Sampling an eruption of flavors
Print Edition
With just five tables — three indoors and two outside — Cafe del Volcan is the smallest independent coffee shop in Shanghai I’ve visited.
Opened in 2012, it offers a selection of espresso-based drinks and single origin coffee brewed with a hand-drip or French press coffee maker.
On first sight it gives the impression of an elegant European street coffee shop, with an emphasis on takeaway.
However, its cozy atmosphere makes it stand out, and you will feel like you’re visiting the home of a neighbor who knows how to make a decent cup of coffee.
Stepping inside, you are confronted by an impressive menu on the wall, with some pleasant surprises, including affogato — espresso on ice cream for a summer treat.
It has a wide range of espresso- based options — including Italian and American West Coast.
Also listed are seven single origin coffee beans from Ethiopia, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Guatemala and China’s Yunnan Province.
Kenyan coffee at Volcan is not AA grade, but rather PB. But it’s from the same region, Makwa, as the 4th ranked coffee from the Top 30 Coffees of 2014. Kenya Makwa PB has a sharp fruity aroma with a lively tangy taste.
The cafe also directly sources green beans from the award-winning Faldas del Volcan — “slopes of the volcano” — coffee estate in Guatemala that has been managed by the same family for 120 years and inspired the cafe name.
Even though it’s small, the cafe still has space for a coffee roaster beside the counter, with a roasting factory located in the Shanghai suburbs.
And it’s a sweet treat that every cup of coffee sold in Cafe del Volcan is accompanied by a free cookie.
But if that doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, there are further options on its dessert menu. The walnut chocolate pie is a yummy treat, and has more walnuts than you would expect in a pie. It also works well to smooth the acidity in Kenya coffee.
Cafe del Volcan runs free coffee tasting workshops, demonstrating differences between single origin coffees from different countries, at different roast levels and brewed in different ways. And for something frothier, there are classes for learning the art of making the perfect latte.
If you plan a visit, pick your time wisely to avoid a long wait for a table!
Café del Volcan
Address: 80 Yongkang Rd
Tel: 1561-8669-291
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm; Sat-Sun, 10am-8pm
Website: http://cafevolcan.com
• Affogato
This is a traditional Italian drink where a hot espresso shot is poured on top of a vanilla gelato or ice cream scoop — a cooling treat in summer.
• PB-Peaberry
Peaberry, also known as caracoli, is a coffee bean that develops alone within a coffee cherry, which usually contains two beans. Peaberry beans can occur in coffee of any origin. They are often separated from the rest of the harvest and sold as a special category. In most cases, they fetch a higher price due to their rareness.
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