Macchiatomemory: Recent Episodes
Macchiatomemory
An average joe looks at the humble cuppa joe, from a Singaporean perspective. This show is best enjoyed with a coffee in hand.
Artwork by the inimitable Jemina Low! Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
It's a wrap.
Intro/outro music is "Arcade", provided royalty-free by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
Artwork was designed by my friend, the inimitable Jemina Low
3rd and final part of the visit to Vancouver, where I also catch up with my friend Ian, who’s been living here for a year. This might be my shortest episode yet… Also, as promised, I want to highlight Vancouver Coffee Snob (https://www.vancouvercoffeesnob.com) for his blog, map, and app Siply (https://www.getsiply.com/) that saved me time and money as I learned a little bit about the coffee scene here.
We head onto Vancouver Island! Where the Vancouver Coffee Snob has no listings but… well, I follow the recommendations from Vancouver Island Coffee Tour (https://www.vicoffeetour.com/tour-map.html) to check our Discovery Coffee and Bows & Arrows.
My first taste of Vancouver! Quick impressions of Pallet and Nemesis, two top-rated cafes/coffee roasters located in Van City. An invaluable resource for this trip has been Vancouver Coffee Snob (https://www.vancouvercoffeesnob.com/) and his app, Siply (https://www.getsiply.com/); absolute must-haves if you are in Vancouver.
Big hello again! After a long, unplanned hiatus, I'm back to catch up with you and with my friend Derek, who's still in London. How's his coffee routine now? What will he miss about the coffee there, and what's he looking forward to when he returns to Singapore after 1 year in London? Listen in to our conversation and find out!
Also mentioned in this episode:
Nude Coffee Roasters - https://www.facebook.com/nudecoffee/
Lakey Inspired - https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired
My Telegram channel - https://t.me/macchiatomemory
Recently I was asked: how do I decide which cafe to get my coffee from? I posed that question on the channel, and a few of you shared your thoughts (thanks!); now on this episode I share mine. Hope this helps someone who's a little newer to the coffee scene!
Should you tiao (fried dough fritters) be eaten with any drink other than soy milk? Join me and my friend, Matt, as we push the boundaries of investigative journalism to answer this deeply divisive question.
This episode is best played as close to Christmas as possible.
(Recorded on Christmas Eve.)
Would you willingly subject yourself to bad coffee? Repeatedly? I have a friend who does this every working day, and we're going to find out what method there is to this madness.
Welcome to the bang-for-buck episode, where it looks like it's about Vancouver, but we end up talking about a ton of other places too. Also, the longest episode ever!
Places mentioned this episode:
- Supreme Roastworks in Oslo, Norway: https://www.srw.no/pages/about
- Simple Kaffa in Taipei, Taiwan: https://simplekaffa.com/
- Teppei Japanese Restaurant in Singapore: https://www.facebook.com/teppeiomakase
- Bunga Raya Popiah in Malacca, Malaysia: https://www.placesandfoods.com/2020/11/the-famous-melaka-pork-lard-popiah.html
What's coffee like in the birthplace of espresso? Join me this episode as I talk to a friend who isn't just a visitor to Italy--she actually has family there!
The show's back! And this time I'm taking you to London, where I catch up with a friend who's just moved there from Singapore. Tune in to hear what it's like to have coffee "overseas" via "international travel".
Turns out I do need instructions on how to drink from this glass! Not a full episode, just a quick update on episode 9.
Can the shape of your espresso cup change your coffee drinking experience? Kruve thinks so, and thanks to some generous friends I get the chance to unbox and try out their unique-looking Propel coffee glass in this episode.
Long-ish episode alert! A friend and I take the same beans and brew them 2 ways: pour over, and espresso. If you're uneducated in the world of pour over, listen in as my friend gives me a brief walkthrough, and check out our reactions to how much of a difference the brew method can make.
The 4:6 method mentioned in the episode: https://youtu.be/wmCW8xSWGZY
Does your AeroPress even need the piston? Do you even need an AeroPress? Join me as I discuss the coffee world's latest re-discovery: the humble AeroPress.
Hoffmann's "Ultimate AeroPress Technique": https://youtu.be/j6VlT_jUVPc
The Real Sprometheus's "No Press Brew Method": https://youtu.be/FfHmh4bGLmw
To the bike-mobile! I huff and puff my way to 2 more cafes in the Upper Serangoon area: Urban Table and Amber Ember.
Urban Table: https://urban-table-cafe.business.site/
Amber Ember: https://order.amberember.sg/?StoreID=5f2bee72-09c0-4e23-8e50-3cb78bb9432f&Service=PickUp&lang=EN
What happens when you brew specialty beans in a kopi sock? Find out with me on this episode.
