The Story of a Coffee Man: how to run the Best hand Cafe in Shanghai

Sitting at the door of Lumazi Xingguo Road store, looking at the sunny winter in Shanghai, it is always refreshing. People come and go at 11:00 in the morning, there are cars shuttling, pedestrians hurrying past, and Rumaz, a small white painted shop that specializes in hand-brewed coffee, a cafe that coffee makers still love and cherish after five years. Sitting in front of the cafe, watching the aunt and uncle across the street just finished shopping, talking loudly about the price of today's food. This is the real Shanghai.

In fact, it was four o'clock in the afternoon when I went to Lumazi two days ago, and the small cafe less than Baiping was full of people, so it was difficult to find a place to chat quietly with the boss, so we changed it to 11:00 in the morning and then came back for a photo interview.

Mr. Sun Yat-sen, founder of Lumazi

Before 11:00, Mr. Sun Yat-sen and three shop assistants arrived early in the shop and cleaned all the tables and chairs. Mr. Sun Yat-sen packed up his coffee and slowly began to make the first cup of coffee in the morning. The sun beat into the window, quiet and beautiful.

Do one thing in five years

In 2010, when everyone thought they were a sideline and opened a coffee shop, Jiahua smiled. "in fact, many people don't understand how crazy it is for us to do cafes full-time, and the stakes are too high." in fact, she said that opening this cafe was fate, without special intention, but once it was done, it was a process of hitting it off.

"at that time, I had my first drink in Japan, and it was very beautiful. I told my husband that we should also open a coffee shop." The two just smiled and didn't take it seriously, but Mr. Sun Yat-sen, who likes to shop in the bookstore, happened to see a book in the bookstore one day, about hand-brewing coffee and coffee baking books, and suddenly picked up the idea of two people opening a cafe. Only then did we have Lumazi, the first shop on Hunan Road.

He has been tireless for five years, and it is common to work more than ten hours a day.

From a layman to an expert

From scratch, they started by consulting coffee shop owners who often patronized coffee shops, where they learned to bake coffee beans and make coffee. After several twists and turns, he found Mr. Yoshizu Ono of the famous kawan rumors Coffee Club in Japan. In the next two years, Zhongshan devoted himself to the world of coffee by making use of his spare time after work and rest days. Rumors is Indonesian, translated as "friend's house". It just sums up the feeling of this small shop, which is very small but simple in layout.

Watching Mr. Sun Yat-sen's hand flushing on the spot is a kind of artistic appreciation.

Mr. Sun Yat-sen has strict digital standards in every move and style. The coffee powder of grinding beans is first weighed in the electronic balance, and the boiling water is measured with a strict thermometer. "just this cup is Kenya, and the water temperature of 88 degrees is the most appropriate." Jiahua, next to him, explained to us the reason for each step, even the spout is fastidious, and the bottom size of the spout is related to the taste of coffee brewing. The bottom * * is suitable for brewing more than two cups. The current and impact are greater.

Coffee needs five senses in roasting, sometimes a cold destroys the sense of smell, roasting can not be perfect expression, baking can not be perfectly expressed. Self-set standards, if not met, do not hesitate to waste pot after pot of beans, technological progress must be based on countless repetitions and adjustments.

Using flannel filter cloth to make coffee is not only a technical challenge, but also a very expensive thing.

The process of hand flushing is actually an enjoyment and an artistic behavior, especially the practice of blue velvet filter cloth, first of all, the cost is very high, third, the follow-up cleaning is very troublesome, each hole is not easy to clean. It's easy to get moldy if you make it at home. Flannel cleaning, disinfection takes some work, if not properly maintained at home, it is easy to cause the cloth itself to harden, or mildew, have a bad smell. But none of this has stopped coffee from becoming a medium, making guests fall in love with coffee and becoming Rumaz's greatest wealth.

Flannel filter cloth

"A cup of good hand-made coffee is as good as a cup of fine red wine." A good cup of hand coffee, taste must be balanced, whether sour or bitter, if there is no plump taste support, simple sour or bitter will certainly not be accepted. Delicious coffee has no burden on the stomach and tastes clear and clean. Even if the coffee is as easy to taste as cold, the aftertaste is fragrant and sweet. "any deviation in the production process will affect the final taste of the coffee, which is also the criterion for judging the quality of a cup of coffee." It is a variety of mysterious uncertainties that make people look forward to the coffee they are about to taste, and there is an extra romantic temperament in those dedicated, rigorous and rational steps.

Q = "Olive Pictorial" A = Lumaz

Q: what's the experience of opening a coffee shop?

A: if you open a coffee shop, you can make countless friends. A coffee shop is the condensation of a small society. While we are here, watching everyone come and go, a lot of friends have helped us. So we can continue here all the time.

Q: what kind of coffee is good coffee?

A: what kind of coffee is good coffee is actually a matter of opinion. Trends can change, and so can the taste. But the benchmark will not change. After eating delicious food, people reflect it to their minds and leave an impression, which is everyone's unique comprehensive experience and taste memory. A good cup of coffee is first of all acceptable, round and plump, and has an aftertaste.

Q: what factors do you think have contributed to the development of Lumaz?

A: up to now, we are full of gratitude, and many things are said to be in harmony with the people at the right time. The right era, the right location, in line with our personality of the way of progress.

Q: I've been doing the same thing for five years. Is it boring?

A: it won't be boring. Life is repeated a lot of times. But the repetition in craftsmanship is actually full of small changes every day. Day after day, I look back and find that I have accumulated a lot. What's more, the cafe is a small world, even if you can't walk thousands of miles away, you have the feeling of walking and changing all the time.

Photography | Wang Ting