iwantmycoffee {REVIEW}

Iwantmycoffee opened only 3 months ago and is already causing a "stir" (excuse the pun) in the world of coffee culture cafe's and best of all, its right on my doorstep!

The creators of iwantmycoffee Ard Mathews (songwriter and musician of Just Jinger fame) and his partner Deborah have nurtured their "baby" from conception to birth and should be proud of how this "toddler" is maturing and surely its a positive sign for the birth of some siblings!

You will find this "babygem" on the ground floor of "Mayfair on the Lake" behind the Chris Saunders Park overlooking both the park and the Gateway Theatre of Shopping.

What does this new kid on the block have to offer?

Its one of those inviting, friendly and want to linger longer kinda places.

The menu focuses on the coffee and drink selection, with a few "delish" sweetie and organic sandwich options, rather than focusing on food choice and the coffee being the add on.

Two experienced Baristas work their magic with the local "Bluff Bru" selection.

 They also offer a South African decaf called Racemosa believed to be the only naturally occurring decaffeinated bean in the world.

Add to this a radio station (iwantmyradio) which is located at the back of the cafe and you have a unique,cool place to chill,enjoy good coffee,meet friends or just people watch. 

For those of us that need to work there is free Wifi.

My BFF and I shared a yummy, huge beef roll (R40).I couldn't resist the "dreamy" Belgian Hot Chocolate (R25) and my well travelled friend chose their Frappachino equivalent Coffreezo (R30) which she rated as one of the best she has had.

iwantmycoffee is a "must place" to visit and for those of you that live far,far away, then I hope for your enjoyment the siblings come soon!

Open weekdays and Saturday mornings and on Wonder Market Sundays.

iwantmycoffee 

NOMU SKINNY HOT CHOCOLATE

I love, and I mean love Hot Chocolates, the richer and the more cream on the top, the better! However I am not a fan of any of the diet, low fat or low cal versions.That was until I tried a free trial sachet of the NOMU SKINNY HOT CHOCOLATE powder that I received in one of the magazines recently. Huge admission here...I very rarely, ever try any free samples that come either attached to the front or on the inside of magazines.

They just get thrown into a drawer along with all the good intentions of trying at a later date and then they get forgotten about. 

The sachets of NOMU SKINNY were saved from the same demise, for no other reason than - I started a serious diet yesterday!

2 free trial sachets

In desperation for a chocolate fix I dug out the sachets from the bottom of the drawer and mixed as instructed, but with full cream milk! I know... I should have used skimmed, fat free or low fat milk, but I never buy,so full cream it was!

Oh my goodness the hot Choc was simply delicious...it was creamy and really tasted of a rich decadent chocolate! I may even try a low fat milk version next time, but I doubt a fat free or skimmed milk hot choc will work for me.

There are some things that a girl on a diet just can't give up!

The SKINNY is now on my shopping list and retails for R42.95 for a 200g tin and is available from selected foodie outlets or online. Check out their website as NOMU make a whole host of exciting food items.

Nutritional information

Average Values Per 100g Per 6g Serving (6g hot chocolate + 250ml skim milk) Energy 1384kJ 83kJ 465kJ Protein 22.0g 1.3g 10.3g Glycaemic Carbohydrate 35g 2g 15.8g Fat 7.5g 0.5g 0.99g

This product is Halaal and Kosher (Milchik) certified.

NOMU also make a Decadent Hot Chocolate which sounds "calorifically" good, so maybe when I have shed my many extra kilos I can switch from the SKINNY to the Decadent! 

Mmmm I can't wait...

Both of these Hot Choc powders can be mixed with either hot or cold milk.

Retails R69.95 200g tin

PICKLEPOT CAFE BOSTON

Continuing from my previous post my "BMW Sunday Trip Out"...To read review the first much needed stop was at a little cafe called the Picklepot on the R617 Boston/Underberg Road. 

The Picklepot has been in existence for many years and has just been taken over by Craig Francis.The last time I visited my "kiddiewinks" were little and I remember it being very child friendly with an outside jungle gym and plenty of space for them to run around and I was pleased to see it hasn't changed.

Getting off the bike all wet and cold, the first thing I headed for was the welcoming fire, the fire at that moment, actually interested me more than any food or drink,which for me is saying something!

Craig was very attentive and helpful with the fire and the drying of our gloves etc. 

His cafe did resemble a Chinese laundry at one stage!

The thawing and drying out process was helped along though, with a very nice, big mug of Hot Chocolate..

I was so happy to see this fire

 A Yummy Hot Choc R22

The breakfasts we ordered were tasty and well presented. The menu has a range of breakfast, lunch and snack choices, as well as scones,muffins, cakes and the usual beverage selection.

A half portion of scrambled egg on seed bread R35

The Sunrise Breakfast R40

The Picklepot has produced a range of jams and pickles for many years on site and are available for sale in selected outlets in KZN or in the cafe. Baskets of the jams and pickles are brought to the table with your food, allowing you to taste. My husband tasted all the pickles and and jams and we finally decided to purchase the French Atchar, which was "delish".

