The ideal cafe

What's your ideal cafe. I need some ideas!

For me

• Not being disturbed (such as someone talk reli loud on the next table, but then sometimes we did that) 
• this could be further discuss, like when you were in a high-class restaurant, you know how to behave cause by the environment.
• but this is preferences right?

• Food doesn't need to be top class, but unique. And personally I hate mixing japanese, thai, italian, chinese in the same place unless it is buffet.
• Dessert should be simple n simple, and the dessert menu should make you just want to try a bit of everything.
• A comfortable chair, relaxing

• Some friends, haha, can we provide that in ours?

Seating??

Solution for 隔離台嘈住哂

如果可以問定佢, 你perfer 熱鬧D定係靜D定係冇所謂 (訂位時問定)


咁可以將間野分做3個部分, 如上圖

放D隔音野O係中間, 但又唔駛exactly 係塊版O個D

另外好多人就俾間房佢, 9成多過8個人定嘈


其實個idea 好rough, 有好多問題

第一輪走左第二輪點算

etcetc


我而家有個idea, 係好flexible咁間開, 有privacy但係又唔會冇左空間感 <--我知好煩

可能其實有冇Dtechnology可以做到, anti-wave??? xd

Easy tiramisu

Just picked it up again, just put it here in case I lost the recipe

For 500g mascarpone cheese

Step 1: Make the coffee, better to use more concentrated, like espresso 2 cups, or sth darker. put it aside let it cool

Step 2: separate 3 eggs, whip the egg whites, (if you dont want to judge by putting it on top of your head, just use a mixer at max speed to whip it for 2 mins, and the mid speed for 30 sec, that's probably right and it never went wrong )

Step 3: for the yolks, add 5 table spoons of sugar and whip it in another bowl until creamy, FOLD cheese into it, fold means using a spatula but not the mixer.

Step 4: add vanilla(extract or the real thing, depends how rich you are), about a tea spoon, and then fold the egg whites into the mixture.

Step 5: add 4 tea spoons of rum +1 tea spoon of almond extract to the coffee. (i mistakenly put table spoons of them...we will see how its go tmr)

Step 6: soak sponge fingers into coffee,(less than a sec will do), and then fill the bottom of your tray. Pour cheese onto it, make it flat, sponge fingers again....then cheese again.

Then put the whole thing in the fridge and just sieve some chocolate powder when serving. 

WARNING : RAW EGG in it so finish it ASAP.

HOW TO IMPROVE:

adding fruit? i saw some of them put chopped berries on it but i don think this is an good idea. May be, just may be we could try to create some with fruit flavoured. (possible with strawberries)

the choice of coffee, darker coffee probably better, so French roast? donno will try it next time.

Case study #2

Gonna share the next case tonite
http://www.piece-cake.idv.tw/index.html

first of all, some photos

amazing Swiss roll, so soft and creamy that you cant imagine

 COFFEE...actually that was the starting point for me to know what is real coffee

 interior-this room was more private

location: 台北市南京西路64巷9弄19號1樓


位置其實比較偏僻, O係橫巷入面, 但係人都唔少


Size: 40人 MAX


感覺:我覺得間野個feel係下午茶, 夜晚去個感覺好似冇咁好


野食:主打瑞士捲, 好似好普通咁. 但係一樣野就搞掂
根據個網既描述, 佢係手整, 一次整2條, 雞用土雞蛋奶用新鮮奶, 就係少少材料同製法上既唔同
就令到佢與眾不同


加多杯特別正既咖啡(應該係自己撈豆) , 你會覺得俾百幾蚊食個下午茶都係抵

佢會令到你感覺到佢每件事既背後都係為緊客人去著想, 連隻叉都有! <--重點

這個故事既意義就係:野唔駛多, 要用心做

眼訓聽日先加野

Random idea

TOPIC: Make little changes on everything, it makes a big difference. <---probably that should be the mind set for thinking everything

If we kinda think a little bit step further on everything, take a little bit more of good care, then we will be better than others.

