Update: Sharpfle Waffle is now located at 173 Hinchey Ave. in Hintonburg.
This week, we had the absolute pleasure of participating in a coffee cupping (no, not like the massage!) session at Sharpfle Waffle in Hintonburg, hosted by certified coffee roaster Dongman, who owns the in-house coffee brand Freaks Coffee Lab, and assistant coffee master Joseph, who works at the cafe. Coffee cupping is a special technique for brewing coffee—you only need a small bowl, boiling hot water, and ground coffee. No fancy equipment like an espresso machine is needed, making this technique accessible for tasting coffee all over the world.
When we entered the local cafe, which shares its storefront with Sutton Realty Office, we saw a neatly arranged set-up featuring clear glasses filled with ground coffee beans, empty white ceramic bowls, clipboards, and tasting spoons. There are tropical wallpaper leaves on the walls and a beautiful dark green tiled mosaic on the front counter. The place is small but cozy, with tall ceilings and walls decorated with coffee books and maps.
In these coffee cupping sessions, which ran four times in January, Dongman demonstrates the technique workshop style. First, all the participants smell the 10 mystery ground coffees and write down the aroma notes (think fruity like cranberry or woody or malty). Then Dongman and Joseph brew the coffee, carefully pouring each ceramic bowl, letting the crust form (similar to a pour-over or french press brew) and then skimming the top with two spoons, using Dongman’s own special technique. Then, we taste the coffee and write down the tasting notes, before moving into a discussion where every person is invited to share how each blend smelled and tasted. Every person said something different, from “warm squirrel” and “pipe tobacco” to “watermelon rind” and “blanched peanuts”. Each step is carefully explained by the organizers, who are deeply passionate about the subject.
After the discussion, Dongman and Joseph treated us to Korean Croissant Waffles (croffles) from Sharpfle Waffle’s menu, which was actually created by a 3-star Michelin Chef! We tried the corn & cheese croffle, strawberries & cream, and the chocolatey nutella croffle. The final verdict is all the croffles are delicious and we will go back to taste the popular ham and cheese croffle (turkey available too).
Sharpfle will be doing more of these Cupping Sessions in February, with biweekly classes! Refine your palate, see what coffee you like, and intimately understand the intricate roasting and brewing process. Each session is $30 for 1.5-2 hours of the experience. We ended up staying and chatting with everything for an extra half an hour. Everyone became fast friends, bonding over similar coffee tastes and laughing about the controversial blends that people either loved or hated. Dongman even fired up the shop’s roaster and showed us the beans at every part of the roasting process so we can understand coffee truly from A to Z. Thanks for hosting!
Keep an eye out for the next Cupping Session schedule on Sharpfle Waffle’s Instagram.
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