Coffee LOVE Project

Finally, Coffee Love Project made to HK, where I spent 3 months in summer 2011. Never did the idea of exploring coffee shops occur to me when I was interning at a bank. I always go to the same two baristas at the Starbucks located within the skyscraper. What never changed though was that the barista Don't and Wa always knew my personal drink and had it ready for me before I even opened my mouth. That personalized experience and the opportunity to get to know your baristas and be-friend them had paved roads for my coffee exploration project 2 years later. 

Due to other activities in HK, I did not get to do a full exploration and this is a sneak peak version of the coffee shops in HK - I hope to visit more in the future. Welcome your suggestions :) 

1. Allegretto Viva Espresso, Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) 尖沙咀廣東道33號中港城第三座平台1A號鋪, near TST Metro

Specialty: known for 3D latte art 

I have long heard about and seen on Instagram extensive amount of pictures of 3D latte art in HK's Allegretto in TST. Staying in an Airbnb in TST, I ended up visiting Allegretto with a good friend to catch up :) 

I explained my coffee collage project to Kitty Yeung, the famed 3D latte barista, and she make 2 cats and "Welcome to HK" to my latte art. 

The drinks are good but not the most spectacular. However, the 3D latte art itself is enough worth a visit. Plus Kitty is very friendly. 

2. Barista Jam, Sheung Wan Shop D, G/F, 126-128 Jervois Street 上環蘇杭街126-128號地下D舖

Australian Coffee Shop with dessert and food menu

Originally heading to the famed Cupping Room, but it closed at 5pm on a Friday. Per my foodie and coffee enthusiast friend Natalie's recommendation, I walked for another 3 minutes and arrived at Barista Jam. I have seen friends' foursquare check-in here before, and the name is quite memorable. 

Dark in side with a bar stool section and bench style tables with conversations among friends and hipsters.  Ziwei and I sat down and ordered a cortado and a latte, as well as a forest cake. Shortly after I sat down, I started chatting with the guy with Surface Pro sitting across from me. After a few exchange, I realized that he is a food safety professional leaving close to the Shenzhen- HK border, but works frequently in coffee shops. He recommend me coffee shops from Causeway Bay to Mongkok. It is always nice to run into fellow coffee lovers and have a meaningful conversation. 

The forest cake has layers of chocolate and cheese cake at the bottom, tasty yet a bit too sweet for me. 

I tried the cortado and it was tasty, and I only wish they have an equivalent of Mast Brothers or Dandelion chocolate in these coffee shops. 

3. Cupping Room, Sheung Wan 皇后大道中287-299號永傑中心LG舖（入口於急庇利街） Speciality: Latte Art, egg-based breakfast. Probably the best coffee shop in HK, barista championship 

Stepping into Cupping Room reminds me of lower manhattan, either Third Rail or Blue Bottle in Chelsea, and slightly remind me of Little Collins in Midtown East. 

I arrived on a weekend and thus tried their weekend special salmon poached egg tartine. Given that avocado smash was sold out, I was only disappointed by my cravings for avocado smash at Aussie shops, like Blue Stone Lane or Little Collins in NYC. 

4. Yardbird x Stumptown Sochu 33-35 BRIDGES STREET

Nested in a less foot-traffic street on the hill in Soho, steps away from the creative community center PMQ is one of "it" HK restaurants - Yardbird. I enjoyed Lotus Root Salad, Yellowtail Salad, Sweet Corn Tempura, Rice Cakes, and KFC (Korean Fried Cauliflower), and sipping on a Bloody Kim Jong Il cocktail (with kimchi as an ingredient).

As one of those "no reservation " restaurants, Natalie and I arrived around 6:15 on a Friday night, we sat at the bar to get a more authentic experience while witnessing the hectic bar staff. 

Looking up the counter in front of me, I saw a huge jar with writings "Yardbird x Stumptown Shochu" - is this HK? I asked myself. Since Stumptown reminds me of all the coffee I drank in NYC and LA. 

I nicely asked the bartender to bring down the jar to take a photo and shortly after, the manager came to me and asked to have it back on top (for safety reasons). At the end of the meal, Natalie and I got the peanut butter ice-cream and the sochu (a little sweet but coffee + shochu definitely worth a try). 

