Tel Aviv

The city: Apologies for the lack of reviews lately Short Mac Markers... I was away for four weeks and the last thing I felt like doing was writing coffee reviews... But I'm back now! And I want to start with a summary of the short mac's in one of my favourite cities in the world - Tel Aviv! Forget about what you see on the news, read in the papers and hear when you walk past left wing, socialist protests on university campuses...this city rocks! When one of my work colleagues heard I was going to Israel he asked me "Is it safe?"... My response was that he was more likely to get bashed whilst walking down King St, Melbourne on any given night than I was of getting blown up on a bus anywhere in Israel... And, in addition to having some of the most beautiful girls in the world, the culinary scene in Tel Aviv is on fire! Good quality food and at prices that put Melbourne to shame... Anyway, this blog is about short macs so lets get to the coffee!

The coffee: Firstly, and in a bit of a Pulp Fiction kind of moment, I should let you know that in Tel Aviv, a short mac is known as a 'macchiato katsar' which translates to short macchiato! And on average, I paid about 9 - 10 shekels for a coffee. This equates to about A$2.50.

I actually took detailed tasting notes for all of the above six macchiato katsar's (and that certainly is not how you say the plural of macchiato katsar!) however, I unfortunately have no idea where these notes are... But, I'm pretty sure I remember where I had each of these coffee's so I might just give you the location details and a small summary of each place. Apologies for the quality of some of the pics and the messy lay out for this entry... I tried to make it neater but it just wasn't happening...

1 - Lulu - Alkalay St in the Basel Square area. A relaxed, quiet cafe with an interesting menu. Basel Square is full of cafe's and restaurants but this one stood out and makes a damn nice short mac.

2 - Dallal Bakery Shop - Neve Tzedek. This bakery is part of the Suzanne Dallal cultural centre and is located down a street that runs off Shabazi Street in Neve Tzedek. Suzanne Dallal is an icon in Neve Tzedek and everything associated with it oozes class and quality. The bakery shop makes delicious goodies and the coffee was amazing. Definitely has a Parisian feel about it...

3 - Ahat Ha'am - On Ahad ha'am street, near Balfour Street. I went here at the recommendation of my friend Joel...and I wasn't at all disappointed. A neighbourhood cafe, dishing out modern meals with friendly waitresses. Really good coffee in a relaxed, Tel Aviv environment.

4 - Mae cafe - Karmel Market. These boys are serious about coffee! And have five different single origins available to drink and buy. Easily the closest thing to a Melbourne coffee I had whilst in Tel Aviv. I promised them I would do a review so hopefully they see this!

5 - Lehamim Bakery - 99 Hashmonaim St. A large, high quality bakery that makes fantastic breads and pasteries. Again, this was a recommendation of my friend Joel and we joined him there for coffee and cake one morning. Excellent short mac.

6 - Hilynca - 76 Arlozorov St. I found this place whilst searching online for coffee recommendations in Tel Aviv and what a find it was... A beautiful, quiet neighbourhood cafe with extremely friendly staff. If I lived in that area, it would definitely be my local. Really good food and both times I visited I received perfect coffee. I wish I was there right now...

The Pour Kids - Winter Street, Malvern. (Seasonal blend)

The cafe: Who do these guys think they are? Opening a cafe in Melbourne that's in a normal shop space, is exceptionally clean, has beautiful natural light and is full of pastel colours! Hipsters beware... And what's with the original, witty name?! Where is the street number, postcode or the words 'espresso' or 'barista'??? I visited on Sunday breakfast time and it was a nice mix of friendly locals. Whilst I didn't eat, the menu looks pretty good...and I love the names they have given the dishes. The staff looked serious but were very efficient. Hard to explain but they had a very Berlin look about them. There were some nice looking sangas and salads on display and whilst they have an open kitchen, it's hidden enough to separate the dining from the cooking. Warning: If you've dropped acid before you go there, do not look at the tiles on the wall behind the cash register...

