Bean Review: Bonanza Espresso Blend

There's a George Bonanza to see you

Doorman (Seinfeld episode “The Watch”)

The last time I was in Berlin I took some time to visit and try their independent coffee scene. During my trip one roaster/place was the highlight, Bonanza Coffee Roasters. Independent Berliner retro innovative roaster, with a philosophy of roasting as little as possible to fully develop flavours and bring what makes the coffee distinct

Coffee Time

Bonanza's Espresso Blend is a mix of Irmas Pereira Brazilian with Ethiopian Limu beans from Seka Forest

Roaster: Bonanza

Medium Roast

Espresso Blend

Varietals: Acaia / Bourbon / Catuai / 74110 / 7227 JRI

Score: 5/5

I got a bag of their espresso blend thanks to a friend that lives in Germany and was kind enough to bring it back to London. The coffee has a medium body with long aftertaste and mild bitterness. Short but sharp acidity coming from citrus notes and cherries. To balance flavours some chocolate, caramel sweet notes, and a nutty touch from hazelnuts

Macchiato

Great for milk based drinks such as flat whites or macchiato as the milk highlight the sweetness and hazelnut flavours

The beans were grinded with a Rancilio Rocky grinder and the extraction made with a Rancilio Silvia

Bonanza
Coffee Roasters
Twitter: bonanzacoffee

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The Hidden Gem [On The Road: Berlin]

Danke schon, my little dumplings

Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld episode “The Fire”)

We found a great Chinese place in Prenzlauer Berg after checking a couple local bloggers. The recommendation was simple, go to Wok Show and have the best dumplings (Jiaozi) in Berlin.

The place

We got the pork and spinach boiled and the lamb with zucchini fried. They were amazing, simple food but tasty, great flavours, no complications, I can not recommend this more highly. We wash everything down with a nice Bitburger bier.

Dumpling time

Great dumplings, big portion, service a bit slow, only cash, but still worthy

Wok Show

T: +49 30 43911857

Chinese Cuisine

Approx Damage: €10pp

Area: Prenzlauer Berg

Berlin

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The Tourist Trap [On The Road: Berlin]

Hey, what is this? You're kissing in my line? Nobody kisses in my line!

Soup Nazi (Seinfeld episode “The Soup Nazi”)

I have to thank Lonely Planet to send me directly into this tourist trap. If you ask any Berliner as I did sadly after my trip, they will tell you that any kebab in Berlin is excellent. Let’s face it, there must be some hidden gems but kebab making should not be rocket science. So try to avoid Mustafa’s Gemuse Kebap queue as you will get same quality anywhere else.

Queue Time

Long queue for a good looking kebab

A massive queue, full of tourists and student crowds. Cult following status only comparable to the days of Meatwagon in South London. The donner kebab, was good, nice flavours, a special spicy sauce, really nice, but not worthy the hassle and 1hr queue to get your food.

Time to eat

Mustafa's Gemuse Kebap

Street Food

Approx Damage: €5pp

Area: Kreuzberg

Berlin

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Where is the Next Beer Garden? [On The Road: Berlin]

I've been known to drink a beer or two. But then again, I've been known to do a lot of things

Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld episode “The Sniffing Accountant”)

As beer aficionado Berlin is like a paradise, with microbreweries, exceptional German brews, and lovely beer gardens. I couldn’t miss to visit a couple new beer gardens as my previous visit I only had the chance to visit one.

Biergarten Time

The one under the rail tracks

Brauhaus Lemke is a beer garden hiding on the arches of the train tracks in Hackescher Markt. We got a nice Lemke Pils and a krakauer wurst. Lovely beer, light, some bitter notes and touch of spices.

Lemke Time

Brauhaus Lemke

T: +49 30 247 287 27

Approx Damage: €10pp

Area: Mitte

The other one in Hackescher Markt

Weihenstephaner is another beer garden in Hackescher Markt in neue promenade. The garden was closed but you can get a table overlooking the market. Got a Mass (litre) of their original beer a bright lager with hoppy notes, nice and good. The bar is in the oldest building of Mitte district dating from 1749, with a renovated but still historic vaulted cellar that you can enjoy. Also, apparently one of the few places where you can get the Weihestephaner beer outside Bavaria.

