Bamboo Garden Cafe and Restaurant

Bamboo Garden Cafe & Restaurant
503 Pakuranga Rd
(Shop 15, Highland Park Shopping Centre)
Howick
Manukau, Auckland

Large Flat White: $4.80

This cafe is right next to another one in Highland Park and has an Asian theme to it through its menu. What a shame I’m only after coffee today!

Coffee:  Solid but not spectacular. It wears a little thin on you as you go through it. (3/5)

Milk: An attempt at foam but a bit too bubbly and aerated. (2.5/5)

Presentation: One of these faux plastic cups - are they better to hold or something? The lid felt a bit flimsy at first but held up. (3/5)

Verdict: It’s a solid enough coffee in the morning but you get the feeling they’d much rather sell food to you.

Overall rating: 8.5/13. Next time, try the Happy Meal there!

Muzz Buzz Mt Wellington

Yes, that IS a starw coming out of my flat white. 

 

 

 

Muzz Buzz Mt Wellington,
295 Penrose Road Mt Wellington Auckland 1060

Tall Flat White: $4.50

This café is another drive thru which is in the same block of shops that I get my fruit and veges at and always make comments on, but never go to. I did today.

Coffee: Very blah. It’s coffee and it’s better than a Nescafe but… (1.5/5)

Milk: Too bubbly and aerated. (1.5/5)

Presentation: A corrugated cardboard cup that itself is OK, but my flat white this morning came with a drinking straw. A f#$%ing straw I tell you. I try not to be too snobby and up my own butt in this blog, but that is pretty terrible. (1/3)

Verdict: The Muzz Buzz website, claims among other things, to be “fun” and “At Muzz Buzz we serve sensational coffee that’s quick, convenient and satisfying”. It was quick and convenient, but that’s about all I can say that’s nice about it. It was about as satisfying as a kick in the nuts.

Overall rating: 4/13. A straw in a flat white. That’s all you need to know.

Mon Bichon Cafe, Farm Cove

Mon Bichon Café,

190 Fisher Parade Farm Cove Village Pakuranga, Auckland

Large Flat White: $4.50

This café is in the quaint ‘Farm Cove Village”, according to its website. I just saw a dairy, a bakery and a couple of toher shops, but maybe I don’t know what a village is nowadays.

Coffee: Really nice taste to start. It becomes a bit blasé as the cup goes on however. (4/5)

Milk: Good foam but a bit too creamy, which takes a little away from the coffee flavour. (4/5)

Presentation: A pleasant looking cup with an identical lid from yesterday (it’s weird how some of these things come in twos in this blog). (3/3)

Verdict: Chalked on the café is the phrase “Life is too short for bad coffee”. I agree, and also note that you won’t find bad coffee here. It’s reasonably good but not great yet.

Overall rating: 11/13. Not bad at all. Really gives you the taste of the village lifestyle you’re looking for.

Drive Thru Cafe, Highland Park

Drive Thru Cafe, 481 Pakuranga Rd, Highland Park

Large Flat White: $4.70

This place stands out like a lemony beacon next to Placemakers in Pakuranga. Coffee is not something I would normally think of using as a drive through (just like ATMs) but I got to try it.

Coffee: Tastes like the beans have been burned. What a shame. (2/5).

Milk: A bare layer of foam on top but it quickly dissolves to give me a milky coffee. How disappointing. (1/5)



 

Presentation: The mid blue on the cup is appealing for some reason, and the lid is a solid construction, not like I’ve seen on any others to date. (3/3)

Verdict: When we get something in the drive through, we tend to think less of it and expect less of it. Expect less of this coffee and it’ll live up to your expectation.

Overall rating: 6/13. People who rave about the coffee here need to see a doctor. Tastes like what I expected a drive through coffee to be.

Hollywood Bakery and Espresso, Pakuranga Plaza.

Friday 10 January 2014

Hollywood Bakery and Espresso

Pakuranga Plaza

Medium Flat White: $4.00.

I often will go here over the weekend to buy lunch, usually a chicken sandwich with avocado. I don’t buy coffee here as much though.

Coffee: Quite a nice coffee taste that remains nice on the palette for the duration.  (4/5)

The aforementioned distinctive lime green cup.

