of mojitos and other madness: o.ri.ole

did you know that the latin origin of the word oriole stems from the word aurum or gold? i actually googled and wiki-ed it, hoping to get some inspiration for a fitting title to this post, and the discovery suddenly all made sense. the oriole cafe and bar truly was like the bird, standing out proud all decked out in truly gorgeous wood and leather deco - equivalent to the bird's yellow and black body, and golden, without a doubt, describes everything the cafe was...from the awesome food to the friendly service and oh most definitely, the coffee experience.

i have to begin with the end of the meal, simply because the latte i had was simply the best i have ever had in a long long time. lattes are more than just a coffee with steamed milk...it starts with the artistic visual sealing of the top of the drink, providing somewhat of a clue of the barista that brewed the coffee and i guess a pretty good idea how the cuppa would actually taste. it's always a treat to watch someone make a cup of coffee, the latte especially because it is a definite art, from the brewing of the espresso to the steaming of the milk and my personal favorite part, the skillful infusing process of the steamed milk with the espresso, complete with the decorative detail on the foam top. the ease with which chief barista john whipped up my latte didn't appear too different from some other people i've seen, but the latte that resulted was hugely different. capped with a pretty toffee colored leaf, the latte was perfect. you know how it is sometimes when you first sip your coffee and all you get is the milk, or worse foam? well...the latte at oriole is brewed such that every sip had the rich coffee burst of flavor with just the right creaminess of the freshly steamed milk. not the least bit acidic, and no heart racing or funny tummy feelings i sometimes get after drinking coffee, this is most definitely how coffees should be.

aside from the fantastic coffees, oriole has been touted to serve up quite a mean fish and chips, and i agree. the portion was generous, snapper was very fresh and fried in yummy crispy batter. the secret to the dish in my book is that they got the fish to batter ratio right, so the garlicky batter didn't overshadow the sweetness of the fish. the thick cut fries too complemented the fish...with hints of aioli, and the homemade tartar sauce truly completed the dish. if there was another dish to recommend, my vote would go to oriole's signature burger.

think freshly ground homemade beef pattie, infused with caramelised onions, topped with melted cheese and a sunny side up, this burger was very very good. maybe it was the sweet onions, or maybe they put in a dash of fruit chutney but there was a sweet tangy flavor lingering in the background that augmented the flavors of the ground beef, making this burger really stand out. again, served with thick cut aioli garlic fries....the burger gets top marks from me!