Monday, September 14, 2009

Coffee Review - The East Brunswick Project


I have always intended to do some reviews on this blog but I have one major problem - I cannot fathom getting out my camera to take a photo of the food in front of me at a restaurant. How attention grabbing! How awkward!

Reviews without photos aren't pretty enough for my liking though, so I wasn't sure what to do. However, I simply had to write about The East Brunswick Project (EBP).

The East Brunswick Project
438 Lygon Street, East Brunswick
Tuesday - Sunday, 8am - 4pm

I haven't written much lately because this semester has been really busy and my cooking has sort of dwindled to vitawheats and spaghetti with fridge-bits thrown on it. One sustaining element of my diet however, has been the glorious coffee at EBP, up the northern end of Lygon Street, just around the corner from my house.

I am a picky coffee drinker. If I don't know that the coffee will be good, I will often order tea. I can't handle burnt, badly frothed, poorly-made in any way coffee. I'd prefer to stay at home in that case and make it in plunger. But the coffee they brew at the EBP is always mindblowingly good: smooth, creamy milk, nutty coffee beans that I think give it a slight biscuity taste, just the right strength.

The latte I usually order comes on a delightful handmade ceramic dish, in various colours, so it is worth staying in to drink rather than getting takeaway. Everyone who works there is warm and friendly and they've started to give me that knowing 'Oh hello, coffee addict!' look when I walk in.

To get all technical: I know that the EBP roasts their own beans, has lotsa special equipment, and do all that coffee nerdy stuff that makes them very important (but is a bit beyond me). It smells great in there. The coffee is $3, making it cheaper than most places now, especially those that specialise in coffee. My only criticism of the place, if you can call it one, is that they don't sell any meals. They do offer some sweet or savoury muffins and friands, and they are lovely. It's probably a good thing that they don't have meals or I might spend my entire life (and all my money) there.

It's Monday today. They are not open on Mondays. Sigh...

(Oh and about the photo. There is no photo, but you know what coffee looks like. It's what it tastes like that matters. Please go and give it a try!)

As of 16/09 - There is now a photo. I managed to sneak one in without drawing attention to myself! Doesn't that coffee just look perfect?

4 comments:

Tim Cohen said...

I'm with you on the meal front.

Being a local of the area, and with two children, I am sort of torn between the 'EBP' and 'A minor place'.

The EBP does offer little treats that my daughter Imogen loves, yet they cannot get her'lukewarm' hot chocolate right, yet at AMP, they always nail it for her yet dissapoint with treats. Whats a dad to do hey?

For me though it is AMP. They serve my favourite coffee, 'Atomica', and always deliver when it comes to getting my coffee right; plus they have 'Henrys white beans' which I adore.

Anna said...

Ha ha that's funny! Because I live in between A Minor Place and 'EBP', I often debate with myself which one to go to. Minor Place has food, but I like EBP's coffee better, what to do?! (Those Henry's beans are awesome, yes!)I also quite like the food at El Mirage (but it's a 10 minute walk rather than a 3 or 4 minute walk), so I've done some sneaky breakfasts where I eat breakfast without coffee, then go and and get coffee at EBP. SNEAKY HUH?! :)

Tim Cohen said...

breakfast without coffee!!! are you mad?

Anna said...

Stark raving! It was hard. Probably won't be able to do it too often. Hurts the brain.