The coffee: This blend was a mix of 60% Brazilian, 30% Colombian and 10% El Salvador beans. Being a bit of wine guy, my mind instantly started to think about Bordeaux or Cotes Du Rhone or any other French red blend...but 10.30am was a bit too early so I settled for the coffee... And it was good. Very good. A very pleasant smokey, creamy nose. And the palate was all about chocolate mousse, honey and dark cherries. The after taste was dominated by quality dark chocolate. Beautiful balance and texture and the liquid:crema ratio was spot on. Medium body but full of flavour. I'll be back during the week for sure... $3.50. Score 8.5+/10.

St Ali - Yarra Place, South Melbourne. (Brazilian single origin)

The cafe: People often compare parts of Melbourne to New York. I usually don't see it... But the tiny street of Yarra Place, South Melbourne is an exception. It screams Lower East Side. And located smack, bang in the middle of it is this coffee institution. St Ali was one of the first cafes to inspire the current Melbourne coffee generation. There are plently of single origins available and they know how to make coffee too. The inside looks like the eating area of a school camp, the crowd is mixed and there is a decent sized menu. I like to sit outside on the bench...it makes me feel like I'm in NYC... ;-). My favourite waitress in Melbourne worked there up until today. She is off to travel the world now and I promised I would say hello to her in this post... Bon Voyage Katie! Never lose that killer smile...

The coffee: Because of an archaic rabbinical ruling, this was my first coffee in eight days... And what a coffee to get back in the game with! A beautifully presented short mac. Just about the most 'coffee coloured' coffee I have ever had! The aromas were quite smokey and a bit meaty with some hints of nuttiness. The palate was all dark chocolate, cocoa and dark red fruit. It was like eating a liquid Black Forrest cake! A medium bodied coffee with fansatic texture, balance, temperature and after taste. An absolute must... Price $3.80. Score 8.5-9/10.

Salford Lads Club - Fennel Street, Port Melbourne. (House blend)

The cafe: I'm not sure whether the owners of this cafe named it after the original Salford Lads Club in Manchester or after the album sleeve from The Smiths 'The Queen is Dead' album that contained a photo of the band outside the building... The sticker on the cash register suggests it's probably the latter... Either way, this place is damn cool. It's located in an industrial zone in Port Melbourne...far away from Bay Street and the high-rise apartments. The inside has been designed fantastically. Lots of seating, space and natural light. There is a good selection of rolls on display and a punchy blackboard menu with some yummy larger meals. Outside, there is a tyre hanging from a tree, herbs growing in boxes and pots and some additional seating. I sat on the colourful park bench with my best mate Oogie and enjoyed a very tasty cheese, tomato and pesto roll. The crowd could be anything depending on the day...just go there with no expectations... Our waitress was a little spaced-out but that just added to the experience...

The coffee: I've had a few ordinary coffees of late. All served in shot glasses not espresso cups. So when this baby arrived I thought to myself "Oh shit, not another one"... However, this wasn't the case at all. The aroma was of light and medium chocolate, ice coffee and cream. The palate had flavours of dark chocolate and dark red fruits with hints of charcoal and greenness. I was pleasantly surprised how well the crema blended into the liquid. I still thought it was way too much but it wasn't at all unenjoyable. It was quite textural and had a nice little acid lift on the back end. The balance was good but not great. I'm told the blend is made for milk based coffee's...maybe that's why the balance was a little off. Whilst the short mac was very good, I get the feeling it was not the best one they've ever made... I think they probably make better coffee than this and I'll be back to have another look very soon. $3.00. Score 8-8.5/10

Las Chicas - Carlisle Street, East St Kilda. (House blend)

The cafe: There is no doubt this is the most popular cafe on Carlisle St. It often has up to 50 people waiting on a Sunday morning. So I thought the best time to pay a visit was the furthermost time away from that - just before closing on a Wednesday! I hadn't been there for years and after reading the menu and ordering the most expensive lentil burger in Melbourne ($15.50!) I realised why - it was just as unexciting as the last time I was there... The place has expanded and probably now seats 70-80 people. The staff belong on Smith St, Collingwood not in St Kilda...way too cool for school for this neck of the woods... I don't get the fuss about Las Chicas...but plenty of others do so it'll still be going strong long after this review!


