I've got a little confession for you guys. Seeing how close we have become, and how our relationship has deepened, (my God I love you) I think it's only fair that I be honest and upfront with you. It's going to be tough but bear with me and please don't judge me for it. Ready? *big breath in through nostrils
I
can't
drink
coffee.
*exhales through mouth
It's a medical condition and one that I carry around with regret. The reason I'm telling you all of this is because last week I attended the official opening of TRUTH.coffeecult and I realised again how much I miss the stuff. The smells of the roasting coffee were unreal, the place was packed with beautiful people, it was a gorgeous Cape Town day and Rus Nerwich was murdering it on the sax.
Truth is owned by the David Donde (the guy who started Origin) and in only a few weeks it has managed to make a huge impact on the Cape Town coffee scene. Walking around the place it didn't take long for me to understand why. The first thing you notice is the integration of the outside area into the architecture. It is beautifully done and creates a very European/New York vibe, where they often focus on pedestrianising their inner-cities. Inside the shop the emphasis is on clean, simple lines and a vintage coffee roaster which takes pride of place and serves as a stunning feature. The building, it should be pointed out, is pretty special too and is actually a memorial. A perfect, light, airy space to browse and admire while while waiting for your order.
The philosophy behind Truth is to strip down coffee to its basic form and offer the customer only a handful of options. There is a case to be made for too many varieties being presented lately and it would appear that Truth are going for the "back to basics" angle, which is more often than not a good one. Food-wise there are a few options like wraps, mini-burgers, salads etc. (all priced at R15!!) and if you - like me - can't handle coffee, you will be pleased to know that there is an impressive selection of tea available too.
No doubt this place will be making the Vida and Origin boys sit up and take notice. It has already drummed up a lot of hype and the fact that you can go to a coffee shop, not drink coffee, and leave impressed says a lot.
Cheers,
Jamie Who
P.S. I feel better that I have come "out". That secret has been tormenting me and I think you and I will only be closer as a result hey. Kisses.
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5 comments:
I'm sure you feel much better now hehe. I can empathize..I also can't drink it. Havent had a cup in about 15 years. Kisses back at ya xx
Jamie Who... Conceptually, TRUTH is a great... but in truth, thats where it stops. I dig the idea that David has going there, the location is cool and that machine is absolutely amazing. But the coffee, honestly, is utterly crap. I have been involved in the specialist coffee world for over a year now, and have tasted the best coffee South Africa has to offer. TRUTH doesn't come close. It is bitter, burnt, and there are no flavour notes or aromas. It really disappointed me. I think that David will be able to sort it out though, he has a lot of coffee knowledge and hopefully will figure out the roasting process shortly. I went there for breakfast, but they informed me that they were still working on their menu. AFTER the official opening? Unacceptable.
But as I said, I like the idea and I hope they get things sorted. The place has a lot of potential and should be a hit when the coffee tastes as good as it should.
dK
dK, as I said I don't really know enough about the coffee business. The feedback I have got re TRUTH has been pretty good though so yours is interesting. You obviously have experience so let's hope David takes constructive criticism like yours and uses it to improve.
Panic Attacks?
hi DK, I have only seen this now, hence the late response. I am eternally against burnt bitterness in coffee. As you have correctly pointed out, by the nature of artisan roasting our coffee has improved tenfold since early March. However, we would never willingly serve a cup as you described it and I can only assume something went wrong and that we screwed up. For this I am sorry, please accept my heartfelt personal apologies and please allow me to please make it up to you in someway, and accept my invitation for a free re-tasting at our expense and your convenience, even if we need to open up out of hours to make this happen.
apologies again David
We stand behind our quality, always.
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