Americano ($4); Cocoa latte ($5); Banana cognac pie ($7)!
Saturday cafe spread — Americano + cocoa latte + banana cognac pie at $16. Specialty cafe coffee and dessert pickup.
Saturday post-dinner cafe with BB — Americano ($4) + cocoa latte ($5) + banana cognac pie ($7). The post-ramen-dinner cafe pickup spread.
We ordered:
- Americano — $4
- Cocoa latte — $5
- Banana cognac pie — $7
Total: $16 for the spread.
The Americano was the simple coffee order. Double espresso pulled clean, topped with hot water to dilute to the proper Americano strength. The Australian-style “long black” is the related format with the espresso poured over the hot water (vs. Americano which adds water over the espresso); the difference is subtle but real in the crema preservation.
At $4 for the Americano this is budget-tier specialty cafe pricing. Most specialty cafes run Americanos at $5-7; this spot was at the lower-tier or running a happy hour.
The cocoa latte was the dessert-leaning drink. Espresso paired with hot chocolate (real cocoa, not chocolate syrup) and steamed milk. The combination provides the coffee-meets-chocolate flavour profile that’s richer than a mocha but more coffee-forward than a hot chocolate.
The proper cocoa latte requires real cocoa preparation — bittersweet chocolate or proper cocoa powder mixed into the steamed milk, with the espresso pulled separately and combined at the end. Shortcut versions use chocolate syrup which lacks the proper depth.
At $5 for the cocoa latte this is fair specialty cafe pricing.
The banana cognac pie was the dessert headline. Banana cream pie format upgraded with cognac (or another brandy) incorporation in the cream filling or the banana caramelisation. The cognac adds the warming spirit-aromatic note against the banana sweetness and the cream richness.
The pie format was probably a slice of a larger pie rather than an individual mini pie. Crust at the bottom (shortcrust or graham cracker), banana custard or banana cream in the middle, whipped cream and possibly chocolate shavings on top.
The cognac is the differentiator from a standard banana cream pie. The proper amount of cognac adds the small spirit kick without overwhelming the banana; bad versions either skip the cognac entirely or add too much, ruining the balance.
At $7 for the slice this is fair specialty cafe dessert pricing.
The combination of two drinks plus a dessert is the proper cafe-stop spread.
Overall: 4.5 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Strong cafe trio — would repeat.
