213 322
COFFEE
213
July14
PERSONAL COFFEE MACHINE?
I have a Mirage at home. And by home,
I mean CAD Café, my second home.
HOWMANY CUPS A DAY DO YOU
DRINK?
Apart from the espresso shots I pull
every morning to calibrate the right shot,
just one cup a day.
HOW DID YOU TRAIN TO BECOME A
BARISTA?
With great experience comes great
cof fee. I’ve worked with some
experienced baristas and learned the
art from them. It includes: calibrating
(getting the right grind, not too coarse,
not too fine), dosing (making sure there is
the right amount of coffee in the basket),
pulling the shot (ensuring the shot pours
with a slow, constant drip to give a rich
golden crema on top), steaming the milk
(correct temperature and method) and
doing latte art (pushing the technique
and getting creative). Baristas need to
know exactly what goes into the cup of
coffee they’re going to serve: the origin
of the coffee, how it’s processed, the
quality and the taste profile.
ANY WORKPLACE HAZARDS?
When I first started out as a barista, I did
get burns on my hands from the steam
wand. But after a while, I got used to it,
and no burns anymore.
MOST REQUESTED ORDER?
Latte.
LARGEST NUMBER OF COFFEES
MADE IN ONE DAY?
I remember a day I didn’t leave the
machine, when we went through 3.5kg of
coffee beans – that’s about 200 coffees!
About CAD
Scottish expat Chad Samson opened CAD with
a business partner in Kampong Glam in July last
year. “There were no cafés on Haji Lane at the
time, and we felt it was missing a place where
people could have brunch before browsing the
shops, or stop off in the afternoon for a coffee
and bite,” he says. “We have an art wall that
showcases local and international artists and
puts the A in Coffee, Art and Design.”
Behind
the
Machine
Barista Zul
Zainalabidin at CAD
spills the beans about
making great
coffee.
By Katie Roberts
WHERE DO YOU SOURCE YOUR
BEANS?
At CAD we use Toby ’s Es t a te
Woolloomooloo Blend on the hopper,
as it’s a great, all-round smooth blend
that works well in the milky coffees.
Toby’s Estate is an Australian coffee
roaster (and café) in Singapore which
roasts beans from all over the world.
On Tuesdays, it holds regular public
cupping sessions (the term for tasting
coffee bean and roast profiles).
OTHER FAVOURITE ROASTERS IN
TOWN?
Nylon, Oriole and Dutch Colony Coffee
Co., all of whom sell beans in their cafés
and online. There’s somuch good coffee
out there, we’ve no need to roast our own.
FAVOURITE LATTE-ART DESIGN?
When I have time, it is definitely the
swan, but the two-layered tulip is simple
and easy when I’m in a hurry.
WHY IS ICED COFFEE MORE
EXPENSIVE?
It’s not only the cost of the ice. We pull
a larger espresso shot and the size of
the glass we serve the iced coffees in
requires more milk.
23 Haji Lane | cad.sg