"You mean coffee not just pour water, stir stir meh?" asked the non-existent Incredulous Person.
No. It turns out making Real Coffee is a more involved process, and for those so inclined, you can dial in temperatures, brew ratios, and track roast dates to your heart's content.
Homeground Coffee Roasters - https://homegroundcoffeeroasters.com/
Kopi Sock (only $3.90!) - https://homegroundcoffeeroasters.com/collections/brands/products/kopi-socks
Lot of cyclists on the roads and pavements these days, but just how bike-friendly is the city? Especially when it comes to bringing (folding) bikes into cafes--is it feasible? This week we ride into Elixir Boutique Roasters to check out the coffee, and the bike-parking situation.
https://www.elixirboutiqueroasters.com/
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
When you can't have coffee, you really think about coffee. We switch gears this episode for a more introspective look at why someone drinks as much (or as little) coffee as they do.
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
We kick off season 2 with an interview Daryl Chow, creator of local card game Kopi King! Hear him talk about why he designed this game, and what games like this mean for our cultural identity.
Get the game here: https://www.origame.co/kopi-king
The artist behind the game's beautiful graphics: https://www.instagram.com/yyishyan/
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
One last episode with the current (now old) mic, and it's a quick take on cold brew "instant packets". Should you buy these, or should you DIY?
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
Everything you thought you knew about ordering kopi (or teh) in Singapore has been a lie. Or an innocent mistake. Or this is really much ado about nothing, because here's a whole episode discussing the meaning and origin of the "C" in kopi C!
Ang Moh Dan's very helpful post that I mention during the episode: https://www.angmohdan.com/how-to-order-kopi/
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
Join me for a very different type of episode, where it's not about equipment or varietals or any of that--but it's about GE 2020. I've been thinking about this for some time now, and I hope that you'll find my thoughts aren't complete rubbish...
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
James Hoffmann's review of the grinder: https://youtu.be/FzOY2tHyZ4w
Buying the Niche Zero locally:
Highlander Coffee -- https://www.highlandercoffee.com/products-and-services/coffee-grinders/niche-zero-coffee-grinder/
Zen Coffee -- https://sg.carousell.com/p/local-warranty-new-niche-zero-coffee-grinder-264891070/?t-id=5asuzl6ULy_1591852103473&t-referrer_request_id=T2Rf3da1AtSGidGS
Official page of the Niche Zero: https://www.nichecoffee.co.uk/
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
Friends often ask me:
- Do you still buy coffee outside? (because they know I brew at home), and
- Where's a good place to buy coffee?
Both questions are about the worthwhile-ness of paying for coffee outside, so I'll tackle both in this episode by calculating the cost of coffee at home.
Link to the coffee map mentioned in this episode: https://www.google.com/maps/d/drive?state=%7B%22ids%22%3A%5B%221QLHuNsO1W6wGWLIEZkDozZz4WxIYoj11%22%5D%2C%22action%22%3A%22open%22%2C%22userId%22%3A%22107676177825319852022%22%7D&usp=sharing
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
AKA when you want better espresso, but don't have the budget for new machines! We're picking up right where left off to talk about smaller upgrades to the home espresso experience.
Links to stuff mentioned in this episode:
Espresso Cups (https://www.espressocups.com.sg/index.php?cPath=48)
James Hoffmann on salt in coffee (https://youtu.be/9PUWQQ-joKE)
Samin Nosrat book (https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/)
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
(Re-uploading because the sound quality was appallingly low. Sorry if this throws off anyone's timestamps.)
Home espresso can be a great way to bankrupt yourself under normal circumstances; when you're stuck at home, the temptation to splurge can easily get even worse. This 2-parter looks at some of the ways you can upgrade your coffee experience (and some don't cost a thing!) so you can get the most out of home espresso.
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
There seems to be a dizzying array of gear to buy, variables to tweak, and techniques to take care of before one can even step into the world of coffee. What if it doesn't have to be quite so complex? What if good coffee should--heaven forbid--be accessible? (Nespresso doesn't count.) Tune into this episode to find out just how chim your cuppa really needs to be, and one easy-peasy brewing technique that I think everyone should try.
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
Surely cold brew is a rip-off (especially when we have kopi ping). Or is it?
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
Espresso is great! But it's hard to make--or is it? I break down what you'll need, and what it costs (in Singapore) to get started with espresso at home.
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
Kopi is a style of coffee unique to Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. If you grew up drinking it, of course it's coffee! But after you've been exposed to 'real' coffee (especially abroad), you may start to wonder: is this actually coffee? Dive into the first episode of this coffee podcast from Singapore to find out!
Intro/outro music: "Arcade" by Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)