Best Cup Of Coffee In Town!
Best cup of coffee in town? Starbucks? Nope. It's brewed at the Gift & Gourmet shop on Merchant Street - 212 Merchant Street to be exact, in the hallway next to the Subway. This is a very quaint little gift shop full of interesting treasures but they specialize in gourmet coffee, teas, and chocolates and is owned and operated by Celia Kim.
I first heard of this little gem from a co-worker who sent out an email one day saying "This shop, regardless of the coffee being served, is the best cup of coffee downtown. They brew in a French Press in small amounts to ensure freshness but beware, the owner is serious. She will strongly recommend that you take your coffee black." Now, I normally am not a coffee drinker but that was enough for me. I couldn't wait to try a cup of coffee.
The next morning I went in and there was Celia fixing coffee. I ordered the small cup, $1.25 with tax. I inquired about the coffee of the day and Celia gave me a slip of paper that described the coffee. Celebes Kalossi it said, smooth and refined. Full body, low in acidity, almost syrupy in intensity with a spicy aroma. Celebes represents less than 1% of Indonesia's coffee. The island of Sulawesi has relatively few high altitude areas for coffee production, so this distinctive coffee with a complex flavor seems destined to remain in short supply. Okay, maybe that's more than you wanted to know about the cup of coffee you were drinking but I found it interesting. The coffee was very fresh and really bold and like nothing I had ever had. I had to add the cream and sugar (I'm a weenie) when I got back to the office but I can at least say I tried it black.
I had to go back for more. The next day it was Guatemala Rincon delos Planes. Again Celia gave me a slip of paper with the low down on this coffee. Smooth, full bodied, very chocolaty it said and carefully tended on a small owner runned estate. I have to tell you this was really, really good. The chocolate was very apparent. I liked this one better than the one I had the day before and that's saying a lot. I was hooked.
There you have the, the best cup of coffee in Honolulu. I can't wait to check out the teas and chocolates.
Much Mahalo,
Tracey Mahl