With our clothes dry,our bodies warm, and our hunger satisfied we headed off for the next leg of the epic journey.

Jams R30 

Pickles R30

Whiskey Marmalade R30

Contact Details

Craig Francis 

072 190 5548

Picklepot@polka.co.za

COFFEE GUYS

As I was walking along the Durban beach front in the rain yesterday, I was not expecting to discover a "Yummy" Hot Chocolate, but I did!

On the north end of Ushaka municipal car park you will find the "Coffee Guys" mobile espresso van, from sunrise every morning (except Mondays).They have a catering style coffee making machine all set up in the back of their van.These guys stand and are constantly making cups of "delish" coffee,cappuccinos,espresso and hot chocolates.....

The "Coffee Guys" have quite a following amongst the surfers and walkers and now it includes me...

My hot chocolate had a lovely thick creamy head on, just how I like it!

Their coffee prices start at R10 and hot "chocs" are R15.

If you are down on the beach front and fancy a good coffee or hot choc "on the go", then stop off and try the "Coffee Guys" I think you will be pleasantly surprised....I know I was!

STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY

Starbucks Hot Chocolate

Starbucks Coffee company have more than 17,000 stores in 55 countries and they are the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world, so perhaps I am asking too much of a coffee company to produce a good Hot Chocolate.
Mmmm...I cannot say that I have ever really enjoyed a Starbucks Hot Chocolate whether it be in New York or more recently on a cold, rainy, summer's day in the UK. Every time I travel overseas I always make a bee line for a Starbucks hoping that the Hot Choc has improved, but it always seems to disappoint.....It looks delish with a nice creamy top, but the actual Hot Choc is too watery and it just doesn't hit the spot for me.
However I do know that their coffee range has a huge following around the world ,except in South Africa where the Starbucks invasion has not yet happened!
But guess what, you don't have to wait for the franchise to hit SA as its as close as your nearest Checkers Hyper store. Look what I saw at the Gateway branch today!

Starbucks have over 50 different types of roast coffee blends and Checkers have three of their ground coffees..."not many" you may say...but hang on, its a start and at R79.99 for a 300gr bag, its cheaper than an air ticket overseas to get that Starbucks coffee fix.

STRANGE BUT TRUE

I was born in the UK and lived there for 21 years and it was very rare to come across anyone who didn't drink tea or coffee....well that would be the case unless you came across Moi! 

For 21 years I never drank any hot drinks...strange but true..lol. "Why not" you may ask and my reply would be the same today as it was then...I don't like the taste of either and its as simple as that. I am a self confessed chocoholic yet the last choc in the box could be the coffee cream and there it would stay..

Yes sometimes I may have thought how nice it would be on a cold winters day to hug a big mug of tea or coffee but really it never appealed to me enough to partake in the bean or the leaf.....people often told me it was an acquired taste but I never remember chocolate or SD'S being an acquired taste it was "love" at first taste.

 I really only started to drink hot chocs when I came to live in SA and even then its a small window of opportunity as the summer temperatures of 30c+ isn't really conducive to hugging a hot drink so its confined to the winter months...After saying this I love the whole concept of Cafe culture and I join in but with a Hot Chocolate..

Thanks to Wikipedia for the below overview of Hot Chocolate.

Hot chocolate (also known as hot cocoa) is a heated beverage typically consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar. Drinking chocolate is similar to hot chocolate, but is made from melted chocolate shavings or paste, rather than a powdered mix that is soluble in water. Also, drinking chocolate usually is not as sweet as hot chocolate.

The first chocolate beverage is believed to have been created by the Mayas around 2,000 years ago, and a cocoa beverage was an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 AD. The beverage became popular in Europe after being introduced from Mexico in the New World, and has undergone multiple changes since then. Until the 19th century, hot chocolate was even used medicinally to treat ailments such as stomach diseases. Today, hot chocolate is consumed throughout the world and comes in multiple variations including the very thick cioccolata densa served in Italy, and the thinner hot cocoa that is typically consumed in the United States.

Interesting this is... but my perfect Hot Choc has to be made with hot full cream milk (no skinny's for me) it must be rich,creamy and preferably have  some form of separate chocolate to melt into it...Oh! and cream on top or at least a nice thick foam and the choc powder on top to finish it off.

My preferred hot chocolate in SA is  from the franchised chain called Vida e caffe...www.vidaecaffe.com

“vida e caffè” is Portuguese for “life and coffee”.

As I regularly travel around South Africa it has enabled me to try many hot chocolates and I find vida e to be consistently good and rarely fails to hit the spot in order to give me my fix for the day. The Chocolate Quente R24 is actually made with Lindt chocolate discs....yummy

CHOCOLATE QUENTE 

   

Don't forget to ask for a loyalty card at vida e caffè to accumulate 5% “cash back” in points.