We slept in on our second day in Melbourne so we decided to just have coffee to give us the good wake up that we deserved on a holiday. Our feet led us to David Jones because I read about a coffee concept store called "Sensory Lab" that can be found inside their store.
The moment we arrived, I knew we were going to have a very interesting (if not unforgettable) experience.
We were greeted by servers dressed in lab coats---how cool was that? And the interiors of the cafe? Very lab-like! I felt like I had been transported back to 3rd-year high school attending Chemistry class.
They served us water in a laboratory bottle.
Their sugar in brown small bottles.
Their menus in clipboards.
Very science geeky, aye?
They have a comprehensive list of coffee blends and single-origin beans and offer four types of brewing one of which is the siphon method. The siphon method is an intensive way of brewing coffee with the use of a coffee syphon or vac pot. Thru this method, it preserves the taste of the beans and minimizes the bitterness.
They recommended the Tanzania blend to us and when they served our coffee, they advised us to wait two minutes before we drink them. It is also recommended not to add milk or sugar to truly appreciate the flavour of coffee.
The Tanzania siphoned coffee had an aggressive sour taste. One thing I learned about coffee during my time at the Sensory Lab was that coffee beans are the seeds of a cherry-like fruit, hence, it is but normal for coffee to be sour.
For the first time, we were able to experience tasting pure coffee and I loved it!
Sensory Lab
David Jones, 297 Little Collins St,
Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone:
