PAN: Lumaca
Geisha coffee beans were sold above a thousand bucks back in 2017!
Not related to Japanese culture at all, Panamanian Geisha coffee is renowned for its distinctive flavour profile. Intrigued by this unique coffee that's among the most expensive globally, my BFF and I decided to drop by one of the highly rated café in Casco Viejo, a historic district of Panama City, to have a taste of it.
I shall start with the snacks first before we go into the drinks.
Cheese Empanada PAB 2.25 (~S$3.05)
Taste: 5/10
We decided to sample one sweet and one savoury items to go with our drinks. Unfortunately, the baked turnover didn't quite tick the checkboxes. Despite being warmed prior to serving, the crust rather lacked the desired flakiness and buttery flavour, while the cheese filling was of mediocre quality.
Banana Loaf Cake PAB 3.00 (~S$4.05)
Taste: 6.5/10
I'm a big fan of the Southeast Asian version of banana cake, but I hardly eat the Western counterpart. While the banana flavour packed a punch, I found myself less drawn to the denser texture with a heavier crumb, on top of the fact that it wasn't as moist. Nevertheless, it was still a better choice than the empanada.
Panamanian Geisha (Pour Over) PAB 9.00 (~S$12.15)
Taste: 9/10
The moment of truth finally arrived. As I took my first sip, I was blown away by the unparalled smoothness of its texture that I could hardly get from any other coffee I've tried thus far. Characterised by lively sweet and floral notes, it was no doubt a wonderful coffee. However, to be searingly honest, I don't understand how the coffee beans grown by a particular plantation could be sold at a record price of US$1,320.00 (~S$1,781.20) per kilogram in 2017.
Pina Colada Smoothie PAB 3.99 (~S$5.40)
Taste: 8/10
As the UV rays caused the mercury to soar to around 33 degree Celsius that day, sipping on the cold coconut and pineapple smoothie gave the sensation of diving into a refreshing oasis. Rich and creamy without being prohibitively sweet, the smoothie provided a burst of refreshment that tingled the taste buds.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 7/10
Ambience: 6/10
Overall: 6.5/10
What's the best coffee you've had before? Pika's advice: The café is pretty popular for its variety of flavoured frappé, such as Nutella and Red Velvet, both priced at PAB 4.50 (~S$6.10).
Lumaca
Avenida A
Panama City
Panama
(Daily: 8.00am - 9.00pm)
*Prices quoted are nett prices.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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