MELK Bar à Café (Monkland)
Informations
:
Une véritable troisième vague atteint Monkland.
What she thought
I was thrilled when I heard about Melk Bar à Café opening its doors in NDG. Even though we have moved from that area, I still visit Monkland Avenue from time to time. Whenever I do, I ALWAYS go here for a latte. Most of the time, I also indulge in one of their wonderful home-made munchies—scones, muffins, biscotti. (Try the crumble; it’s amazing.) And though I don’t have a dog, I noticed they offer home-made doggie biscuits for those who bring their furry friends on a latte run!
- Coffee: The coffee used for my “petit” latte was a Vancouver-based 49th Parallel offering called Sulawesi Toarco Jaya Single Origin Espresso. (Try to say that 5 times fast!) As you can see in the photo below, the latte art was beautiful. My first sip of the latte, though, was shocking! The taste of the coffee was strong—very strong—due to the roast, perhaps? But as I continued to drink the latte, the taste got smoother and smoother. The last sip was simply amazing: rich coffee flavor blended with perfect, silky foam. At the bottom of my glass, I could still see the latte art heart (miniaturized, of course) surrounded by remnants of delightful crema.
- Seating: For such a small space, Melk has a fair amount of seating. Inside, you will find 4 seats along the bar in front of the window, 4 small tables with bench-and-chair seating along one wall as well as one free standing table and chairs along the other. Outside on their cozy terrace, I counted at least 6 tables. The terrace also has an adjustable awning that offers shelter from unexpected—or expected—rain showers as well as from the blazing sun served up by our Montréal summers. Incidentally, Lucille’s Oyster Dive, the restaurant next door, has a picnic table at street level that clients of the café can share.
- Atmosphere: Everyone who works here is extremely friendly and courteous. The owner, who poured our coffee the day we visited, loves to chat about coffee and is extremely knowledgeable about what he serves and how he does it. The only drawback when sitting inside is that the noise level can be intense. I had gone to the café with friends one afternoon around 1:30 PM, and, at times, we had difficulty hearing one another.
Final Thoughts: Quality and consistency are two important strengths of this café. I have NEVER received anything less than a beautifully poured latte with lovely foam and flavorful coffee.
Another lovely latte offered by Melk
Ce qu’il en pense
Bien situé au cœur de l’action, MELK est l’incontournable de l’avenue Monkland. Ne restez donc pas surpris si le petit local est rempli à pleine capacité. Le service n’en souffre pas pour autant, mais l’atmosphère relax peut parfois devenir bruyant.
Les délicieuses pâtisseries offertes pour accompagner les cafés sont préparées sur place, avec finesse. Crumbles, amarettis, scones, muffins et biscottis : autant de choix que ne risquent pas de vous donner l’impression d’avoir une roche dans l’estomac. Les biscuits en forme d’os ont l’air tout aussi appétissant, mais ils sont pour les chiens.
Le torréfacteur utilisé est Forthy Ninth Parallel, de Vancouver. Lors de notre visite, on servait le Sulawesi Toarco Jaya single origin espresso. Avec l’appellation d’origine unique, on s’attendrait à une torréfaction moins foncée, la première gorgée du latté nous fait d’ailleurs comprendre pourquoi l’étiquette porte aussi la mention espresso. Après la surprise initiale, le goût gagne ensuite en subtilité et on peut mieux apprécier le single origin.
- Le café (latté): un bel équilibre café/lait, il garde du corps jusqu’à la fin, mais pas au point d’utiliser une cuillère.
- Les lieux: petit, propre, sans prétention. Une mention spéciale pour le beau logo qui interpelle le designer en moi.
- Le personnel: connaisseur et attentionné, je me souviens d’une conversation sur les pratiques de torréfaction dans l’industrie du café, des différences entre la production à petite et grande échelle.
Le cortado : commandez-le seulement si vous appréciez le goût puissant de l’espresso.
