PATISSERIE Salon de the m.s.h


                             Henri and I wandered into “the candy cottage” just like Hansel and Gretel.
 

gâteau fraise

Tarte aux. marrons

PATISSERIE Salon de the m.s.h was a cozy Provence style pastry shop with a hidden tea room, located near Kyoto City hall. A hidden and narrow pathway between houses lead visitors to a Cozy patisserie, renovated Machiya, an old Kyoto style house.
It was on New Year’s Day and not much hope for finding a café open n the morning, but here was the one, wonderful one.
Gâteau fraise came with “perfect” Creme Chantily by Danish standard. Tarte aux. marrons was delicious as well, but Gâteau fraise left stronger impression.

Mitsuru Kishioka, an owner pâtissier, opened this salon in 2006, and has been developing French patisserie by using Japan, or Kyoto, unique ingredients such as sweet rice powder and nama-fu, soft and chewy Wheat gluten.

Since it was a day after heavy snow, their terrace was closed. But, it will be wonderful to have their sweets at quiet and cozy terrace seat in fresh spring, maybe early summer, air.

PATISSERIE Salon de the m.s.h
TEL: 075-212-5388

※Walking distance from Karasuma-Oike station.

THE BLUE BIRD CAFE ` Miyajima

 

A Unique micro roaster & Cafe in Hiroshima.  Flavor was usual, Japanese light roast coffee but good enough to sense owner's devotion to coffee. 

Glad to know that coffee geeks are everywhere in the world!  There are always common language and passion, at least something in common, among us to feel intimacy even at the first met.    

Coffee selections @ Bi-Rite Market

   

The best about SF and South Bay is variety of individual coffee roasters and easy access to their selections.   Bi-Rite Market, one of the natural food markets in SF, has coffee shelves filled with beans selection from local independent roasters. I love coffee roaster hopping and enjoy a cap with inspiring aroma at their café, but sometimes it is fun to glace selections and variety of SF coffee world.   

El Optimismo: El Salvador

Roaster: Doi Coffee
Level: full City


El Optimismo is one of El Salvador 2009 Cup of Excellence Winning Farms.

Tanzania Kilimanjaro plantation



Tanzania: Kilimanjaro plantation

Beans: Tanzania Kilimanjaro plantation
Roaster: Hiroshi Doi, Doi Coffee
Roasting Degree: City

【Attribute scores】
Aroma 4
Acidity 5
Body 2
Biterness: 3
Sweetness: 1


【Impression】
Layer of  bitterness followed by citrus sourness on top.  Sourness stays as aftertaste.
My image of "Kilimanjaro Coffee", in general, is light with clear sourness, but this cup hit me with harmonized bitterness with hidden sourness, acid type sourness.  Unfortunately, this sourness in aftertaste is not my favorite type, but if make this cup a little more water, like americano, balance of bitterness and sourness may harmonize the way I like.

【Note】
It is well known that Kilimanjaro origin has soothing acidity of orange and lemongrass.  This lot carries typical Kilimanjaro citrus flavor and rich aroma to enhance its flavor.

Finca Buenos Aires

Beans: Finca Buenos Aires
Roaster: Doi Coffee
Roasting degree: Full-city
Area:  Dipilto, Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua  
Altitude:1,300～1,550m 
Variety: Maracatu, hybrid of Marago&Catuai
Processing method: Wet-process

※Micro lot from EL Suyata area, located the highest elevation of Finca Buenos Aires: 1,500masl, 23℃ in average temperature.

【Impression】
Fruity aroma, light body & texture with bitterness as the first flavor, and clear and cooling aftertaste.  Light well balanced bitterness, no acidity.  "Americano" type, light and clear taste, fits anytime of the day/year.    

Extra Large size beans, which looks larger than ordinary Maragogippe beans I have seen...

【Note】

Dipilto is one of the best coffee cultivation area in Nicaragua, where presents prize winning farms/lots regally.  Surprisingly, in 2006 COE, there are 8 farms out of 10 award-winning lot were from this area.
Blessed with unique weather and rich soil, EL Suyatal grows the beans with extremely high sugar content.  Only fully matured cherries are hand picked, parched, and processed by Dry mill in Ocotal.

Verve Coffee Roasters

I happen to know Coffee Roasters in Santa Cruz,, where I’m completely stranger myself.


I met “Verve” in the mid town of SF when I was taking a Café tour with my friend、who lives in the JAVA industry. I wonder what makes this café to choose coffee beans from Santa Cruz even there are number of individual/independent roasters with specialty coffee beans selections in San Francisco. Maybe, something is in Santa Cruz.


My curiosity was growing since then and urged me to go, so I asked my friend, different person but also passionate coffee lover, to take me there.


It appeared as ordinary café compared with other individual roasters in SF. There is, of course, espresso machine and grinders, but no roasting facilities. We arrived there nearly 7pm, their close time, but there are still some people seating and coming in and out.

 

My poor soy latte...

I ordered standard soy latte. My friend ordered latte with quad-shots, which came out extremely flavor-full and delicious. Sorry for my soy latte, I found mine tasted nothing after a ship of quad-shot-latte.

I would like to take time to stay for next time, maybe enjoy a cup of quad-shot-latte with some sweets...