3 of the most photogenic coffees to try in Shanghai
Looking for a twist from your daily grab-and-go coffee? Time Out discovers three cafes in Shanghai that provide coffee with unusual presentations.
Tap Café
Latte art is fast becoming a hot trend in Shanghai's booming coffee shop market, with dozens of cafes here perfecting their tulip swirl. Taking it a step further is Tap Café, which offers 3D latte art.
The shy barista here reveals that she has been doing it for the past three to four years, and occasionally tries to come up with new ideas. Her most recent creation is that of a pointy ghost head (pictured above). There are three other designs you can choose from, which are Marvel's big white comic character Baymax, a teddy bear and, the most popular choice, Hello Kitty.
The 3D art is made with milk foam, and chocolate is then used to accentuate the features of the design. The base is cappuccino - despite it being dubbed latte art - which the barista explains is because it allows the 3D design to last longer.
We ordered the bear and ghost art on our visit, and felt slightly sadistic watching the designs sink as we sipped. The foam adds a mildly sweet taste to the coffee, kind of like eating candy clouds. While we are not sure we would regularly pay 58RMB for a 3D version when the cappuccino itself is just 32RMB, it is worth a try once to take plenty of photos.
Tap Café is at 150 Nanchang Lu, near Sinan Lu.
Cafe Fay
If you have ever wondered what it is like to drink a picture of yourself, your pet or your favourite celebrity, you can now do so at Cafe Fay. The space on Changle Lu offers 'selfie coffee' - all you need to do is add the cafe on WeChat and send a picture to them. They will then print it out for you (for an additional 20-23RMB) on a cold beverage of your choice, which range from coffee to tea and juice (from 12RMB).
While it may seem simple, you will probably spend ten minutes or so discussing with the service staff whether your photo is good enough to be printed. They are fussy about the selection lest you get disappointed with the eventual result. Some tips we gathered from them: Do not print a black and white photo, a photo with light lines or one that is blurry. A simple, clear photo works best.
The staff add a layer of sea salt milk on top of your drink in order to print. This layer is sweet, thick, creamy and has a dash of saltiness that makes the drink a lot tastier. You can also opt to twirl the top layer to get a colourful design.
Café Fay is at 612 Changle Lu, near Xiangyang Bei Lu.
Mellower Coffee
For something a little different, Mellower Coffee offers Sweet Little Rain (58RMB), where they serve your very own white cotton candy cloud right on top of your Americano.
It's fascinating watching the fluffy ball of candy floss dissipate due to the heat of the coffee; it droops slowly, and clear droplets form, akin to rain falling. You can also start picking and eating the cotton candy as an accompanying treat.
While the cup gets sticky and messy with the melted sugar, it provides a sweet aftertaste to the otherwise bitter coffee. It's not the cheapest or the best thing on the menu, but it's another one worth trying if only for the Moments/Instragram fodder it provides.
Mellower Coffee is at 9 Jinan Lu, near Taicang Lu.
More from Time Out Shanghai