My visit to Hong Kong was packed so that I did not get to try out many coffee shops. I hope you enjoy the few that I got to experience and let me know where are your favorites in Hong Kong. (Below with Natalie, my coffee and foodie friend that I've known since the summer internship in HK, later we met up in NYC, Philly and HK to explore the best food and cafes) 

It has been a while since I last updated #coffeeloveproject blog. Over the last 6 months, I moved from NYC to LA, a place that I never thought I would have called home, but serendipity in life cannot be planned.  :)

During the first half of 2014, I continued visiting & re-visiting coffee shops, meeting baristas & caffeine - addicted.  I explored coffee in LA, re-visited my fav spots in SF and NY, and tasted some quality coffee in Switzerland and Shanghai. So it's time to have a run-down ~ 

Both Santa Monica & Venice have some nice coffee shops. Main Street & Abbot Kinney remind me a bit of Brooklyn, NY. Of course, there is only one NYC - the density of coffee shops in LA is not comparable to NYC, but I've managed to have a few nice #cortado and got inspired to grow my own succulents arrangements after spotting them in coffee shops.  Besides checking out coffee shops in West LA, I also trekked to Downtown LA to visit Handsome Roasters. I have yet to pay a visit to Silver Lake's coffee scene. 

As I scrolled through my instagram photos, the photo with Nicely at Menotti's surfaced. It was when Menottis first opened in Oct 2013. Now, the startup i work for is across the street from Venice's new coffee phenomenon. 

~~~ Santa Monica ~~~

1. Demitasse, on 3rd & Wilshire

I asked for my favorite chocolate bar (MastBrothers from Brooklyn), but the barista recommended me to try out Dick Taylor with black fig - it became my top 3 fav chocolates so far. The cover itself is worth collecting (added to my chocolate board) 

The highlight of my Demitasse experience was getting Bobby's signature drink on 4/2/2014 - banana with pecan with a shot of espresso & macchiato on the side. The sweetness of bananas balance with the bitterness of espresso. 

Bobby's Signature Drink 

2. Primo Passo, Montana & 7th 

Demitasse and Primo Passo are my colleagues' favorite coffee bars in Santa Monica. Primo Passo has an unforgettable light pink wall with Stumptown coffee & MastBrother chocolate.

 3. The Refinery, hidden gem on Santa Monica & 5th 

It's easy to think that on Santa Monica Blvd and around 3rd Street Promonade area, you can only find Starbucks and Peet's coffee, but this nicely decorated, succulent-filled coffee shop serves Ritual coffee from SF. 

I love their high table with steel surface & thoughtful plant arrangements. The overall ambience is dark but the direct sunlight makes all the difference. 

4. Funnel Mill Rare Coffee & Tea on Broadway & 5th 

This Japanese style coffee and tea lounge sets itself apart from the other coffee bars in Santa Monica. A sense of zen and the plum colored furniture bring tranquility. The pourover and siphon coffee here are quite expensive. It also serves world's most expensive coffee - Kopi Luwak.

Main Street - it reminds me of East Village. Alongside Main Street, ethnic restaurants, bars, boutiques, yoga studio one next another. Just like East Village, where every block you can find a vegan restaurant , Main Street has copious number of raw food joints. 

5. Urth Cafe - LA's well known cafe chain

Before moving to LA, Ally told me about Urth Cafe and its green tea latte. I am a matcha addict (judging from my recent purchase from green tea kitkat to matcha icecream). Not only Urth Cafe has healthy food, its pig shaped latte art made an impression on me :)

6. Aussie Pie Kitchen - Sam & Dave are from Sydney and just opened Aussie Pie Kitchen. 

Flatwhite & Kale/Feta Cheese Roll

7. Espresso Cielo, Main & Marine Street 

Cielo means sky in Spanish and i am in love with the the sky blue colored espresso cups on Main & Marine, the junction of Santa Monica and Venice. I can stand with one foot in SaMo and the other in Venice. 49 Parallel coffee is served here with tasty almond croissant. 

Other coffee shops on the Main street include Gunpowder Tea Latte ( similar to Yerba Matte) , Dogtown Coffee etc. 

Venice Beach - gentrification at its height where homeless and hipsters "mingle" on the beach

  In April, my company moved from Santa Monica house to Venice Beach. Thus, my coffee radar moved south 5 miles. 

Abbot Kinney -  boutiques, restaurants, art gallery & coffee shops

Street Art on Abbot Kinney

1. Intelligentsia on Abbot Kinney 

Walking into Intelligentsia, I cannot but help notice of their open-roof waiting area that leads up to the central order counter, the plentiful standing area for coffee chats, as well as the industrial ambience with the circular coffee counter. When I first visited LA, i grabbed coffee here with our engineer Paul. 

#DailyCortado going strong

Post-yoga coffee

2. Menottis' - Windward Circle's new favorite

