The Obejct of My Addiction

Nothing beats a good strong cup of coffee, anytime, anywhere. And I just had one of the best I've ever had so far this afternoon. A tiny little coffee shop at the corner of King St, Newtown - merely visible, nearly lost from world's existance. Although its continious queque is...My Gowd! It's a no wander. Indeed its brew is, a heaven's send. My co-workers would walk into their office cubicle in the morning with its insulated cup, coffee thermos or others with starbucks papercup in hand. We also had this coffee-drinking bonding where we gathered in the pantry around 10-is am for a refill and a bit of office gossip. By 10.3o am. I already am itching for my second cup , would find reasons to sneak out to the nearest coffee for another shot. Usually a double espresso is strong enough to give a kick until around mid-afternoon.

I honestly think it's a crime that someone has decided to invent instant coffee. The truth, anything instant should be banned!However. The world can have herbal infused instant tea that tastes more like a foot soak or those 2-in-1 instant hot chocolate sachet thing. But coffee??? The only thing you get from instant coffee is a thin layer of "froth" resembles to a spit and the bitter taste that's probably coffee flavouring. Especially the kind of coffee in a cup of thick fluid with floating debris in it - that you have to deal everytime you sip. Ew!
 
I like my coffee strong, so strong that you can't see the bottom of the cup and give a good kick in the head...Bad coffee just makes me feel like slapping other people in the face for the rest of the day. Just give me my coffee and nobody gets hurt. These days serving coffee is an art itself. Somebody even came up with cool designs on the milk foam and call it latte-art. It's just getting worse, they're turning coffee lovers into fanatics. It's even a religion now! Ha, that's me, one of them. I like a decent thick foamy milk - those silky micro bubbles, not the dish soap type of bubbles, it should be at least an inch deep layer that you can scoop out the silky foam like a mousse cake, then powedered with chocolate dusk. Now that's an art!

While in Jakarta, a few years back,  a coffee-jungkie like me used to be simple. de'Excelso. But in the last few years, Starbucks, Gloria Jeans, Tea Leaf & Coffee Bean has built up quite a presence. Although their regular cafe au lait, taste nothing more than darken water drownfurther with milk and a dash of sugar.

Let’s see how they measure up head to head on a number of criteria. Which is better - Starbucks or indonesian local - de'Excelso brew?

1. The coffee itself. Starbucks took the Italian art of coffee brewing and bastardized it by adding syrups, whipped cream, flavored extracts, soy milk, dope (well, who the hell knows right? Muehehe :P) and anything else they care to chuck in. Another negative is that the coffee isn’t served that hot (coz they are worried of being sued if some cretin spills the coffee on his lap and burns himself). At least Excelso keeps it simple. What more could you want than a piping hot espresso?
VERDICT (out of 5)
Starbucks: 3. de’Excelso: 4 

2. Health. With all those syrups and whipped cream, Starbucks coffee is packed with calories. Have one of the huge slices of fat filled cheesecakes and you are well on the road to obesity. Excelso is much better: an arabican grind coffee is very low in calories. Just leave the sugar sachet alone.
VERDICT
Starbucks: 1.    de’Excelso: 5

3. Politics. For local brew, it’s more domestic with additional of personal touch from a thorough research of the owner for their favourite bean. Starbucks is a bastardly huge corporation, with 8,345 locations in the States alone and tens of thousands more across the world and the coffee still tastes corporate, and too redicilous to be famous. Their bean is standardized. Funnily enough, though, most Indonesians don’t even know that its CEO - Howard Schultz – is a Jewish conservative who funds Israeli’s military. While I could still remember clearly that Nadine Chandrawinata was being critized for being friendly to Miss. Israel during the beauty peagent. Just kidding? Click here to see for yourself. (Not that I care, but just a little information won’t hurt yer ;) …So their beans, no personal touch, no nothing.
VERDICT
Starbucks: 0. de’Excelso: 5

4. Price. One cup of Starbucks coffee costs at least Rp 35,000. with more or less the same for local. tho the taste? Priceless.
VERDICT
Starbucks: 1. de’Excelso: 4

5. Style. Starbucks - Serving coffee in paper/plastic cups? Not only is that sacrilege but it produces unnecessary waste. Coffee should only ever be served in mugs or coffee cups - Unless take away – Well, it’s the only way. It doesn’t look presentably friendly, yes?
VERDICT
Starbucks: 1. de’Excelso: 4

6. Hot chicks and dudes. I must say Starbucks wins in every inch of the way
VERDICT
Starbucks: 5. de’Excelso: 3

FINAL SCORE
Starfucks: 11 stars.
De’Excelso: 25 stars.
 

So there you go!
A comprehensive victory for Indonesia's local coffee chain......HARHARHARRR :D

Footnote: although THE b-e-s-t coffee in Jakarta is kopi tarik at Pasar Muara Karang yang becek dan ber-ac panas dan pengabnya alam. and its cup of coffee only cost Rp. 3000 sajah. HA! Beat that.  

Comments

[Lia]

OMG neng nopie.. you are so true about starbucks! chailatte ajah deh gue!