"V in Vondelpark": Barista Creations

Friday, May 11, 2012

Barista Creations

There are so many things to write about F&B (Food & Beverage), there is so little time I spend to do it…

Ha Long Bay, North Vietnam @ Paradise Cruise

In general, the first impression that came into my mind when hearing the word “coffee” is caffeine. That helps me to stay awake.

When I was a little girl, I used to sip my mom’s cold black coffee from the fridge. Of course it was without her knowing it. “Coffee is not meant for kids!” that was what she used to tell me. The first time I sipped her cold black coffee, I was fascinated by its coldness and then terrified by its bitterness! She did not put any sugar at all! So, that was the first and the last time I sipped her coffee.

When I was a bit older, my late father who was a coffee drinker, introduced me to “2 in 1” coffee. That was when the “2 in 1” sachet (coffee and creamer) was first launched in Indonesia. Proudly, he told me that it cost him Rp100 each sachet. That was long time ago…. My innocent question to him “Do you still need sugar for that?” I remembered being terrified by my mom’s coffee. He right-away answered: “Of course! Rp100 is very good deal for “2 in 1”. If it includes sugar, it would cost more and it would be “3 in 1” instead!” My father, due to his illness, he could not drink coffee anymore in the last few years of his life.

I started to drink coffee when I was in college. Especially during the examination period, I drank coffee in the evening in order to stay awake. Sometimes it worked, some other times it just did not give any impact.

I prefer feminin coffee! If I were going to classify coffee as “masculin” and “feminin” like in French language, Espresso and black coffee are masculin. Meanwhile the Espresso mixed with steamed milk i.e. Cappuccino, Latte, Macchiato, Café au lait, etc, are feminin.

Even before I moved to Vietnam, I knew about “Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk” or locally known as “cà phê sữa đá”. Jakarta used to have a few branches of Phở 24. It has been my favorite coffee. Now, since I am living in Ho Chi Minh City, “cà phê sữa đá” is just a few steps away. It is a must drink coffee for everyone visiting Vietnam!

Through coffee, we are sharing with people… When Starbucks was first opened in Jakarta, Sylvia-Marie my former boss in Amex used to buy me coffee when she bought a cup for herself. Hariko, my former boss in Danamon-Corporate Card Amex, used to treat me Starbucks coffee too. Jeremy and Andy, my two former bosses in Thiess, used to buy me Starbucks in our building before we got into the car for meetings. Nenden, my partner in crime in Thiess, used to experience funny coffee moments with me. Nirmala, my colleague in Thiess, was nice to me every time I walked nearer to her desk to make myself a cup of Cappuccino -J