Monthly Archives: March 2015

Where My Addiction Comes From

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If anyone was wondering where my caffeine addiction comes from.. This morning, around 8am, house keeping knocked on our hotel room door. Previously my mom had stated how exhausted she was, declined my offer to go swimming at one of the two beautiful pools, and even asked if I could shower first. However, when house keeping knocked on the door and I said we were still in here, checking out at 11, and didn’t need anything, my mom SPRUNG out of her bed and SPRINTED to the door, asking the house keeper for some more coffee. Regular.

I wouldn’t try the coffee, but she assured me it was better than flavored coffee, and definitively better than no coffee.

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Tiramisu Latte with Coconut Milk

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Yesterday I was told to take more risks in life.  Naturally, I took this as a challenge and decided to try out the new tiramisu latte at Starbucks.  I also tried their coconut milk for the first time.  Maybe it was the combination of coconut milk and the fact I never order sweetened drinks, but this was almost unbearably sweet for my sensitive taste buds (I think their caramel macchiato is the most sugary-drink I can handle).

Somehow the syrups added made this taste both bitter and overly sweet, with a slight artificial-flavoring taste.  I can see why the product development team at Starbucks felt like the tiramisu latte would work well with the brand offering, as tiramisu is a coffee-flavored Italian dessert and Shultz was inspired in Italy for the cafes.  I’d recommend this beverage to the Starbucks lovers who usually go for the Frappuccino and other sweeter beverages.

Blue Bottle Cold Brew in Downtown LA

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Cold brews are necessary during LA heat waves.

I was surprised at how empty, calm, and quiet the Blue Bottle in Downtown LA on Mateo was on a Monday morning.  The bright and spacious Blue Bottle reminded me of the location in Mint Plaza, including the somewhat unfortunate fact that neither have wifi.

Blue Bottle’s single origin cold brew from Honduras, served black, was complex and refreshing, with nut-forward tasting notes and low acidity.  It had a milk chocolate body with stone fruit quality; strong and very concentrated.  As I’ve noticed with many coffees from Central America, the chocolate notes were prominent. The process for Blue Bottle’s cold brew includes a Toddy Brew, finely grinding the beans, steeping them in water for 18 hours, then draining them through a filter, and serving over ice.

One of the aesthetic highlights of ordering Blue Bottle’s cold brew is the bright-yet-simple blue logo on the side of the cup. DSC_0731