Who would have thought that a yeshiva student would change life lanes with a trip to Chiapas? This is exactly what happened to Menachem Gancz, the cofounder of Quentin Cafe. During this trip to Chiapas, he met Cafeolo a key player in the coffee industry sector in Mexico, who immersed him to the world of coffee.
After months of researching and planning Quentin, a specialty coffee shop on Alvaro Obregon street in la Roma neighborhood was born. Quentin originates during an important boom and growth in terms of the consumption of specialty coffee around the world. In the US particularly, 25% of the coffee industry belongs to the specialty coffee category. Many of you are probably thinking, what is specialty coffee? Well, its toasted coffee which scores above 84 points on a 100-point scale. This kind of coffee is grown in special and ideal climates therefore their unique flavors and tastes.
If you are the type of person who enjoys Starbucks kind coffee, including frappuccino with tons of sugar and whipped cream on top, read no further as this new coffee shop is definitely not for you.
Quentin serves coffee originating from different parts of the world including Kenya, Ethiopia, Honduras and Mexico. The menu changes constantly depending on what type of grains they get from some of the world’s most important roasters including MadCap, Intelligentsia and 49th Parallel. As I listened to Menachem’s explanation of the coffee types and methods that he serves at Quentin, I realized how little I actually know about coffee. I was even embarrassed when he asked me what type of coffee I wanted to drink, because wherever I am, I always ask for a cappuccino. This time a cappuccino seemed so mainstream!
Instead of giving me a cappuccino as I had ordered, Menachem wanted me to taste the different kinds of grains so I could better understand the distinct flavors that belong to the different countries of origin. So, we preformed a simple taste experiment with three different types of coffee using the V 60 brewing method, a manual coffee dripper. We tried a Colombian roast, a Galeras Colombia and a Chorongi Kenya. The first one which was roasted by Starbucks tasted bitter, and extremely strong as if it was burnt. The second one from Colombia was a bit milder with some fruity flavor but still to strong-flavored for my taste. The last one from Kenya was definitely my favorite, it had a smooth light coffee flavor that resembled a tea in my opinion.
Apart from some of the best coffee I have ever tried, I got to enjoy some outstanding artisanal sourdough with jam. This same bread is used for the sandwiches that are served at Quentin throughout the day. The menu will be changing very soon so stay tuned for some food surprises!
Quentin is the perfect place to relax with a exceptional cup of coffee, while reading a good book or browsing through their cool magazines which include Drift and Standart, both dedicated to coffee lovers. Don’t be intimidated if you don’t consider yourself a coffee connoisseur, the baristas at Quentin will recommend you what type of coffee to get depending on your tastes!
