M+ Café

Article By Mike Leaner

No.14,Gaoxin 2 Road.
高新二路14号
(i创涂众创公园大门北边)
029-6881 8395
6:00pm – 3:00am

Average Price per Person /人均消费: 46RMB

PROS: Excellently crafted coffee; Nice desserts

CONS: If you need something substantial to eat you won’t be getting it here


 

”Coffee shop” has been interpreted pretty broadly by many a local restaurateur. Some of these places are multi-level behemoths, with menus to match. The problem with those places is that, like the jack of all trades, they are a master of none. For those people wishing for something simpler, something more focused on the “coffee” part of “coffee shop,” there is a place for you: M+ Café.

These guys are laser-focused on a no-frills, yet satisfying coffee experience; their menu is proof positive of this. You have two options, really: coffee or cake. However, those options give way to myriad other choices. Do you want Americano or Flat White? Maybe you’re hankering for an espresso—you’ll have a couple different styles to choose from. If you’re getting dessert, you’ll be able to choose from about ten varieties, from the tantalizing Opera to one of their smooth mousses.

That’s all there is to it, really. The beans are generally sourced from African countries, like Kenya and Ethiopia, and locally roasted. The journey from bean to cup is meticulous, employing a lot of specific machinery and methods to ensure that the taste is the best it could be. During my visit, I had a pour-over, black (because I’m a psychopath) and chased it with a sea salt caramel mousse. I was then implored to try some espresso, which I was told was a specialty of one of the baristas. Two espressos later I had to refuse a Flat White because it was nighttime and I was already jittery. Everything was spectacular, good to the last drop. I sat at the counter, so that I could chat with the staff and watch my drinks being made, but looking around I noticed a long communal table that would be perfect for a midday study session, and also some low tables surrounded by beanbag chairs, a novelty that would certainly be fun for a date or something.

Open for only four months, the Gaoxin 2 Road location of M+ Café is the third and latest shop in this burgeoning local chain, and offers the most stripped-down experience of all of them. Located across the street the recently renovated park between Gaoxin 2 and 1 Roads, it’s not far from the main drag in Gaoxin, but far enough that it serves as a nice little escape from the ongoing madness that is Keji Road. While location is (allegedly) everything, I’m sure many of you will need an excuse to seek this place out. Your excuse is, of course, a damn fine cup of coffee.

Mike Leaner likes to get dirty but not for free. He can be reached at reviews@xianease.com

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