home made cafe - again

Last week, LC had made her pudding to a certain level - that we do not need to buy any from supermarket ever from now - but I am still having hard time with my espresso. Although she said that my cappuccino tastes like those in the cafe, I think there is still a long way toward successful crema. Luckily, I had some good news from my venture in bread baking.

Yesterday was my 2nd try in baking walnut bread with maple syrup. I failed again in creating the desired shape, but I managed to bake a softer one. And it tasted sweeter than my first attempt. Furthermore, I ate the bread this morning and it was still very soft and nice. I know it was just a very simple bread compare to those in the boulangerie, but I think I deserve some little compliment for making the bread in a very small kitchen with the space limited to no more than 20cm wide ( and yes, LC deserves it too:) ).

Anyway, I believe the failures in my bread baking will be the road to success, just like my espresso. Little but not less, finally I saw my crema coming out. From brewing an espresso too fast in a few seconds, I saw the light after changing the bean's grinding last week ( the first picture below ). And yesterday after I changed the tamping pressure, I got more crema ( the second picture ). It was not the latte art that I had wanted, but at least I think I am on the right path:)

Actually, I was thinking to make a mocha yesterday but it was a waste not to try the crema so I ended up with a cappuccino. So many to try and so interesting, with an artist ended up making art in brewing and baking... haha. I hope I can start drawing and painting with my food soon:)

Cura

There is a very small cafe in Kyodo, which can only fit a few customers. We went there yesterday in the cold & heavy rain, but it was worth it. The chocolate drinks using Valrhona ( a famous chocolate brand from France ) that I had made the day brighter. And the apple tart with the Uva tea that my wife had were great too. Although all the sizes of the food were really small ( especially for most Malaysian who prefer volume than quality that I assume ), we thought they are perfect.

Furthermore, we liked the design of the cafe too. It was calm and clean. The texture on the wall, the wooden parts, the various type of chairs to be chosen, they all helped to create a very homelike atmosphere. It was very comfortable. However, my wife had a complaint about the table that we were sitting. She said it was too small for a lady because it was hard to put her both legs under the table due to the small space between the table legs. We had some arguments about furniture sizes, but I thought she has a point too.

It is never easy to make everything perfect. I think we should just try for our best:)

cafe medewo

Ho, ho, ho... the season is here again :)

Last Sunday we went to cafe medewo in Jiyugaoka, Tokyo. Actually we wanted to visit cafe one that day but the place was full, so we made a quick decision on the spot - to medewo. They are totally different in style and service, but it was not a bad choice. Stylish and modern in design, cafe medewo has a taste just like the town Jiyugaoka.

I had a quiche myself, and my wife ordered a plate of grilled chicken and mushroom. Her was the special lunch set of cafe medewo, bread and desert included. There was nothing surprising, but we were satisfied with the meal.

One of the design uniqueness of medewo is that it is located on the 2nd floor of a fashion boutique, but it has its own facade on the entrance. The way the 2 different shops interacted reminds me of shimauma cafe. They really match the atmosphere of Jiyugaoka.

SLOW CAFE

Before we go to the hill garden in Yamate, we went to this SLOW CAFE in Motomachi. At first I thought it is in a remote area or somewhere within the residential area, but it turned out that the place is quite crowded and there were a lot of shop houses around it. The atmosphere was so-so but at least the food is not bad.

We tried the deli plate and the curry made of nuts. They were all very healthy, but I was not so sure about the "slow" part. Anyway, it is a very standard cafe that you can find around Tokyo or Yokohama.

Chiki Chiki & Tan Tan

Yesterday, despite the cloudy mood we have decided to visit Chiki Chiki & Tan Tan. Maybe the sound of the name gave us something very, sunny? The cafe is located a bit far from Kannai, the station nearby China Town in Yokohama. I was not so sure about the menu even though I was interested in the interior design of it, but after some searching on the internet I felt we can give it a try.

It turn out that we had made a good choice. The pasta were great. Personally I like the idea to bake the cauliflower and match it with the tomato base chicken pasta. Very nice. And the plate of fish with vegetables and beans was very special indeed. The way they decorated it showed that Chiki Chiki is not just any casual cafe, but something more. However, we were not sure about the desert - 2 type of Tiramisu with vanilla ice cream. The look was great (picture above), but it just did not feel like the Tiramisu. But overall we were satisfied.

Beside the delicious dishes, I also like the way they use the block of red wall in the interior. The separation of the main entrance with the kitchen beside it, some counter seats and the main room for dining was very successful. Even though the design approach seems quite modern, the touch of hand made furniture and decorations help to make it a very warm place indeed.

I think we are going there again sometime :)