I found a great coffee shop this time not far from mom’s nursing home by the open market. One night, I was on my way back to the hotel after venturing to the bubble tea stand, I noticed this little coffee shop called ‘Antibu’. (I will have to ask Serena about the name). A lady was inside and it looked like a shop that sells coffee making equipments. Then I saw a sign “roasting”. Then I though she probably sells coffee beans and knows about Taiwan beans. So I turned around and went in.
The lady looked about 30ish and was friendly. She was not very enthusiastic about Taiwan’s coffee beans. But she sounded very knowledgeable about coffee and very confident about the coffee she roasted. She even poured a small cup of ice coffee for me, it actually doesn’t taste too sour without cream and sugar. She was about to close the shop and I didn’t want to drink coffee so late at night.
I went back the next day when mom was taking a nap after lunch. I think I spent 3 hours there talking to her. She is a very friendly person and very proud of her coffee. I watched her roast a couple of batches too. She examines the green beans first in a tray and picks out the bad ones. After checking almost every bean, she then put into the roaster. After roasting, she uses a round pan with wired bottom to get all the shaff out and uses a knife to pick open the beans that has some imperfection in the middle and scrape that off. Then she bags the beans.
She roasts her beans to about city or city-. The most can be city+ and she considers those slightly burned anyway. So when she saw my beans, she was obviously holding back her disapproval. Later she told me she was even a bit reluctant to put them into her grinder cause the burned taste will be left in it and ruin her coffee. Yeah, she is a coffee snob. 🙂 And she told me that the water should be about 90 degree C. Not boiling to retain the flavour of the coffee. And ther coffee is very flavourful. I haven’t been able to make one like hers yet in my room. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
I went back the next day and another customer came in. This lady just came to have a cup of coffee on her way to pick up her daughter from school. She sat and talked with us for a couple of hours. She did most of the talking. Serena and I just listened. But when she asked why I was there and knew that I lived in Ohio, she got very interested and wanted to know how she can send her college bound daughter to the US to learn english and be prepared for graduate school. That topic went on for about half an hour. Finally she left and it was time for me to leave too. But she talked Serena into taking me to the night market that night. Yes, after knowing me for less than a day, she offered to take me to the night market. I think she was also feeling sorry for me to have such a boring time.
That night, she took me and another customer to 通化夜市。 She said 士林夜市 is too popular and easy for me to get to anyway. She is a very thoughtful person. Wow, lots of shops and lots of food stands. It was great. Although she meant for me to shop for some gifts, I didn’t like to slow everyone down and didn’t buy anything. But we did eat smelly tofu and shaved ice. She knows exactly which ones have the best to offer. It was great to have a guide like that. She drives like a taxi driver too, but again calmly and confidently. I would be nervous but not her. She dropped me off at the hotel after 11pm. It was a great time.
Sunday I got a set of coffee making equiptment to make coffee in the room cause Monday is her off day. I made some Monday morning and this morning, I still haven’t got it down yet. The first cup was too strong, the second cup was ok but not as flavourful, I made a huge mug this morning and it was too weak. Ha, takes time to get it still. I will go over this afternoon to have some different coffee. She gave me Etheopia’s stanmore (sp?). Before I go home, I will get more coffee from her so L can taste it too.
Tonight, it’s dinner with the relatives. uuuuuuugh. Never enjoyed that but my cousin hinted that I would be sneered on if I don’t give a dinner banquet for those that visited my mom. I don’t know why Chinese like these fake dinners. He invited some one who I havne’t met for over 30 years and has never been friend with just because he came and visited mom once. He maybe my cousin’s friend, but not mine. And the only people that I am thankful for, I have bought presents for already. Why should we do this meaningless and fake dinners. sigh. This is one of the reasons I hate coming back if not for mom.