Art+ Science Cafe, a new spot in the Playhouse district in Pasadena.
Fourteen blocks of walking...
Well, with stops in between. Snapping shots of retro storefronts, cool signage and even a short foray into Target.
It's pretty small in the cafe and when we arrived, every table was occupied. We chose to sit on the outside patio in their mini courtyard.
We ordered two drinks - the Military latte (espresso with matcha, vanilla syrups and cocoa powder) as well as a cortado. Prices here are on the steeper side ($6.95 & $4.00 respectively). I believe it is called the military latte not only for it's camouflage appearance but also for the latte.
Major props to the owner who brought our drinks out to us. He made two separate trips and didn't spill a single drop, especially that military latte which was filled to the brim. Our latte art design wasn't as intricate as some of the versions I've seen online, but it will still quite striking. I have to say that this was a really great tasting drink. The bitterness of the matcha was softened by the vanilla syrup. The flavors are very balanced; this interesting flavor combination worked quite well.
My cortado was pretty standard - rich and smooth with some bitterness in there. Real milk this time too. Live dangerously, right.
The owner said he learned how to make the military latte in Japan. The barista who usually gets credit for popularizing it in the U.S. is Japanese coffee artist Hiroshi Sawada; the military latte is his signature drink. Several years ago, he opened up his own cafe in Chicago's West Loop, Sawada Coffee inside a smoked meat restaurant. He owns several coffee shops in Japan (Streamer Coffee) and is known for his winning free pour technique. The owner also mentioned that he learned how to make the drink from a Japanese couple in their early 90's who specialize in the military latte. I tried searching for information about them online but all I could find were articles about Sawada.
Article:
"Pasadena's Art+Science Cafe quietly serves one of Chicago's most influential coffees" Eater LA, Jan 25, 2017
Plus an article about the shop in Chicago:
"Sawada Coffee: Au Cheval's Brendan Sodikoff opens coffee shop with Japanese latte artist" Chicago Tribune, Dec. 2015
Art+Science Cafe (opened late Dec 2016)
101 S. Madison St.
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 638-3886
There is no website or even an fb page (although there is an Instagram under 'artandsciencecafe') but here are some reviews from you know where.
Glad we tried this drink at least once. I don't think I could spend $6 on a coffee on a daily basis though.
It was time to walk back to our motel and head over to a museum over in Monterey Park.
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