Mass Time

Weihenstephaner

T: +49 30 847 107 60

Approx Damge: €10pp

Area: Mitte

The one in the park

Cafe am Neuen See is an amazing beer garden besides the neuer see in tiergarten, beer garden, café, and restaurant, all with a lovely view. You can buy your beer and sit to relax by the lake. It couldn't be better, a pretzel and a Lowenbrau Helles to chill out after a long day walking. A must not to be missed.

This pretzel is making me thirsty!

Beer by the lake

Café am Neuen See

T: +49 30 254 49 30

Approx Damage: €10pp

Area: Tiergarten

The one visit before

Prater is the oldest beergarden in Berlin. Located in Prenzlauer Berg since 1837. A massive garden with plenty places to sit and also enough beer for an army of thirsty punters. You can read about my visit in a previous post, but I can give you some spoilers now, nice Pils and lovely schnitzel.

Oldie from Prater

Prater

T: +49 30 448 56 88

Approx Damage: €10pp

Area: Prenzlauer

Berlin

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Coffee Crawl in Berlin [On The Road: Berlin]

My censoring system broke down. You know that little guy in your head who watches everything you say? Makes sure you don't make a mistake? He went for a cup of coffee, and in that second ruined my life

Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld episode “The Apartment”)

Last week we went to Berlin to chill out during the bank holiday. One thing missing during previous meetings was getting a taste on the coffee scene in Berlin, checking new independent places and how the city is doing with the Third Wave of Coffee.

The Coffee Shop

A small cafe on Hausvogteiplatz in Mitte. Some savory and sweet treats, and a couple tables outside. 

The Coffee Place

Cappuccino nice, a bit mild the coffee, marzipan croissant was really good, latte art work in progress. The weakest of all the coffee cups we had during our trip.

First coffee

Espresso Machine: Faema

Beans: Soldberg & Hansen

Score: 3/5

Funk You

An organic coffee and juice bar pop up in the bikini berlin mall beside the zoo in Charlottenburg. The anecdote of the place was getting a glimpse of the mandrills while tasting our brew beverage.

Funk You

Strong coffee, perfect bitterness, no latte art and some issues with the froth on the milk but apart from that quite good coffee. You can also have fresh pressed and blended juices.

Funk You Coffee

Espresso Machine: Faema

Beans: Bonanza

Score: 4/5

Westberlin

A stunning minimalistic and designer influenced coffee shop just a couple steps away from Check Point Charlie in Kreuzberg.

The designer coffee shop

Flat white really nice, creamy, a bit mild the beans but good flavour, and excellent extraction. Superb latte art

Breakfast time

Espresso Machine: La Marzocco

Beans: Drop Coffee

Score: 5/5

The Barn

Another small independent coffee place, simple, rustic, with sweet treats and coffee located in Mitte.

The Barn

We got an apple strudel, a flat white, and a macchiato. Excellent coffee, lovely flavour, not too strong, sweet, latte art top marks

Coffee Time

Espresso Machine: Synesso

Beans: The Barn

Score: 5/5

Cafe 9

Independent coffee place located besides the markthalle neun in Kreuzberg, small, rustic, and busy. 

Cafe 9

I got a macchiato, great coffee, the stronger we got in Berlin, excellent extraction, and top latter art.

Small cup one

Espresso Machine: La Marzocco

Beans: Cafe 9 house blend

Score: 5/5

Bonanza Coffee Heroes

Coffee roasters that also have a coffee shop with a raw retro look, a beautiful Spirit espresso machine, and some irreverent touches in Prenzlauer Berg. The place is perfectly located to drop by before going to the Flohmarkt in Mauerpark.

Bonanza

Why you need Cosmo when you have Hobo

We got a flat white creamy, sweet, a bit mild but still really good. Top latte art.

Flats

Espresso Machine: Kees van der Westen - Spirit 

Beans: Bonanza

Score: 5/5

Oslo Kaffebar

The place is some sort of industrial meets a relax hippie place in Mitte. We spotted an intellectual corner with a nice sofa and a small bookcase filled with some arts and novel books that we couldn't resist.

