jamesaru Senior Member Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 13 Location: Irvine, CA Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Sun Dec 19, 2004, 2:49pm Subject: Kaffa! Review - in the city of Orange (Orange County)
Kaffa! (http://www.kaffainc.com/ - website is old) is located in Orange, CA in the shopping center on the corner of La Veta and Main st. Just a quick hop off of the 22 freeway.
I visited yesterday and had an excellent latte. I also tried an espresso con panna and it was very good also. I'm still quite an espresso noob but still get the impression that this is a quality place. The latte was very good and just tasted fresh (apparently they roast their own beans). Probably the first time I've taken a sip and thought "wow that's really really good." Normally I drink S-Bucks since they're in every airport and I'm always on the rode but lately I've been able to taste the nastiness.
I can't tell you much about the setup but they do grind/dose per order and use a La Marzocco. The menu has a section for espresso drinks where they state that all espresso orders are doubles and pulled ristretto stlye. Also, the cappuccino and macchiato are under the espresso section so it looks like you won't have to worry about getting a big hot cup of milk if you order one. They also have the standards like lattes, mochas, blended mochas, etc. And they serve paninis and salads which are supposedly good also.
Has anyone else been here? Any thoughts/opinions? If not, give it a try and let us know what you think.
jamesaru Senior Member Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 13 Location: Irvine, CA Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Sun Dec 19, 2004, 2:51pm Subject: Re: Kaffa! Review - in the city of Orange (Orange County)
EDIT: Call for hours. On weekends they have short hours and I imagine during the week they close fairly early too. The hours listed in the review below are not accurate.
A few more things I've found out:
From OC Weekly (Best of OC 2004) Kaffa. Justin Wong's search for the perfect espresso shot began at Long Beach State. "Being in college, you drink a lot of coffee," he says, "but you don�t really know what�s bad or good." Until the stomach pain begins, and then you either surrender to the dark side and get used to the idea of life with a colostomy bag or you spend a little more for quality. Wong, a bio-chem major and, sure, maybe a little obsessive about his coffee, went farther: he read books and traveled to Italy. In Florence, he learned to roast the bean with respect for its delicate oil�too long and you get a nice dark roast that produces something like rainwater gathered at the bottom of a Hibachi; too short and you get a vapid, anemic little stream. He traveled to Hawaii, where he discovered that marketing may account for much of the success of Kona�s contribution to the hot-beverage industry. And he traveled to Central America to follow the bean from planting to harvest. Today, he buys his beans�five varietals�and prepares them in a Probat roaster he shares with a buddy in Culver City. And he trains his baristas rigorously; it may take months before he judges a staffer ready to approach the store�s espresso machine with a load of the rare stuff. The result is an espresso with gentle, berry-like overtones, a foamy top and�let�s be honest about our real intentions in drinking the stuff�nice caffeine content. "You do what you love, and I love coffee," he says. We love him for it. 424 S. Main St., Ste. K, Orange, (714) 978-1992.
From PRweb:
KAFFA! A COFFEE BAR FOR THE COFFEE AFICIONADOS
True Italian coffee bar experience comes to Orange. Open in April of 2002, “Kaffa!” is located at 424 South Main Street., between La Veta & Chapman., in the Main Plaza center across from the CHOC hospital.
Kaffa! mirrors a typical upscale Italian style coffee bar. The ambiance projects a sophisticated but relaxing atmosphere incorporating rich wood tones, granite top counters, and euro-styled cafe furniture. Justin Wong, President of Kaffa!, has developed an innovative menu combining distinctive drip coffees and traditional espresso beverages, with creative hot and frozen house specialties. Kaffa!’s baristas elevate milk based espresso drinks to an art form by pouring designs, like “hearts” and “rosetta latte”, with the velvety milk foam into the espresso. In addition to a wide variety of coffee and non-coffee beverages, Kaffa! features gourmet paninis (Italian styled grilled sandwiches), fresh morning pastries from bakery, and exquisite desserts, some of which were manufactured in Milan, Italy.
Ed Arvidson, Specialty Coffee Industry Consultant said Kaffa! is one of the most beautiful coffee bars he has opened in the U.S. Arvidson also said, Justin Wong has an exceptional palette and appreciation for fine coffees which accounts for his store’s unsurpassed beverage quality.
