Silk Road Coffee – 丝绸之路咖啡

Article By Ben Greuter

B212, 3F, Sheng Shi Shang Du, Xi Changan Jie, Xi Bu Da Xue Cheng, Changan District
长安区西部大学城商圈西长安街盛世商都三楼B212
(029) 8528 0822
10:00am -10:00pm

Wenyuan Nan Lu, Xi Bu Da Xue Cheng, Changan District
长安区西部大学城商圈文苑南路
(029) 8923 4017
10:00am -10:00pm (Monday-Saturday)
2:00pm -10:00pm (Sunday)

Average Price
per Person
/人均消费:20-30RMB

Pros: Reasonably priced, real coffee; innovative use of space; coffee-on-the-go

Cons: Far from the city center and, for a sit down, out of reach for a lot of people

For comments, questions, or concerns, email Ben at the_scop_x@yahoo.com. He’ll reply if your email address doesn’t look like spam.

Since 2011, an exciting new movement has been taking root in university communities in the south of China: real coffee, made from beans chosen by the most knowledgeable coffee connoisseurs in the region; roasted via a constantly tested and improved-upon process unique to each type of bean; and brewed to perfection by a growing team of motivated, talented local baristas. Silk Road Coffee is one of the latest cafés joining this movement, and for us serious coffee drinkers (or for all of you wannabes out there) this is heaven-sent!

The primary Silk Road Coffee location is in Chang’an District at Sheng Shi Shang Du, a small mall west of the HangTianCheng metro stop, with a second café further south. Its location will be a bit of a trek for city dwellers; depending on where you’re located, the trip may involve at least two methods of transportation (metro/bus, metro/taxi, multiple buses, or one LONG taxi ride for those of us in the northern part of the city). However, they can deliver orders of ground coffee or roasted beans to offset this distinct disadvantage, compliments of the TN Roastery with whom Silk Road works. There is, as of yet, no limitation on deliveries, and they offer special discounts on orders over specific amounts (10% off 400+RMB orders, and 15% off 750+RMB orders).

One of the most interesting products that can also be ordered are individual packets of ground drip coffee (using the same choice coffee beans mentioned above) that foldout over your cup for easy self-service drip convenience! A cup of real drip coffee everywhere you go! Cheaper than any cup of coffee you may buy in a café on your way to work or class, these may single-handedly end the Nescafé instant coffee cringes that we’ve often suffered when we lack a more convenient option.

Gourmet coffee may be intimidating for those of you who usually only have to choose between “hot” or “iced” coffee, so I’ve asked the managers for some recommendations:

Costa Rica Blue Diamond. “These beans are not typical Costa Rican beans; normally, beans from that region are balanced, with no obvious flavors that jump out, but these are special in that they have some very potent flavors due to their unique dry-preparation process, bringing out noticeable flowery and fruity tastes.”

Panama Bouquet Butterfly. “I love the citrus taste it has on the tip of my tongue. Its fragrant and fruity, but, as is typical of Panama’s selections, as it moves to the back of your mouth, it has a sweet caramel flavor that leaves absolutely no after taste and has no defects, such as smoky or bitter tinges.”

So whether you decide to get beans delivered or end up in one of their cosy, wooden -décor cafés in the south of the city, you can rest assured that what you’re getting is top quality java.