coffylosophy.

Coffylosophy.  What a name.  The grammar nazi in me is crying out "No! How could you!" but the foodie side of me is going "Suck it up.  Who cares as long as the food/coffee is delicious."  So there you go, the inner turmoils of my brain.  Moving on.

Having opened up relatively recently (March, I believe) near the middle of Hutt Street, Coffylosophy came to my attention when dear mother mentioned she had bought some online vouchers a while ago and that they needed to be used quickly.  Clearly I wouldn't be doing my Chinese heritage justice if I didn't use them so off me and a friend went to try it out.

There are a lot of food options.  Aside from their specials board, they offer an all-day breakfast menu - museli, fruit salad, waffles, toast, crepes and more - and a not-as-extensive lunch menu.  They also have quite a few drinks to choose from, coffee and non-coffee alike, but their main focus is the coffee.  The name alone is enough to suggest that they are serious about good coffee, to which I can attest to.

Toasted Banana Bread with Mascarpone, Mixed Berries, Pistachios & Maple Syrup: $9.50

Berry lovers, this one is for you.  Loads and loads of blueberries and raspberries adorn a thick, syrup-infused piece of banana bread.  Personally I found the syrup to be a bit too overpowering and may have been responsible for my sugar high later on in the day.  Nonetheless, I loved that the creamy mascarpone was thickly spread over the bread and that there were lots and lots of pistachios amongst the berries.

Open Sourdough Toast with Pesto, Spinach Avocado & Poached Egg: $9.00

I was pretty disappointed with this.  First of all, that egg is not poached.  Secondly, aside from the pesto, everything was bland.  I was expecting the spinach to be cooked, or at least drizzled in some kind of herb-infused oil, but raw spinach for $9.00?  Mmm....no.

Strawberry & Chocolate Waffles with Whipped Cream: $10.00

It came out looking delicious with all that glistening chocolate sauce over mounds of fresh strawberries.  The waffle was not exactly what we were hoping.  Unlike the regular waffles my friend and I are accustomed to, this waffle tasted more flaky and less crunchy - almost like it had been made out of croissant pastry.  It did taste pretty good with the whipped cream and toppings though, so no complaints there.

Mixed Berries & Mango Munch Smoothies

Both friend and I quite liked our smoothies.  I didn't get to try hers (mixed berries) but my mango munch tasted like a liquid yoghurt bar with coconut.  It wasn't super mango-y but had just a light hint of mango flavour, mixed with coconut milk and shredded coconut.

Vanilla Latte & Macarons

I've said it a few times before, but I'm not really a coffee person.  However, I was feeling somewhat adventurous that day and asked for the ultimate beginner's order - a vanilla latte.  It was deliciously sweet and creamy with a good amount of froth.  Even after two macarons my coffee still tasted yum, although maybe slightly more bitter than before.

I really liked the watermelon macaron.  Not only does it look rather cute, but the cream filling inside was incredibly refreshing and did not taste very sweet at all.  The purpleberry was also good and more softer than the watermelon.

Watermelon & Purpleberry Macarons: $3.00 each

All in all, it was a good experience.  It's a cosy little area and I love the interior design theme they have going on.  My disappointment at the spinach dish is probably not enough to keep me from coming here a second time without the voucher.  The staff are great for coffee advice (they recommended the vanilla latte) and food came out in a reasonable time. The place is pretty small and is most ideal for pairs to groups of four.