“There’s a number of brunch spots in Victoria Park and we don’t need to compete in that house. We simply need to do what we love, which is de facto good espresso,” says April Chen.
She and husband Nelson Chen and pal Yvette Lin have opened Hop Cafe with a transparent imaginative and prescient: nice espresso, showcasing Western Australian roasters.
April and Lin met 5 years in the past whereas working at Toast in East Perth. Over time they stayed associates, sharing their experiences in different venues and studying extra about Perth’s espresso scene. Final month they opened Hop Cafe at Victoria Park Central. It’s not the obvious setting for a specialty espresso spot – however the trio is on a mission to carry WA’s wholesome espresso roasting scene to locals.
Roasters will rotate month-to-month, with 4 single-origin beans on deck that may be brewed in any methodology you want – chilly brew, batch brew, pour-over or espresso. Hop additionally provides tasting flights, so you possibly can expertise the complete spectrum of flavour doable from a single bean.
Osborne Park’s Micrology is the venue’s first featured roaster, offering three single-origin beans from Kenya, Colombia and Ethiopia. The fourth choice is Hop’s home single-origin espresso from Guatemala, roasted by Pound Espresso in O’Connor and chosen by April for its suitability to be made with various milks with out dropping the integrity of its nutty, chocolatey flavour.
April is the cafe’s barista, whereas Lin produces dessert that’s thoughtfully paired to the espresso, and Nelson works back-of-house. The trio’s earlier careers in graphic design and structure have impressed the store’s minimalist and monochromatic design.
To enhance the espresso tasting flight, Lin has created a matched dessert menu. An Earl Gray teacake with matcha frosting was developed to pair with the Ethiopian bean’s black tea tasting notes. The Kenyan bean’s citrus notes are highlighted by a lemon and raspberry pannacotta, and a walnut and toffee brownie matches the Colombian’s uncooked sugar and cherry notes.
There’s additionally a small collection of desserts within the cupboard, plus savoury objects like croissants, bagels and a few Taiwanese-inspired creations, together with a loaded sandwich with house-made pork sausage patty, fluffy egg, pork floss and salad, and a flaky pork sausage roll with house-made Taiwanese-style pastry.
Clients can even buy any of the beans or brew strategies to copy their expertise at house. “We wished to make black, specialty espresso accessible. We wish individuals to strive it within the cafe, then be capable of take it and make it anyplace – within the workplace, at house,” Chen says.
In an space that’s flush with bubble tea outlets and cafes, Chen thinks their keep-it-simple components is their power. “We predict that is what makes us stand out on the strip – a well-balanced and uncomplicated cup of espresso.”
Hop Café
2/366 Albany Freeway, Victoria Park
Hours:
Tue to Solar 7am–3pm
