Make it a double: cafe coffee delights

Feel Good Cafe on Street 136 serves up what many consider the best cup of coffee in the city: a smooth, rich espresso with creamy, well-frothed milk.

The secret to their success comes down to a combination of fresh, high quality beans, properly maintained espresso machines, well-trained baristas and fresh milk.

And now, in great news for coffee fiends living and working southside, the cafe has opened a second and more spacious location in Tonle Bassac.

The new Feel Good Cafe 2 on quiet, leafy Street 29 is a free-standing villa – with a big, paved courtyard and potted plants surrounded by a high concrete fence. Inside is the cafe’s roaster (relocated from the smaller Street 136 location) used to cook up ethically farmed beans from around the region, which they use at both cafes and sell whole or ground for $22 a kilo.

On Tuesday morning, opening day, I popped into the new place on the way to work for a strong latte ($2.50) and a breakfast burrito ($4). The coffee was good – of a similar standard to that offered at the old Feel Good – but the flour tortilla wrapped around bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese and tomato relish was more sweet than savoury. It was satisfying, but I would have liked a bit more punch. My companion had a “spectacular” long black ($2) and decent muffin with butter ($2.50).

As we were eating, one of the co-owners, Jose Angel Rivera, gave us a rundown on the reasons for opening the new cafe. Feel Good was set up as a social enterprise, he explained, which offers staff a share in the company once they have 18 months under their belt.

The new cafe was opened so they could employ more staff and give their more experienced managers the opportunity to take on more senior responsibilities.

With the extra space, in the near future the cafe will start offering coffee tasting and brewing classes in the afternoons for those wanting to increase their appreciation of their delicious java.

sourced:phnompenhpost.com