Looking back at the number of cafes I have
gone to in the past year, I’m sure that I come across as quite the caffeine
addict. However after a while I had to question the undeniable appeal to
frequent such top-notch roasteries given the fact that quite honestly, I don’t
really love coffee. Don’t get me wrong, I will most certainly appreciate and savor
a deliciously creamy hot cup of liquid caffeine but it would never be my first
choice. As a person who orders extra hot ‘soy’ flat whites, I’m sure that the
baristas of Auckland are glad.
So remained the question, what was my
addiction? I guess as a creative and dedicated foodie, I appreciate the
artistic process of coffee making that seems to have become strongly embedded
into New Zealand’s culture. The gastronomic art relying on the perfect
combination of complex elements from milk temperature, bean quality,
roast and ratio. And on frosted mornings, a hot cup of anything is never half
bad.
Not only that but its the atmosphere that
seems to occupy the truly successful faces, an ambience that one can feel when
you walk in almost indicating whether or not its going to be good. The warm
sense of content as quiet conversation mingles with the rich scent of rich
roasted beans. The wanderer part of me simply loves sitting in cafes with a
drink and paper, soaking in these atmospheres as I watch peoples worlds go by.
Coffee connesuours peering judgingly at the quality of their latte art,
gossiping mothers whose continual visits allow them to order their ‘regular’,
university students staring exasperatedly at glaring mac screens, and old
friends attempting to catch one another up on their lives, cold coffee giving
way to rapid conversations. Unified by their love of a decent coffee.
Wandering into Atomic Roastery Kingsland,
escaping the rainy cold tantrum Auckland had been throwing, I was more than
open to the idea of a hot drink. When my cup arrived I lifted it to my lips and
braced myself for that first sip. See it’s all about the first sip, the moment
that will tell you if the $5 was worth it and the baristas have their shit
together. Unfortunately that soy latte was the best I’ve had in a long time,
meaning that I will forever try to find reasons to make the 15-minute drive
over to Kingsland.
So if you want to experience that
wonderfully beautiful first sip of a coffee made by baristas who know their
espresso from their ristreto, put on your raincoat and head on over to Atomic
Roastery Kingsland. Serving coffee so good, who knows, it may even convert a
few sworn tea drinkers…
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