The countertop is huge, espresso shots are small and Square Stand is just right at @Menottis. http://t.co/9Q9OJJygEd pic.twitter.com/4c8rxOQ0uY

— Square (@Square)

January 23, 2014

(Square retweeted my photo :) ) 

Check out Nicely's special drink with melting cookie. 

Menottis thoughtful design - the turquoise customer-made La Marzocco espresso machine echoes the shape of white tiles, and Square registrar. Four barrels are placed outside the coffee shop, resonating with the 4B coffee that Menottis carry. Hot Cake bakery goods can be spotted here as well. 

3. Tom's Flagship store now serves coffee with a cause

I love their outdoor patio and the hanging-out space for an afternoon casual meeting along with a cup of coffee. 

Downtown LA - Handsome Brothers

Driving through Downtown LA to Handsome Brothers, there was little happening in the neighborhoods. I wasn't sure if I would find anything interesting, however when the car arrived at the corner, I looked through the glass door and felt assured. the famous handsome brothers roaster~ 

There are still a lot to explore for coffee in LA area. Here is my start! 

ICYMI: Besides drinking daily cup of joe, I also get to read barista confessions from Whisper users (like the one below) 

Photographer friend Yao Wen came to NYC and we went around East Williamsburg and some of my favorite spots in East Village. 

1. Blue Bird Coffee on 1st Street and 1st Ave

Biscuit Sandwich and Soy Flat White. 

2. Bowery Coffee on Houston & Bowery 

Ran into coffee enthusiast from SF who is working on an iPhone app with coffee info around America - Mappuccino

3. Gasoline Alley Coffee - 331 Lafayette St

4. Variety Cafe - 368 Graham Ave

5. Beaner Bar - 447 Graham Ave

Mexican Latte

Davet stamps on the Coffee Love Project board 

6. Tar Pit - 135 Woodpoint Rd, Brooklyn

1. Three Girls 

Chloe (klokloyt on Instagram), Chenyu (chenyuz on Instagram), and Hazel (amosinchains on Instagram) are three Instagram enthusiasts (photo above left to right) originally from China. They all love healthy food, explore NYC, and keep photo journals ( via Instagram). Chloe and Chenyu are also fans of coffee. None of them have met offline individually with IGers.   (Note: IG refers to Instagram; IGers refers to Instagramers below. )  Chloe, high school senior originally from Shenzhen, photographer, coffee lover   (klokloyt on Instagram)

Hazel, marketing master student from Xinjiang. Vegan and chef in the training. Hazel worked in publishing and social media on China and curate a Chinese vegetarian blog "vegplanet" (素食星球） (amosinchains on Instagram) <

Chenyu, recent college grad from Wuhu who loves making collages of places she visits and tells stories via social media.  (chenyuz on Instagram)

Among the three, Chloe takes the best photos and Hazel is a vegan cook in the training. Chenyu loves both foto & food and connects the dots. Besides sharing common interests, they are all serious instagram users who use hashtags and geotags (in a disciplined fashion). They never met until ... the week of Christmas, the trio magically met up in Chenyu's East Village apartment and enjoyed conversations about healthy living.  & tasted vegan dessert, and coffee. 

2. Two Hashtags

The story begins with Instagram tags -  (1) Hashtag (#dailycortado #coffeeloveproject)  (2) Geotag (Beyond Sushi) Since fall 2012, Chenyu started to travel around different neighborhoods in NYC and make a visual collage of all the coffee shops she has visited. In June 2013, Chenyu started #CoffeeLoveProject (Instagram photos tagged coffeeloveproject) .  As a firm believer in hashtag one click view of a theme/ project, Chenyu experiments combining offline exploration with online sharing and connecting with fellow coffee lovers. Now, people in Asia (Malaysia) and SF are tagging #coffeeloveproject every week. 

#CoffeeLoveProject board photo by Chloe Chenyu has been following rad coffee Instagramers , including @aguynamedpatrick (aguynamedpatrick on Instagram) who started a movement of people tagging #dailycortado, not only in America, but all over the world.  2.1 Chloe and Chenyu  Monday 12/23/2013 One night before sleeping, Chenyu looked through #dailycortado on IG and clicked into a photo of El Rey Coffee (in LES) that she just visited on Sunday. Impressed by the photo, Chenyu clicked into the profile of the photographer @klokloyt, who seems to be making stops at all of Chenyu's coffee favorites.  Seeing that Chloe also types Chinese, Chenyu was excited to encounter another coffee fan with China origin, and left Chloe a comment about El Rey. They exchanged Wechat contact.

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Chenyu and Chloe found themselves both stay up quite late and (sometimes) browsing IG (Instagram) photos. They decided to meet up at I Am Coffee on Friday 12/28/2013, a week before Chenyu leaves NYC.  Original plan fell through as I Am Coffee was not open due to holidays. two Cs simultaneously came up with an alternative Hi-Collar, a Japanese coffee shop on 10th street. 