Wong says that it’s all about caring – “You have to source the world’s finest coffees, and then you must be fanatical about preparing them properly. This is something that is seldom achieved by corporate coffee shops.” Arvidson said that 80% of espresso quality is achieved through proper preparation, yet only about 15% of coffee bars have any idea of what they are doing with the product. He said that Justin is only one of a few clients that he has worked with over 7 years who is actually as fanatical and committed to perfection as he is. Arvidson said – “taste Justin’s cappuccino and you¹ll understand why there are 200,000 espresso bars in Italy.”
Kaffa! is open 7 days a week Monday thru Friday from 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Sat 6:30 AM-8:00 PM, and Sun 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
malachi Senior Member Joined: 5 May 2002 Posts: 1,758 Location: SFCA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Monster Mia (for now)_ Grinder: Monster Cimballi Junior Vac Pot: Not any more Drip: never Roaster: Ecco, Stumptown, Intelli,...
Posted Sun Dec 19, 2004, 6:12pm Subject: Re: Kaffa! Review - in the city of Orange (Orange County)
it would be very cool to hear of a good coffe bar finally opening down there! all my memories are of horrible and undrinkable "coffee" and "baristas" who have little if any idea of the skills required for the title.
Posted Sun Dec 26, 2004, 9:08pm Subject: Re: Kaffa! Review - in the city of Orange (Orange County)
I am skeptical of the idea that good coffee could be produced in SoCal given the nature of the beast down there so it is great to hear that it has perhaps happened. You should give Cafe Italia on India st. a try if you are ever in San Diego - drinks are not made Italian style but the espresso is at least prepared properly. I hope to try Kaffa if I ever find myself in the area - cheers.
jamesaru Senior Member Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 13 Location: Irvine, CA Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Tue Feb 8, 2005, 1:25am Subject: Re: Kaffa! Review - in the city of Orange (Orange County)
Just wanted to give these guys a bump to encourage the other OC coffee geeks to give them a try. They've also updated their web page and you can see that they're serious about coffee. I'm not affiliated with them in any way but just want them to stick around!! But I am still a coffee newb so I'd like to hear some other impressions about Kaffa.
Posted Tue Feb 8, 2005, 2:08pm Subject: Re: Kaffa! Review - in the city of Orange (Orange County)
I'll have to check them out. I'm in that area every T/Th for school. If any CG members want to meet this Thurs (Feb 10), I'll be there around 11:30 or noon.... It must be nice to see latte art in person once in a while....
jamesaru Senior Member Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 13 Location: Irvine, CA Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Thu Feb 10, 2005, 12:16am Subject: Re: Kaffa! Review - in the city of Orange (Orange County)
Not sure if I'll have time but if so then I'll be there. I'd be the one in the motorcycle gear (unless it's raining). By the way, looks like they have high-speed internet access. Maybe I should just work there all day!
Posted Thu Feb 10, 2005, 11:55pm Subject: Re: Kaffa! Review - in the city of Orange (Orange County)
Well, I was late- but I visited Kaffa today (around 2:30 pm). My first impressions are positive, for the most part. I'll hold off on a full review until I visit a few more times- though I will say that the latte art with every cup is an outstanding touch, and only shows the great effort put forth to train the staff!
jamesaru Senior Member Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 13 Location: Irvine, CA Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Fri Feb 11, 2005, 1:17am Subject: Re: Kaffa! Review - in the city of Orange (Orange County)
I didn't have time to make it down there today but maybe one of these days we'll cross paths. Feel free to send a PM if you'll be around (although I'll probably be out of town for work anyway!).
By the way, can you recommend any other cafes for a good espresso drink around here (anywhere in OC really)? I've looked on this board but the concensus is that there isn't really any great place for espresso down here.
Posted Fri Feb 11, 2005, 1:32pm Subject: Re: Kaffa! Review - in the city of Orange (Orange County)
It's not in Orange County, but if you ever find yourself in Long Beach, Aroma di Roma on 2nd Street- in Belmont Shore is very good. The staff is has always been friendly and knowledgable when I've been there.
According to signage in the store, they use LaVazza beans- not sure which roast, though. All my double shots so far (maybe 5 or 6 in the last week or so) have been crema filled, smooth and full-bodied, low acidity with a lingering but pleasantly sweet aftertaste.
Even my GF was able to finish off a solo shot- and she normally can't even take one sip!
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