Not many places can have that distinction where they can be perfect for almost any conceivable mode of meeting up, while also having a solid character to stand on their own merit. But we are not just talking that, it also accounts for anything you could want from a decent, relaxing sit-down meal in the neighbourhood. Jacu Espresso in Norman Park is exactly like that, welcoming anyone from coffee snobs (they do good coffee, just getting that out there) to the ladies who lunch (.... moving on) to having a good meal. It's all here, and it's all good.
It was another case of it being the weekend, and wondering where to go for breakfast. Having had gone past here on several occasions beforehand, and in conjunction with reading up about it, this was definitely on my dining buddy/housemate's list of places to visit. One thing about it was because of how it looked so busy each time. Well, by going here it was soon to be apparent why.
Nevermind that it finds itself in an awkward position, and about how small it looks just driving past. The whole place just screams of comfort. It is laidback, and it has got a homely feel to it. What makes the difference is all the modes of seating - in the deep end of the cafe you have a couple of couches in front of the mirror, a single communal table not far away from there, bench seats at both the bar and window plus the outdoor seating area on astroturf. That is also not to mention a couple of quirky artworks and such around the place. With such a compact area, they have made it simultaneously cosy and with enough space to walk around - bravo! Once you are well and truly seated inside, it could be just as much a country road as it is near a busy street.
Adding more to the feel of the place is the standard of service. They are friendly, attentive and good, hard workers. They will know their stuff concerning coffee, and have great timing when it comes to what services are wanted. There is a good synergy to the place, and you can tell that they really like working here. That can make all the difference to how well like somewhere can be.
Whoever is in charge of managing the menu at Jacu Espresso has done quite the job with it. This is likely to be another place that will vary the menu from time to time, chopping and changing items on there to suit the seasons and produce et al. At times it is quite inventive, with a few more meal-based items near the far end of the menu for breakfast, and many other staples closer to the top. Whichever item the diner orders, it is made sure that they know what is on there which can guarantee that due care is given each time.
In addition to that menu, they also do well for the "coffee and cakes" crowd. Regarding coffee and tea, the latter is done by the pot with loose leaves and has varieties ranging from the usual to speciality kinds, and the former has the usual espresso variety, but some other choices are also on the menu. To go with these, they have a good dessert cabinet with plenty of delicious and freshly made treats.
Alrighty, so on to the food. And when I say onto the food, that means that the first stop is coffee. I am not too particular with which kinds of bean to use in the drink, but there are a couple that I immediately lock onto when I see them presented on the board. One of those is Ethiopian. I saw that it was available only in filter coffee - though it could get ordered otherwise, but later on that - which is another one I look out for now. Putting two and two together, it was the Ethiopian single origin on the filter blend. The filter coffee has a milder taste when compared to the espresso counterpart. It also has a less oily texture, and is smoother on the tongue and a bit thinner. There are a couple of subtleties in flavour and aroma as well that also come out here. This filter coffee was particularly good, with a good drinking temperature and lovely mouth feel on the palate.
It did take a bit longer for the filter coffee to come out (as it does), and in the meantime, I managed to try a sip of my dining buddy's cappuccino (and he likewise got one of the filter coffee). They really textured this beautifully, the milk was lithe managing to seep into the foam very well and was soft and velvety. The flavour of the coffee was quite good as well. Considering that this is made from Veneziano coffee - one of the best and most consistent choices of beans.
When it came to my breakfast order, what really sounded good to me was what was essentially a Middle Eastern style wrap. On some toasted flatbread, they had falafels made from a pea-herb mixture, several bits of grilled halloumi, minted labneh, chili jam, and a soft poached egg. Now I am not vegetarian, but I think I can speak for you guys when I say that sounds pretty good. The good news is, it very much was so. The falafels were definitely freshly made, and they were moreish with the right amount of finish with crispiness and seasoning. The pieces of halloumi were great as always, slightly chewy and mildly flavoured, and that chilli jam was something else - viscous and distinctly flavoured, it made for a great sauce, as did the labneh. Finally, that poached egg was light, soft and the yolk flowed freely everywhere. This was finished off by a garnish of rocket, and the toasted flatbread was delicious - it was the right amount of cooked and held all the items together. This certainly is worthy of an A in my book, and that portion size seals the whole deal.
I also got a bit of stuff from my dining buddy's plate. From memory, it was a BRAT - bacon, rocket, lettuce, and tomato with a fried egg. From the corner he cut off, I had a bit of the bacon - crispy and delicious - a small bit of the ciabatta bread - well toasted - and a bit of egg - again, well cooked. Simple is definitely done well at Jacu.
Looking at the dessert cabinet, and for a breakfast place this is nothing new for me, I was wondering whether or not to get something else to finish off the place. Well, for one I would not be talking about it if I did not end up doing that - alway has and that will continue being the case. The second reason is that I had so far really like each aspect about this place, from the food (which is always the most important part) to the service as well as the design and look of the place. For me, it has only been a recent development in thought process but to get that elusive 5.0 score - a sweet is not negotiable. That was to see if they could get over, and with the spoilers out of the way they have.
My dining buddy got this start before I had finished my breakfast. He went up and got some banana bread. Banana bread is one of those items that can be alright, but when it is good it can be really, really good. This was definitely that most recent case. Instead of being dense and overly tasting of banana (ones that are becoming over-ripe), it was soft and moreish and dusted with some icing sugar. For the size that was gotten, I certainly see it being an effective snack.
When I went up, it was a double chocolate brownie that took my fancy. And, because why not, I used that as an avenue to get another coffee. This time, it was getting the same bean in an espresso form. This arrived on a board with one cup being a simple short black (i.e. espresso), one cup having a shot of hot water as a base and a small glass of sparkling water (meant to act as a palate cleanser between trying the different coffees). Both of these were also quite good, with the Americano one having less intensity, and the espresso being really strong and dark in flavour. I can definitely say until now I have not had multiple kinds of black coffee served at once; that is something I could adapt to. Then there is the brownie - whoa was it one tasty sucker. Not just a brownie, though, but a double chocolate brownie. It had big bits of chocolate chip mixed through it, and the texture of it was so rich and dense with dark chocolate. And ironically, this was also really soft and breakable with a fork. So it well and truly takes in that perfect score, something which I feel I don't give too lightly.
In getting all cliche when such a great place has been found, I will risk saying it. Jacu Espresso might well be one of the best places that I have visited for a while. Not content on following trends or bowing to what is expected, it has carved out its own identity and produced some fantastic fare that is also really healthy. Best of all, this is a hangout for coffee if there ever was a place needed to hang out. All of this makes Jacu somewhere that is special, and quite memorable beyond the food.
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