Milk: Nice foam going on in this cup, but a bit of an odd taste that just puts a question mark over your head. (3.5/5)

Presentation: A distinctive lime green cup makes it easy to identify this. The lid seems to be of a cheap and nasty plastic. Sure, it might save a few cents per cup to your bottom line but it’s pretty low rent. (2/3)

Verdict: It’s not a bad coffee, but it’s not great either. It’s just lacking a bit in all areas, rather than having one part of it that’s bad. You can have one with lunch, no problem. Its opening hours, sadly, don’t work well for the morning work rush. It is the cheapest flat white so far though - if you're into that sort of thing.

Overall rating: 9.5/13. Like a lot of plaza coffees, reasonably good but not great.

Jamie's Cafe

Thursday 9 January 2014

Jamie’s Café

Pakuranga Plaza

Medium Flat White: $4.50.

This café has a pride of place at one end of the Pakuranga Plaza and is critically located right outside the Farmers.

Coffee: There is some coffee taste in here. At first I thought there was something special but it has quickly faded down to being above average.  (3.5/5)

The cardboard ring - bit silly because it covers the cafe name?

Milk: Not a great deal of flavour, and there is some foam, but it is more aerated than velvety. It doesn’t detract from the taste of the coffee though which is a plus. (4/5).

Presentation: A bright red cup that stands out and is of solid construction. One funny thing I’ve never seen before – a cardboard ring around the cup, presumably to save your hands form being too hot. Seems a bit of a waste though. I wonder how much of the café’s bottom line is spent on these? (3/3)

Verdict: It’s not a bad coffee, but it’s not great either. A stronger tasting coffee would help out a lot, as there isn’t much else wrong with it. I’m used to better from Coffee Supreme. The similarities between this cup and the one I had from Muffin Break yesterday are striking – I wonder if they are just the same café and I didn’t notice?

Overall rating: 10.5/13. It’s not too bad actually. Just nudges out the Sierra flat white for best in the Plaza.

Bucklands Espresso Lounge

Wednesday 8 January 2014

Bucklands Espresso Lounge

83B Hattaway Ave
Bucklands Beach
Manukau, Auckland

Large Flat White: $5.00 (joint most expensive with Muffin Break).

This café was recommended to me on Twitter, and has a pride of place in Bucklands Beach. It is also relatively new, having opened in 2011.

Coffee: Not bad. I guess I can taste it, but it isn’t overly strong, and doesn’t give me the kick in the pants I’d like from a coffee early morning. (3/5)

Milk: Not a great deal of flavour, and there is some foam, but it is more aerated than velvety. It doesn’t detract from the taste of the coffee though which is a plus. (4/5).

Presentation: Another plasticy cup like from Muffin Break. Gives the detailed story of Coffee Supreme. (3/3)

Verdict: It’s not a bad coffee, but it’s not great either. A stronger tasting coffee would help out a lot, as there isn’t much else wrong with it. I’m used to better from Coffee Supreme. The similarities between this cup and the one I had from Muffin Break yesterday are striking – I wonder if they are just the same café and I didn’t notice?

Overall rating: 10/13. You could drink it, and you probably should if you live in Bucklands Beach, but I would look somewhere else.

Muffin Break, Pakuranga Plaza

Tuesday January 7 2014

Muffin Break

Pakuranga Plaza

I remember having many a coffee from Muffin break at the Pakuranga Plaza when I was in Year 13 (or Form 7 for those of us before the year 2000). It was a daily thing and I always enjoyed them, being nice and wired for the after-lunch class. But is Muffin Break any better now I'm an adult?

Medium Flat White: $5 (the most expensive to date. It better be good).

Coffee: A bit of a let down. There is a hint of it peeking out of the cup but overall it tastes like a fluffy. (2/5)

Milk: The milk, incomplete contrast, is perfect. Looks nice (is there a pattern on top there?) and has velvet to burn. Just a shame there is no coffee to try and compete. (4/5)

Presentation: Nothing wrong with the cup. Interestingly, it seems to be a bit plasticy, which didn’t take away from the experience and wasn’t too hot to hold, etc. (3/3)

Verdict:  Locals rave about this place for when they’re down at the mall. I think they’re welcome to. It’s okay coffee but not great. Also very expensive for what you get. No change out of a fiver!

Overall rating: 9/13. Decent coffee but try a muffin instead.

Sierra Cafe, Pakuranga Plaza

Saturday January 4 2014
Sierra Cafe
Pakuranga Plaza

Sierra cafe, like Columbus, has a bit of a sleeper reputation as a fancy hipster cafe that then became franchised. Means their coffee should be good, right?

