The Food Talk's caffeine-infused meet-up!
Tea or coffee are beverages essential to more or less every one of us. Friends meeting for coffee and a quick bite, sleep deprived students powering through the night with a strong cup of tea as their 'fuel' or even office-goers with those giant mugs filled with coffee to battle a day's work.
And so, rightfully, The Food Talk (a restaurant rating page which also holds meeting sessions with members and people from the culinary industry) arranged a get-together to discuss about these beverages. The meeting took place at Busy Beans on 20 February, 2016.
THE MASTERS OF COFFEE HAD SPOKEN
In Bangladesh, North End Coffee Roasters is one of the most well-known coffee brands. Their coffee shops are just the tip of the iceberg; the organisation provides all sorts of coffee solutions to myriad cafes and eateries in our country.
Its District Manager Md Monir Hossain was a guest speaker at The Food Talk's hangout. He explained the differences between the various coffee names we see on the menu. "Espresso is the mother of all coffees," he said. "It is the most basic thing, the foundation on which various flavours and ingredients are added."
North End puts extra effort on employee satisfaction and retention. An experienced barista is invaluable! "Invest in your staff," Hossain advises. "You spend so much on theme and decor, but how much do you expend on training?"
GEORGE'S CHALLENGES
George's Cafe, located in Uttara, has gained enormous popularity in recent times. To share its experience, co-founder Affan Chowdhury talked about some of the challenges and issues perhaps every restaurateur has to face.
Location, location, location: that's the key. And in order get a proper one, Chowdhury remembers how he had to roam around for months before he could settle for a satisfactory place. But 'location' goes further. "You are at an advantageous position if you are on the ground floor. Generally speaking, many customers don't really want to go up," he opined.
He also talked about a very important aspect of an eatery that the customers and outsiders do not usually put any thought on: the relationship with suppliers.
"Sometimes, you will ask for something on the menu that the waiter will say that they are currently not serving," he pointed out. "One reason for this is the very crucial supply chain; those people who are supposed to deliver you ingredients and other essentials."
OF TEAS AND TRAVELS
The last presenter was a tea connoisseur. Having travelled in many places of the world, Mishael Aziz Ahmad has built a fabulous collection on tea. Wherever he goes, he has to have the local tea and bring some home.
"Green tea, owing to the health benefits it provides, is in vogue nowadays," Ahmad said. "But it might be wise to limit its consumption in late evenings, since the drink is very rich in caffeine and is therefore likely to affect sleep among many people."
He brought along some of his collectables, and passionately described and demonstrated a variety of teas, herbal teas and utensils - from Japanese to Latin American.
With the different teas of Mishael Aziz Ahmad, the delicious brownies brought by North End and the delightful cakes from George's Cafe - and a full menu presentation by Busy Beans - The Food Talk's fourth meet-up had truly been a amazing treat for the foodies.
Last but not least, The Food Talk, based on a survey that asked people which is the best coffee place in Dhaka, gave recognition (Circle of Recommendation, as they called it) to North End. George's Cafe, too, got this recognition for its Mocha Java.
By M H Haider
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