For example on the menu, we could add a little bit of fun facts of our dishes ,it was not like putting what were the ingredients, but more like putting a cooking tips, funny history etc, just make it more interesting when ppl was reading.

Any inspiration?

Case Study #1

Been stopped for 2 days, lets call it weekend effect, but i am not giving up on this!

Probably using real case to analyse would be an good idea.

so far I got 2 in hand, -owl our wonderland, tst , hk
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=13742

piece of cake ,台北
http://www.piece-cake.idv.tw/ 

Just case 1 for now

自己去過2次對上一次同hoffman and cash去
地點: 尖沙咀金馬倫道5號太興廣場5樓 就係通利對出個度, 都算入左少少橫街, 其實冇咩人流

點搵番黎: openrice sort $100-150 既意大利野第一位

要訂位, 好似成日會fully book

價錢: 食個小食意粉加杯野要百五倒 

positioning: target 年青人同番工人

食物: Italian style, 係O係香港見過比較 認真意大利野既cafe, 意粉較為正宗, pizza用thin crust topping 易都係簡單既風格,但係小食會出現炸芝士/雞翼.

服務: 很ok, waiter 算係orgarinze , 唔會太煩或者叫極都叫唔到 

短評:其實佢比較著重餐廳既路線, 冇一批O係度坐成晚既人, 但係會O係野食上令到你再番去搵佢. (但係好似唔係幾maintain到, 近幾個openrice 既評語都比較差) 唔知係唔係因為D租貴到去焗住O係野食度cut.

諗到先再加野

Goma Sauce

reThe legendary japanese goma (sesame) sauce...

it does wonders for your cold dishes.

Just slice a cucumber and add goma sauce.

Serves as a salad dressing as well.

RE: USP

very simple things could become a USP.

I've seen somewhere that a fish n' chips shop using "healthy and fresh" as their USP.
100% vegetable oil and fresh (as opposed to frozen) fish.... but i can imagine his costs for fishies would be high as a rocket. The owner also runs a seafood shop across the road though.

USP could be as simple as that.

another very successful example there's a place called "Ibuki House" in Melbourne.
it's a japanese 私房菜. $50 (HKD400) per head. Ibuki-san used his own garage for his customers.
Lately he earned so much he has 2 restaurants now and one of them is located in a hotel.

another even more successful example is "Tempura Hajime"
They only serve 12, yes, twelve, customers per night. Fixed menu and something like $75 (HKD600) per head.
Bookings essential and restaurant is run by 2 people. The chef and his wife.
The tempura is so good that there's not a single drop of oil on the grease paper for every tempura dish.

What about a 私房cafe?
Book your room and there's nobody else disturbing you. Perfect peace and place for your group of friends. You get excellent food and the menu changes weekly with a different theme and you don't need to fight over the boardgames with another group of guys.
Just joking.... doing that we won't have enough customers to make a profit...

RE:RE: Location

而家有討論件事易諗左

for booking, 其實想大都唔得啦, 一貴左, 二做唔切

如果要自己日日都做到癲左咁就無謂.

假設我每日都有個threshold value, 邊個位先係lowest average variable cost. 如果認真D, 就砌個business model, 雖然幾年後個環境會唔同, 不過都可以大概知下


Target market, 我都係想serve番我地咁既o靚仔, 始終會比較了解customer, 同埋會比較接受到新野

到positioning: 個個人都想做到特別, lee個方面真係要俾heart去做, 點樣O係野食度, 環境度 俾到人有個唔同D既感覺. 例如可能會係我地自己睇法, 比較個人化既野放入去.

我而家暫時既諗法係將想令到人覺得點解係食同一樣野個味會差咁遠, (就係因為lee 度多左個step, o個度用多左樣野). 因為始終cafe generally 俾我既感覺都係有D求奇, 一班人去hea ,去傾計既地方 , 如果野食野飲都好既, 件事先會完美D lor.

Any core value that we can add?

So for the food, i gonna stay on my style, but not like in a stubborn way.