Large Flat White: $4.80.

Coffee: There’s a strong coffee poking its head out here. It doesn’t, however, send a shiver down my spine. (3.5/5)

Milk: The milk is nicely done, but has a few too many bubbles in it for my taste. (3.5/5)

Presentation: Solid Sierra cup, nothing wrong with it. (3/3)

Verdict:  I could see myself drinking one of these per day if I worked in the Pakuranga Plaza. it’s not great but it’s certainly not bad.

Overall rating: 10/13. Decent coffee. Non-offensive.

Cafe Palazzo (Pakuranga)

Friday January 3 2014

Café Palazzo

189 Pigeon Mountain Rd
(Palmers Garden Centre)
Pakuranga
Manukau, Auckland

Cafes at garden centres have not always been around but are a great idea. It’d get people like me into a garden centre. Local rave about this place so I thought I would give it a go.

Medium Flat White: $4.00.

Coffee: There is coffee here but it doesn’t break through as being a nice kick in the pants that I want from a flat white. Not too bad. (3/5)

Milk: The milk is nicely done, but loses its foaminess as you go and ends up being just plain old milk by the end. (3.5/5)

Presentation: I broke my own rules a bit and had this as an eat-in coffee while having lunch with my wife. No problems with presentation. (3/3)

Verdict:  It’s not a bad coffee, but it doesn’t give that kick that I want from a flat white. A serviceable lunch coffee but not a first thing in the morning coffee.

Overall rating: 9.5/13. Garden centres are best for buying garden stuff.

Farro Fresh Mount Wellington

Friday January 3 2014
Farro Fresh Mount Wellington
80 Lunn Ave, Mt Wellington
Auckland


A Twitter friend put me onto this place. It is a fancy grocery store that sells fancy foods so my expectations are high. His recommendation was also very insistent, so we’ll see.

Large Flat White: $4.50.

Coffee: A bit of a coffee taste there but not strong and not knocking any socks off me. Like I was drinking a warmed milk. (2/5)

Milk: The milk itself, while being the dominant taste, was expertly done. Velvety foam and not too hot. Good job on this. The fact that the coffee doesn’t fire a shot doesn’t give the milk a real chance to shine. (4/5)

Presentation: Strong, solid, black cup with the company name on it. Can’t really go wrong. (3/3)

Verdict:  My hopes were very high but were let down to be a very ordinary coffee. Maybe I’ll just stick to deli meats and cronuts from this place because the coffee is sadly only average

Overall rating: 9/13. I expected better from a boutique market, and I didn’t get it.

Starbucks Botany Town Centre

Thursday January 2 2014
Starbucks Botany Town Centre
Auckland


I have, for as long as I can remember, vowed to never go to Starbucks to get coffee as it would be crap. Today I broke that promise.

Tall Flat White: $4.80.

Coffee: A bit of a coffee taste there but not strong and not knocking any socks off me. (2/5)

Would you like a coffee streak down your pristine white cup? YES PLEASE!!

Milk: Really comes out as being a milky coffee. There isn’t much foam in here. It’s like I’m having a coffee with milk from 1950’s New Zealand. (2.5/5)

Presentation: The cup is solid enough, but there is a leak down the side when put together. The cafe wasn’t that busy so disappointing to see. (2/3)

Verdict:  I had to find out to know, but I don’t think I’ll be going back to Starbucks again. It’s been called the McDonalds of coffee - and I think that is a very apt description.

Overall rating: 6.5/13. Serviceable but with so many other cafes at the Botany Town Centre, there’s no need to go back here ever.

Columbus Botany Town Centre

Wednesday January 1 2014
Columbus Botany Town Centre
Auckland


This will be an interesting one as this is the cafe I probably go to most after the Heights Bakery, as reviewed earlier.

Large Flat White: $4.30.

Coffee: A bit of a coffee taste there but not strong and not knocking any socks off me. (2/5)

Milk: A good attempt made at foam. I open my cup to see some there but there’s a few little bubbles. Let’s call it attempted velvet foam. At least this one does;t taste like it came directly from a cow. (3.5/5)

Presentation: Same Columbus cup, same no problems with it. (3/3).

Verdict:  This cafe and this Columbus in particular is where I often get coffee before work if I feel like a cafe one. It is a serviceable coffee and better than average, but not what I’d consider good or great yet.

Overall rating: 8.5/13. Not bad and I’ll have one most days. But it needs some work to be great.