Actually a fly is about the only thing that isn't "etched" into the froth of these coffees, though I'm sure a talented barista could conjure one up if you asked.

Having been told for years the caffiene in coffee could trigger heart problems by way of raising blood pressure, and to moderate our consumption of the "morning thunder" accordingly, a recent study has found coffee can reduce our chances of heart disease... if consumed in moderation. The study tracked 129,000 men and women over two decades. It found that people who consumed several cups of coffee every day were ... Read full entry

A whiff of coffee may be just as reinvigorating as drinking it, if tests on sleep deprived mice are anything to go by. A team led by Yoshinori Masuo at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba, Japan, deprived rats of sleep for a day. When they examined their brains they found reduced levels of mRNA - messenger molecules that indicate when a gene is being expressed ... Read full entry

Career change time: Tom Bodger is a former Sydney accountant who wants to become a chef and one day open his own restaurant. On 15th February 2008 I left my corporate job as an accountant to train as a chef and ultimately open a restaurant. Before I start though I have some time off and I'm going travelling. Oh, and I swim a lot too. Aside from reporting on his progress, ... Read full entry

The Next Sushi Foodies alert, the following dishes are set to become the "new sushi"; Mongolian Hot Pot, Dosas, Just Desserts, Pupusas, Small Plates, Korean Bibimbap, Mangosteens, Offal, Singapore Street Food, and Little Fish. Twenty years ago, a business lunch of raw fish and rice was unthinkable. Now you can stock up on maki at the 7-Eleven. Similarly, calamari went from scary, tentacled oddity to ubiquitous bar food, and balsamic vinegar ... Read full entry

Coffee wars: Starbucks v McDonald's. While some consider Starbucks coffee "fast food coffee", or worse still, the "McDonald's of coffee", it seems somewhat ironic that McDonald's, as in the hamburger "restaurant", is now shaping up as the next competitive threat to Starbucks. Adding to Starbucks' woes, and further emphasising its similarity with McDonald's, the burger chain is about to launch a direct attack of its own. This year McDonald's plans to ... Read full entry

Coffee's not-so-evil empire. If Starbucks coffee shops located across the street from each other, can compete with each other, then anyone, supplying a quality product can as well. After all, if Starbucks can make a profit by putting its stores right across the street from each other, as it so often does, why couldn't a unique, well-run mum and dad do even better next-door? And given America's continuing thirst for exorbitantly ... Read full entry

Sunday afternoon at Chocol'art Randwick. What else? Nice coffee and chocolate. I'm not so sure about their new "weekend surcharge" though... the competition is pretty tight in Randwick, coffee shop wise.

Being a loyal coffee consumer has become ever more difficult in Randwick. Since my first report on the coffee shop saturation situation locally, a couple more coffee shops have become visible to the disassociated radar. A couple have closed in the last 18 months, but there's three or four I still haven't been able to get near to date. Last time I thought ... Read full entry

Coffee this morning came with a double hit. It’s not every day the captain of the Wallabies (the Australian rugby team) serves you coffee at your table, but that’s what happened. George Gregan himself was our host!For those not in the know, Mr Gregan runs a chain of coffee shops (a little along the lines of your Starbucks and Gloria ... Read full entry