Once upon a time, I didn’t have the internet.

The year was 2008 and a rival gang decided to cut my connection in an attempt to sever my ability to communicate with all my henchmen. An alternate version of the story involves my parents snipping it absent mindedly thinking it was connected to an explosive. I’ll let you pick which one is more believable.

The point is, I wasn’t home very often during that time and spent a lot of my time in the library.

It was my sanctuary with books that let me lose myself in the stories of others and working WiFi so I could torrent Seinfeld. Life was good, the library was my safe place, it was my haven.

Speaking of, I think I’ve found another Haven in Surry Hills.

Full disclosure: Haven Tailoring Coffee Joyously (what a name) was not my first choice on this fine morning. My first choice was absolutely packed and could only find room for me in a corner normally reserved for punishing kids who threw paper airplanes whilst the teacher wasn’t looking.

So we went elsewhere…joyously. Heh.

Let’s start with a little caffeine:

One of Haven’s calling cards is its ability to tailor its coffee to your desires. The acidity, the sweetness, the body the girth can all be adjusted depending on how you like it.

I learnt all of this after I had ordered my coffee.

You see….I am not a smart man nor am I very experienced when it comes to java. I only started drinking it late last year and have so far avoided talking about it due to the fact that I don’t know anything. All I know about coffee is what I like and don’t like.

I like Haven’s coffee, it wasn’t incredibly bitter nor was it milky. There was a nice balance so henceforth…I liked it.

…this is why I don’t write about coffee.

However, I do write about food:

This was a very comforting dish, it’s almost like it knew I had a bad week ahead of me and decided to pull me into its warm and soupy embrace. The MVP of this dish was the soy cooked mushrooms. It was a relatively mild dish so the mushrooms stood out with their saltiness and almost smoky flavour.

I always have love and make room for shrooms.

Whoops, thought this was my schoolies diary.

I’ve got to talk about the broth. It was a savoury tea with lavender tones. That doesn’t look like it should work on paper but it worked in my mouth and that’s all that matters.

Winter is here and I’m glad I have this dish to help me fight it off. The combination of pumpkin and lamb form an incredibly formidable defence against white walkers the cold. The lamb was infused with pepper and the pumpkin’s gooey consistency blended so well with the oozing egg yolk. Oh yeah, just wait until you get to the fatty part of the lamb.

Everything’s better with iFat…I mean lamb fat.

I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly.

I really don’t by the way, this jelly is the most unique jelly I’ve ever had the pleasure of trying. It’s a sight to behold because it’s so pret-tea.

It’s texture is like the lovechild of cream and jam. You start off by making your way through a rhubarb infused jelly that has citrus hints from the mandarin, then you reach the bottom and you’re tea-sed with some amazing tea jelly and realise that you should’ve mixed it.

Whoops.

Guess I just have to come back. You Haven-t seen the last of me!

Here’s the TL;DR for everyone else who wonders if Haven got a ghetto

– I wrote a guest post for my friends over at Breakfastin, go check it out and show me some love!

– I swear I’m not a diva who refuses to sit in a corner….but seriously NO ONE PUTS IFAT IN A CORNER.

– You don’t have to be drunk to enjoy the soba.

– There ain’t no hash for Haven’s winter hash.

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Haven Tailoring Coffee Joyously, Surry Hills

30-34 Chalmers Street

Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday: 7:00am to 4:00pm
Saturday – Sunday: 8:00am to 4:00pm

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