Cold Brew, Aero press, Hot cakes (Photo by Chloe)  As they chatted through their visits to different coffee bars around NYC , the conversations evolved into vegan ice cream, healthy eating and GMO food, Chloe's summer course on sustainability in Germany, and Chenyu's mission in accelerating the green of china for a healthier world & Juccce's china dream "new way to eat" program.  Chenyu and Chloe are 6 years apart but during this conversation, the age gap vanished. Chenyu is impressed by Chloe's knowledge of food and it reminded her of her freshman year writing seminar on "the future of food" and research paper on GMO labeling. With a China background, they both concerned over the environmental issues of their motherland.  Later, they wandered around east village - and both raved about Sustainable NYC. Thus the photo below - later Chloe's Instagram description  "This wall perfectly describes both of us."

at Sustainable NYC) Chloe visited Chenyu's apartment and they took Polaroid photos as its relevance to Instagram.  El Rey, Hi-Collar, polaroid photos, and the stories behind now become part of Coffee Love Project board, as shown below. 

-2.2 Chenyu and Hazel You may call it fate - the same night Chenyu wrote to Chloe; Hazel wrote to Chenyu after geo-exploring photos taken at Beyond Sushi. (Message below)

Chenyu and Hazel, with introduction from a mutual friend who connected them on Chinese social network WeChat, met up on Christmas day.  Chenyu explores vegetarian/ vegan place in NYC and makes collages, but she always admires those who can make plant-based food so tasty. In fact, it was mind blowing to meet a fellow girl from China who is currently interning at vegan restaurant kitchen and bakes vegan dessert. 

Food connects people - Hazel's WeChat Moment after the meetup Hazel and Chenyu both have a lot on their mind and they have similar love for blogging and social media. They exchanged notes and shared their "stress " of always have more than they can do. hazel recommended a book " The Power Of Less " by Leo Babauta of  "Zen Habits".  Then, Hazel and Chenyu made kale chips based on a recipe from Chenyu's foodie and cook roommate Kati. 

V for Veggies and Peace

Perhaps one day, you will see a vegetarian restaurant/ cafe opened by Hazel and Chenyu - One chef, one marketer. 12/27/2013 On Facebook, Hazel shared her newly baked pumpkin oatmeal vegan cookie & Chenyu drooled in front of her Macbook, left a comment about how appetizing the recipe looks. Hazel said she would send some over. 

3. One friend you did not know 

These may seem like 2 separate stories, but  not until Friday 12/28 when Chloe was about to head out Chenyu's home, the door rings and Hazel came with 4 home-made pumpkin oatmeal cookies. I (switched to first person) felt a furnace warming up my heart. It may be fate. I was speechless.  So here are 3 new friends - enjoying the tasty pumpkin oatmeal cookies made by hazel, talking about juice, coffee and healthy food, and sharing IGers they follow. None of these 3 girls have met IGs offline before and has such deep connection. But there is always the first time & the right experience. :) 

Sometimes, you meet someone for the first time and felt that you already know each other so well. Perhaps Instagram photos show a lot of what we love and care. 

Life comes in circles and we encounter the other part of ourselves, often when most unexpected. May we call this serendipity.  But take one step back, such serendipity would not have happened without technology and social networks like Instagram and Wechat. This again is why I'm so passionate about technology enabled social networks. 

Meet Miguel of WaysideNYC - CoffeeLoveProject.com from Chenyu on Vimeo.

One day, I hope to open a coffee shop in China that brings hand-crafted cup of Joe with good-sourced beans and a social space for people to meet and connect.

Yes - China is still a tea nation, but China also has 1.3 billion people. It is not so much about converting everyone, but rather to cultivate a coffee culture that people want. Like how the young crowd crave for Blue Bottle or Sightglass, do they really go purely for their coffee? I doubt it. I find it may be the brand and vibe that is associated with Blue Bottle. 

Here is my thesis: 

Coffee culture (let alone appreciation for artisan hand-crafted coffee)  is not big in China now, but in order to create the demand, we first need to educate Overseas Chinese.

When a critical mass of mobile Chinese start to appreciate artisan coffee, they will bring the demand back to China.

CoffeeLoveCrawl

In Oct, I was contacted by a documentary crew from China about CoffeeLoveProject.  Paul of Wayside Cafe kindly offered to host our crawl. 

Miguel demonstrated Kalita, Bee House and Chemex for the group, many of us are coffee newbies and the learning was quite interesting for all. 

52g Chemex 650ml 3.5 min 32g Beehouse 415g water 3-4min

The group felt more knowledgable and comfortable to order coffee drinks when presented with a variety of coffee options in a cafe. I think that is the first step! Thanks Wayside's Paul and Miguel.