The coffee: I should have known I was in trouble when I walked in and the barista was wearing a baseball cap backwards. And my hopes were totally dashed when the waitress came back and asked me how I wanted my short mac...long with two shots or in a small glass...wtf??? Anyway, the aroma was extremely dark with intense green notes and strong red and black fruits...a bit overboard. The palate was totally dominated by the darkest chocolate flavour I have ever tasted in a coffee. It was actually quite sickly. The crema would not blend into the liquid and the balance was not good. The after taste was quite unpleasant too. A very average short mac. $3.50. Score 5/10.

Omar and the Marvellous Coffee Bird - Gardenvale Road, Gardenvale. (House blend)

The cafe: For as long as I can remember, the people of Gardenvale have always claimed to live in Brighton... Fortunately, this is beginning to change. Gardenvale has its own identity these days and places like Omar have helped achieve this. If you like the exposed interior look you'll love this place. Bricks, clyinders, pipes, boxes, roaster, everything... In fact, it's more exposed than a hooker standing on Grey Street on a balmy summers night! The breakfast and lunch menu is a small yet modern take on some classics. There is some seating outside, a courtyard out the back and an interesting row of tables inside that would appeal to all train set enthusiasts... But the seats are a little small for my frame... The staff were super friendy and helpful during my visit and were keen to discuss the various for sale packs of coffee available. Crowd looks like it will be a mixture of family and 20-30yo's...but the friendly not pretentious type...

The coffee: When you walk into a cafe and see an on-site roaster you can pretty much assume your coffee experience will be good. And as can be seen by the pic, they make a structurally correct short mac. A smokey, milky and creamy nose. Quite subdued aromas but enough to give you an idea. The palate was nothing like the nose. Interesting 'green' flavours of strong red fruits. There was also a good whack of citrus flavours that led to a nice, cleansing acidity. Very pleasant after taste. Medium bodied with perfect liquid to milk ratio and temperature. Extremely well balanced too. I'll definitely be back to try the single origins. $3.50. Score 8-8.5/10.

Nineteen Squares - Blessington Street, St Kilda (House blend)

The cafe: Somebody should drop a bomb on the triangle that is made up by Carlisle St, Acland St and Barkly St...just make sure Cicciolina survives...that place is damn good. Fortunately, just around the corner from that Bermuda Triangle of trash is a peaceful little strip of shops on Blessington St. Not the part near the 7-11...the part behind Prime and where the laundromat is. Although Nineteen Squares now seats more than 19 people, it is still a small-ish cafe. Outside there are tiny tables almost made for children and a few milk crates. On the inside, you still can't swing a cat in the original space (and they need to get rid of those spoons on the wall). The new part is a lot more spacious and has a cool little kitchen at the rear. However, they look like two different places...which is a little awkward... The crowd is a lot more relaxed (and sober) than other parts of St Kilda. And I only heard two Irish accents whilst I was there... Reasonable breakfast options, a few sangas, some salads and hamburgers on Friday and Saturday nights. The staff could smile a bit more...

The coffee: As can be seen, it's quite neat looking. The aromas are predominantly roasted and charcoal with hints of creaminess. The charcoal is the most interesting one...not burnt but definitely 'well cooked'. It is quite evident on the palate too and the finish has lengthening dark chocolate flavours with hints of licorice. The froth was quite thick and heavy and wouldn't blend into the liquid. Hence you get a shot of coffee and a shot of froth...not exactly ideal. Not overly complex and a little out of balance. Temperature was good. $3.50. Score 7.5/10.