舉個例, 即係有人會覺得咖啡唔好飲而唔去試, 其實好可能係因為佢地未飲過original 既咖啡, 一路飲過左期既, 加十杯糖既. 如果D豆真係新鮮, 根本就唔駛加糖.

不過講又講, 最緊要都係個客點睇, 因為係我地去serve人, 如果佢要佢rissotto 林D你一定要整俾佢. 但係唔可能因為就佢或者大多數人而改左個org menu, 令人覺得rissotto 應該係林先o岩.

當然要做到咁堅持既地步一定要對自己既野好有信心, 如果唔係都冇資格去咁講

大致上就係咁. 有冇野有意見或者有野加

Re:pumpkin soup

HA, PUMPKIN SOUP

I still can remember once I have make it mike's home for Christmas dinner, this sounds like the same.

There are something we could add to this to make it even more simpler, peeling the pumpkin could cause some time. we easiest was to cut the pumpkin in 2 half (horizontally), take the seeds out, put herbs and garlic on it and bake for 1.5 hr

想快D可以將佢切一舊舊, 半個鐘ok , 2個方法都要seasoning

其實呢, 就咁咁焗都好食

2.如果食南瓜食到想死可以轉做butternut squash
都係一樣 , 2樣加埋好似都得

John

Simple Pumpkin Soup

RIt's called "simple" because it still tastes really good even without the spices....

1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1kg pumpkin (don't use butternut or grey pumpkin), peeled, diced
1 large potato, peeled, diced
1 liter chicken/vegetable stock
125ml thin cream

Serves 6.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add pumpkin, potato and stock and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then blend using a blender.

Return soup to pan and stir through cream. Reheat slightly and serve.

RE: Location

lo唔使太大間
要俾人覺得唔係隨便食到 - Bookings are essential - common practice in western countries. The best Spanish restaurant in Australia (MoVida) has a waiting list up to 3 months. And people travel to Melbourne just to try it.
this will give your customers feeling a bit "privileged" when they successfully get a booking...

其次係做咩人生意?
有錢人? 學生? 中年? 係人都殺?
in simple terms, mass market or premium market? as well as your demographic.
most importantly, Unique Selling Position (USP).

unique selling position - why should the customer go to your cafe but not the one around the corner?
This is very very very important - to make your shop standout from others and also determines your demographic.

When you have an answer for your target demographic and USP, then pick your location. Different locations have different demographic and consumer trends. The spending habit is different. Even the food they eat is different.

There's also the question of consumer needs. Do you follow the traditional recipe for a particular dish or you "modify it" to suit the consumer's taste even if it means the dish taste worse?
迎合大眾口味定係保持傳統口味?

eg. Risotto. Traditional wisdom is you intentionally leave the rice a bit undercooked to give it a firmer texture. However, conventional wisdom of Asians are rice should be soft. So do you turn the risotto into chicken stock rice pudding to suit Asian needs or leave it as how the Italians like it?

白汁雞皇飯

今日我煮飯, 今個星期既試考完整番D麻煩D既野

材料: (份量D野都係個人喜好, 我就係雪櫃有幾多就食幾多)

飯 4 mug
雞(最好係脾(drumstick)/上脾(thigh)) 6隻 或者 雞翼8隻
紅蘿蔔 2條
洋蔥 1個
磨菇一盒



白汁(自己整)

一開頭記得煲飯先, 成日都係整到最尾唔記得煲飯會俾人打, 4mug 飯用3mug水煮, 煮完打開蓋由佢抖氣

今日因為以為有雞脾, 點知一開雪櫃得番雞翼但係又買哂其他野, 所以焗住整

雞脾起骨, 比較易.再切粒炒

今日我唔想同D雞翼糾纏, 所以我加少少糖同鼓油放哂佢地入焗爐220度20分鐘, 焗乾佢個面

我覺得想快其實都可以用焗左D雞脾佢先拆肉

洋蔥一開12 (自己決定啦其實) 炒, 加糖

紅蘿蔔切片,又炒, 炒紅蘿蔔唔加水會比較好, 因地佢地本身都有, 加左水會控制唔到,慢D火, 十分鐘啦應該

到磨菇, 如何炒一個好磨菇, 首先要有一D好磨菇 lol. 認真, jamie oliver 同.
heston blumenthal (<--fat duck既主廚)教落, 死都唔好用button mushroom.即係

