor and floral scene.


Address: 177 Tai Yuan Lu

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 11am - 8pm; Saturday and Sunday 9am- 6pm


Are you qualified as a coffee connoisseur? Do you prefer handcraft, mix, SOE or special coffee?

While the cafe are not listed in order of merit, we have also missed out some. We hope that through this article, coffee lovers will be able to find their favorite coffee and enjoy a great drink.





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