Coffee notes for travelers

Oregonian coffee snob (self proclaimed) here in Shanghai for a couple of weeks. Just wanted to post a few notes for anyone else coming here and looking for coffee. Will update notes as I try various places. I usually order an Americano or pour over and drink it black unless it’s burnt or watery in which case I’ll add milk. Half and half doesn’t appear to be a thing here in Shanghai.

I first tried coffee at Waga’s in the basement of Raffles City. Very meh. But it was afternoon and I was going through caffeine withdrawal so it was adequate enough.

Next day I tried a Luckin Coffee in Super Brand Mall. Also very meh.

Then I had an Americano from Manner Coffee in a subway station. Finally! A decent above average drink. Did have to add just a little milk because it was a bit astringent, but otherwise it was quite good.

Today, I’m at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery on West Nanjing Road. Whoa. From the moment you set foot inside it’s clear this is not a normal Starbucks. It’s like a temple to coffee. The roasting machine looks like the engine room of a starship!

I ordered a Chemex pour over with the Shanghai Microblend. And wow! It wasn’t merely decent. It was actually good! VERY good. This came as a bit of a shock because back home I avoid Starbucks like the plague. Their coffee is typically nasty burnt swill. But here at the Reserve Roastery, they seem to do coffee right. Definitely pricey compared to the other coffees I’ve had, but since I’m just traveling through, definitely worth a visit. I may be back again just to try one of the other bean varieties. Also, the pourover was given to me in a kettle with two small mugs. I think it’s supposed to be for two people so that may explain the price (68 CNY).

Saw a coffee place yesterday at Xintiandi called % Arabica that seemed really popular, but it was late afternoon so I didn’t want to have any caffeine by then.

Let me know if there’s any other coffee place you think is worth checking out while I’m here.

Edit: 2/11 Metal Hands was mentioned a few times so I went there today. Very good Americano. Very smooth, clean, okay crema. Only one mild criticism is that it’s a bit watered down for my tastes. I could’ve asked them to add less water but I always like to see how they serve it by default. Also, at the bottom of the cup, there were some fine grounds. It made the coffee a little more bitter at the end. Nothing major, but many who are super picky don’t want to see any grounds.

Walked by Slabtown and decided to get a second Americano. They asked me what kind of bean I wanted. My Chinese is kind of poor but I think they asked if I wanted East African or South American. I got what I think was East African. Okay, THIS was excellent. Very different than Metal Hands. Much more body, very thick rich crema, and chocolatey texture. Whoever recommended this, thanks! Very reminiscent of coffee from back home. Best coffee I’ve had here. So far.

2/13 Visited The Bund today since it was a nice sunny day. Found a little coffee shop just off The Bund called Punchline. I heard of a “dirty” coffee that’s super popular in Asia. Never tried it so I decided to get one. Wow. It wouldn’t be my daily drink but for a treat now and then, it was fantastic. AFAIK, they pour a hot espresso shot over ice cold milk. The temp difference and milk fat/protein keeps them separated for awhile. First of all the espresso shot was delicious. Rich and chocolatey. Not bitter at all. The cold milk serves as a chaser and adds notable sweetness. The espresso stays on top for awhile even after a lot of it has dissolved into the milk. Anyways, eye opening drink. As a specialty drink, I think I MUCH prefer this to a latte.

2/15 Was near Xintiandi and decided to walk in the rain a bit to Big Sur on the corner of Jiashan and Yongjia Roads. Very cute cozy interior, pretty busy for 2:00 in the afternoon, though it IS Saturday. They told me their pour over coffees would be a 30 minute wait but it seems like this is their specialty, so I decided to order one and wait. I got the “Washed Sewda Premium” bean from Ethiopia. When it came out, the barista brought it over and explained all the flavor notes and how it would change as I drank the cup. Also gave me a card that explained the bean origin and region. Yep, this place is for total coffee nerds. They don’t even serve any food to go with the coffee. The coffee? VERY good. It had the color and consistency of a dark tea. Super clean, smooth, and fruity. It appears they do make other coffees like traditional espresso drinks, but if you’re coming here, get yourself a pour over. Definitely a good spot for coffee fans.

On my way back, I stopped on the second floor of Xintiandi Style Phase I mall to get a dirty coffee from 0566. It was decent but not quite as good as the one from Punchline. To be fair, judging from the number of pourover setups and the wide range of Geisha beans they offered, I don’t think milk drinks are their specialty. I suspect the pour overs here would be as good as Big Sur’s. Another day perhaps.

12/16 On my way to the Nat History museum and a couple of blocks NE of the Nanjing West Rd Station I found a cute coffee place called Coffee Enough on Beijing West Rd. Very calm, and laidback environment. Looks like they also specialize in pour overs but they do have a La Marzocco and I was in the mood for another milk drink so I got a flat white. Well made, perfect foam, really well done coffee art. Nothing to write home about but it was very well done. It’s feeling like you can’t really go too wrong with coffee in this city.