<---因為佢地冇味











用有D個面啡啡地已經好好多

唔好切太細(即係一個你唔好切佢薄片, 因為你唔係飲湯, 又唔係哈迪斯要慳皮). 切十字夠架啦
個定呢其實洗左係可以要, 我以前當佢係冬菇, 好白痴次次都整佢出黎扔左佢


炒啦而家, 獲夠熱, 少少油 放哂落去, slat and pepper, 兜一兜, 加白酒. 等一陣, 放D牛油, 牛油一溶哂就可以拎番佢出黎. 千祈唔好炒到D菇出哂水, 因為你放佢埋一邊佢都會自己出.

炒好哂D野啦, 應該D雞都焗好灘番凍, 咁就慢慢同佢地拆肉.

整白汁

牛油面粉奶=白汁

1.溶牛油, 大概1.5table spoon
2.西面粉, 2 table spoon 應該差唔多
3. 炒一炒佢, 咁先會冇左D面炒味
4. 慢慢地加奶, 一定要係慢慢地因為我整到今日都係整錯, 一快就不可收拾
5. 慢火一路煮一路加奶, 如果有發蛋白的東東可以用手攪佢.
6.直到你覺得佢係差唔多白汁, 加白酒, 加頭先磨菇既汁

之後你而家有個汁, 就加番哂頭先D料, 撈撈撈就係咁....

而家你可以焗左佢, 太肚餓都可以揀唔焗

焗就200度十分鐘用grill

如果你好鐘意芝士, 可以加, 但係會飽死因為你而家食緊牛油加奶撈飯

完 (有冇野唔明)

The greatest obstacle

講左好耐, 到最尾如果要o係香港度開一定會被租金問題困擾

今日就諗一諗

地點先

其實我有D想開間野O係沙田

不過咁, cash: 沙田係得新城市有人行, 馬鞍山就仲衰. 而且D租愈近新城市就愈貴

O係沙田就仲有另一個問題, 有個現象就係D人一講cafe, 就係mk cwb, 一講pub, 就加多個tst....
好似已經係定左位咁

咁又不過, 從另一個角度諗, 你間野好既話, 沙頭角你都唔駛驚冇人黎

邊樣O岩呢?

第2樣係個模式

地鋪? 樓上鋪? 活化工廠大廈o個D? 仲有冇架??


如果淨係講租, 地鋪就一定唔駛諗架啦, 樓上可能會好D

簡單D即係人流 exponential  to  租

不過我地又唔係開果汁鋪其實要咁多人流把鬼

-咁問題一出現: 間野要幾大先係optimum?


ha 好亂, 慢慢組織下先再打

Little recipe on panna cotta

Let's build the habit, if I got nth on the planning may be I can still put a recipe here for reference.

Start with an easy one.

Panna Cotta (for 2-4)

Single Cream 250ml
Milk (better with full cream) 50ml
Sugar 50g
Rum 1-2 table spoons
Gelatine 2 sheets, approx 10g

Method:

Heat cream, milk and sugar until hot, with little bubbles and smokes, add the rum. Taste.

Leave the heat and stir in the gelatine.

Pour it in a cup, then fridge it until set.

Done

Could add some thickened juice on top (all kind of berries). Boil juice with sugar until it reduced and thickened.
And then may add a little bit of chocolate decoration.

This is the first entry

Thanks to cash, I am starting this all over again. From here, from 0. This time let's make it happen!

So, what's the plan
妖都係打番中文

目標:開一間cafe

時間:2015-2020年O係香港開間cafe

而家: 咩都冇

so let's do some research (on elements needed for the cafe)

defining our target

the time line

Set up our business model (product, marketing, operation, finance, management )

Ref: http://www.ehow.com/how_2323724_start-small-cafe.html

First question

open a cafe (size: ?) in (location) in (time) with a investment of $xxxxx ?

tbc..