Vancouver’s Boutique Coffee Hotspot – Must-Try Flavors Part 2

Text & photos byThe Flight Attendant’s Coffee Journey

Matchstick Coffee Roasters

Located in the eastern part of Vancouver, this is another area home to many independent specialty coffee shops. Nearby, you’ll find the well-known roastery Elysian, Vancouver’s iconic Forty Ninth Parallel, the uniquely characterful Kafka's Coffee & Tea, the representative of Vancouver’s trendy coffee scene 33 Acres Brewing Company, and Aperture coffee bar—run by a photography enthusiast who serves beans from the American brand Intelligentsia.

The overall interior design and spatial feel are my favorite among all the specialty coffee shops in Vancouver. Simple, clean walls adorned with deer antler decorations give off a Nordic vibe. The spacious layout and high ceilings, along with comfortably arranged seating that avoids any sense of crowding, plus large bright windows that flood the space with natural light, make it an ideal environment for reading or working in comfort.

I ordered a Guji Sidamo Ethiopia, sun-dried process. Their pour-over method is the common North American style: a six-cup Chemex paired with a KONE stainless steel metal filter. Some say the KONE filter can result in a murky taste with off-flavors, but I quite enjoy the retained oils and layered flavors. The espresso machine is a green three-group La Marzocco Strada.

The staff service is excellent, and their coffee knowledge is very extensive—they can give detailed explanations about the flavor profiles of different beans. It’s also worth mentioning their coffee bags: each type of bean has its own unique illustration, which you can view on their website.

Matchstick Coffee Roasters was founded by three young people. The matchstick concept aims to bring coffee back to its most original form.

http://www.matchstickcoffee.com/
Matchstick Georgia Street
213 E Georgia St (at Main)
7 am - 9 pm, seven days a week
Matchstick Fraser Street
639 E 15 Ave (Fraser & Kingsway)
7 am - 9 pm, seven days a week

Prado Cafe

Before introducing Prado Cafe, we must first talk about its owner, Sammy Piccolo. He is a legendary Canadian barista, known throughout the global coffee community—there’s virtually no one who hasn’t heard of him. His competition record is stellar: not only has he won multiple World Latte Art Championships, but he also claimed the Canadian Barista Championship title four times and led Team Canada to four World Barista Championship finals (with three second-place finishes).

Driven by his passion for coffee and background in the food and beverage industry, Sammy, along with his two brothers, co-founded Caffe Artigiano in 1999. During his time running Caffe Artigiano, he participated in numerous international competitions and achieved outstanding results. Six years later, they sold Caffe Artigiano but retained the roasting operations. That brand became 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, and Prado Café naturally also serves their beans.

In 2011, Sammy purchased Prado Café on Commercial Drive. The Prado Café in Gastown is Sammy’s second location this year. Both are situated on corner properties with excellent natural lighting, making them bright and pleasant spaces. Both offer free Wi-Fi and a few power outlets.

Prado Café - Commercial Drive – 1938 Commercial Drive location.

Prado Café - Gastown – 100 W. Hastings Street

Prado Cafe
http://pradocafevancouver.com/
Commercial 938 Commercial Drive location.
7AM-8PM (M-F), 7AM-7PM (Sat), 8AM-7PM (Sun)

Gastown 100 W. Hastings Street
7AM-7PM (M-F), 9AM-5PM (Sat-Sun)

The Flight Attendant’s Coffee Journey
Exploring specialty coffee shops around the world from the perspective of a seasoned flight attendant and professional barista.
Author: Current flight attendant, certified SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) Level 1 Barista, SCAA & CQI Q Grader for coffee quality evaluation.FB,Blog, Instagram: world_coffeeshop