The Place

Last stop

We got a couple flat whites. The coffee was extremely good, it was creamy with sweet notes, a bit stronger than the others we tried but still a bit mild for me. Spot on latte art

Oslo Coffee

Espresso Machine: Kees van der Westen - Spirit

Beans: Bonanza

Score: 5/5

Berlin

Germany

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The Biggest Schnitzel Ever

Yes I ate the biggest Schnitzel period. The place is Louis, an Austrian restaurant, it was a journey as I was staying in Mitte and we are talking completely East Berlin in Neukolln in the homonymous borough. It was my last day in the German capital and after a lot of thinking I decided to go, “Pana Lonely” recommendation and the pizza one was pretty good so that gave me the extra courage.

The Place

The only table when I arrived

Got to the place, it was almost empty, a couple tables just finishing, so I was the last costumer of the night, I ordered a pretty good Austrian beer, and asked for my pork schnitzel, yes it was pork not veal for the purists, and it was the Louis “Small” Schnitzel, believe me there is nothing small on that patty.

Austrian Beer

It is huge period. Taste good, I like it, and it was a lot, for a moment I thought the Schnitzel was going to win but no one mess with me. So I gorge it ‘till death.

Huge

I consider is worth the trip, good beer, relax restaurant, nothing fancy, and a lot of meat, easily can be share and both will be happy after the meal, and not expensive at all. If you’re a purists that only eats tiny thin little veal schnitzels please don’t go, don’t ruin the place for the rest of us that doesn’t care as much in this case, I do respect your integrity but I’m for the obscenity of the size in this situation.

That's what I call a generous portion

This huge situation reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Soup”.

Bania: Hey Jerry.

Jerry: Hey Kenny.

Jerry: Elaine, George.

Elaine: Hi.

George: Hi.

Bania: Hi.

Jerry: How's it going?

Bania: Great. I've been working out. Went from a size 40 to a 42.

Jerry: No kidding.

Bania: Yeah, I’m huge. Well, I’ll leave you guys alone.

Jerry: All right.

Elaine: O.K. Thanks.

Bania: Oh. Jerry, you know what just hit me? I was thinking, what size suit are you?

Jerry: Ahh, I’m a 40. Why?

Bania: I just got a brand new Armani suit doesn't fit me anymore. You want it?

Jerry: Well I don't know if I...

Bania: Oh come on. Why should it just sit in the closet?

Elaine: An Armani suit?

George: Take the suit.

Jerry: Well, ok, I guess.

Bania: You gonna be home later?

Jerry: Yeah.

Bania: I’ll drop it off.

George: Heh heh heh hey, new suit.
Jerry: Yeah, yeah, lucky me.

Louis

T: +49 30 68101210

Austrian Cuisine

Area: Neukolln

Borough: Neukolln

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A Flower Brunch

A nice and cute German friend before departing to Berlin recommended having brunch in Anna Blume. The place is a café and a flower shop named after a poem, established in 2005, the perfect spot for lazy Sundays in Prenzlauer Berg.

Cafe

The Place

The speciality a shared three tiered breakfast, but in my case I was alone by the time, so I opt for one of their 4 mixed combinations. My choice the Anemone, graved lax homemade, scramble eggs on toast, shrimps in sour cream with dill, elder cheese, horseradish, cream cheese, butter, and bread, do you want more?

Options

My choice

Excellent, I enjoyed a nice brunch while watching Berliners wander around the Soho of Berlin while listening my iPod and enjoying a cappuccino. I strongly recommend the place.

Coffee Time

Al Fresco

I tell you cute German girls don’t lie.

Blume where is Anna?

Flowers remind me the Seinfeld episode “TheAirport”.

Jerry: Tia, did you see all the flowers in that bathroom? It's like an English garden in there.

Attendant: They're gardenias, mostly.

Jerry: I thought I smelled lilac.

Attendant: Yes, there are a few of those, too.

Tia: It's almost overwhelming.

Anna Blume

T: +49 30 44048749

Coffehouse and Brunch

Area: Prenzlauer Berg

Borough: Pankow

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