A moment of gratitude

Its nice to be home. It has been a week plus since i went down to Pitstop Cafe and I am looking forward to going and bringing over all the new games!

The year ahead gonna be tough with many new challenges. Pitstop Cafe is slightly over a month plus old. I really like to take this moment to thanks all the supporters of Pitstop Cafe. They have came and experience power trips, hipcups in service, etc. But they gave us a chance and visted us again, bringing along their friends. I would also to thank those who has wrote really nice things about the cafe and hence promoting more awareness the cafe. It has really been great to have support from all you folks! I like to represent the Pitstop crew to express my deepest gratitude to all your support and your feedback in helping us improve. Look forward to your continuous support in the year ahead.

At Pitstop Cafe, we have just one vision. You come over and we do our best to make sure you have a fun time here. As simple as that!

For readers who has just came across our blog, let me just give a short intro. Pitstop Cafe is setup by a group of friends, just wanting to follow and live their dreams. This blog is not just about informing people about the cafe, but also share our experience on setting up a business.
Not all of us are good writers so do pardon me for some of the long boring entries!

Ok i should not rant on. Since it is the year of the dog, I got 6 pics of Rex posing for you guys!













Last but not least, I really like to thank Timo, Mumu and Eve for all their hardwork. Pitstop Cafe would not be possible without you guys! So lets continue to strive forward in the year ahead.

For you guys who have read the blog but have not drop by, do drop in and I believe you will have a great time here!

Important chinese new year announcements

it seems quite a few folks misunderstood our previous chinese new year's eve announcements.

It means that Pitstop cafe will only be opened by reservation on chinese new year's eve, and so far we've only received a group's reservation.

Therefore, we thought that it is a better idea to send all the pitstop crew back for their reunion dinner.

We are terribly sorry for the miscommunication, we will work on it to enunciate our ideas clearer next time!

hope to see you folks soon!!!

timo

Gossip tsk tsk tsk

warning...another meaningless entry

Its bad to gossip!!! Anyway just like to share some gossip now. I never know Angie, Jen and Brad has such a huge following over here. Every magazine stand i went, their news is definitely the cover of at least 50% of the magazines! Just thought of sharing the top 10 interesting headings that i saw....

1. Angie pregnant before Jen's Divorce
2. How is Jen coping?
3. Jen heat up passion with current lover
4. Angie wants 13 kids
5. Angie had a fall
6. Why Angie won't marry Brad
7. Jen told to speak up on why they had not have sex for the past 2 years
8. The secret is out, its a girl
9. It's a boy! accompany by an ultrasound image
10. Wedding of the year, ring by Princess DI jeweller



There you go, i am just amaze by the amount of media attention....

Ok no more gossip!

New games coming your way!

I know you guys like party games and since i am now in the state, i try to get in games if i could find any. There are people asking for games like munchkin, sequence, etc. However don't seem to find any board games shop here. However there is Walmart here and i manage to get some really cool stuff over here...


A lot of people has been asking for this...


This supposely to be a very fun game, abit like Taboo


Read good reviews on this. Seem like a funny game


This is a classic, anyone remember this game?


Another word game


Some fun and fast card action games


This definitely gonna be a hit if you like games like charades. This ain't board game, but Pitstop Cafe is not about board games, it is about FUN!


Look at the colorful lights, cool!


Play doh? Actually it is to back up for the doh in the Cluzzle game. At 99 cents, i think it is a pretty good deal


This is for my ger ger, she likes to read. Getting books here is definitely cheaper!

Quite a bit of stuff and after buying all of this, i realise a big problem...how am i going to bring all this stuff back???


ok seem like the problem is solve for now...


But what am i going to do with all these???

Anyway the latest update, i got another 4 more stuff...the cranium booster pack, hoopla, cadoo and brain wrap. I think it is gonna be a fun puzzle trying to fit all the stuff in!

So guys do check back at Pitstop Cafe for all this new cool and fun games. Pitstop Cafe, the cafe of fun! Check it out!

sorry for the wash out pics, forgotten to adjust the white balance...

boy boy

Happy Holidays!!!!

Alright folks, since everyone's already into the festive mood, Pitstop cafe will not be opened from 28th-30th January!!!!

Yeah, finally some time for me to chill and really relax.....

We will resume our operations on the 31st January, please call to make a reservations!

Happy collecting Ang Pow!!!

High Profit Margin leh....

tim

Too many choices?

Warning, this entry is another meaningless ranting. Read and be bored at your own risk

I think having choices is good. It give you the feeling of having control. But is there such thing as having too many choices? I am currently in the states and when come to having meals, the number of choices can be too much at times. I am not refering to the choice of different food items, rather it is the choice that is available after making a selection. For example, ordering a Kaya toast with egg may look something like this in the states.

me: kaya toast with egg please
waiter: white or wholemeal?
me: white please
waiter: toast on single side or double side?
me: double side please
waiter: orange kaya or green kaya?
me: green kaya please
waiter: with butter?
me: yes please
waiter: How you like your egg? Half-boiled, hard boiled, scrambled or sunny side up?
me: half boiled...

Yes I maybe exaggerating, but you get the point don't you?

I suspect the problem could be more of my ignorant rather than having many choices. I don't really take bread, cheese or salad, hence when come to the choice of the type of bread, the kind of cheese or dressings for salad, I am lost! I usually ended up in randomly choosing any of the options. The only choice I know for sure is either eat in or take out.

Speaking of food choices, there are definitely a lot of varieties here, but the available cooking style is limited. No claypot, no zi cha, mainly grill. Vegetables are usually available only in the form of salad; no sambal kangkong, vegetables in oyster sauce, etc. Meat is also rather “generalize”. You want chicken; you got a piece of chicken meat. Kinda of ironic, but for this i rather have more choices...

me: Chicken rice please
waiter: with skin or without
me: Yes skin on please
waiter: Gizzard or liver
me: Both please
waiter: Braised chicken legs?
me: Yes please
waiter: Anything else?
me: Eh got intestine or not??? Do we still have this in Singapore?

Anyway speaking of food, I will be missing my reunion dinner! Definitely gonna miss the nice food mum is going to prepare Abalone, cockles, all the fresh seafood...

Hope you guys have a great reunion dinner! No plans after dinner? Why not drop by and relax at Pitstop Café and catch the fireworks? Call now for reservation!

I heard people saying the red juicy juices in the cockles are not the blood. Anyone know what exactly is it?

boy boy

Important new year's eve announcement

What goes in a brew?

Yes finally get to introduce you guys more on the making of coffee, in particular espresso. Warning, this is gonna be a long entry as we explore the various steps that goes into making a brew.

Of course the main actor of the day is the coffee beans. At Pitstop we use a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans. Arabica is supposely a better breed of coffee bean but Robusta beans can add bitterness and hence improve the overall blend of the coffee. Have you guys seen the beans used at the coffee shop? If you get the chance, you will notice that sweet corn is mixed in to reduce the cost of the beans and hence the quality is different as well.


Nice smelling beans. Ask our stuff if you like to take a sniff


Beans awaiting to be sacrifice for that perfect brew...

As you might notice, there are very few beans in the grinder. Running out of beans? The thing with coffee beans is that once they are exposed to air, it aroma will slowly degrade. Hence at Pitstop we put just enough in the grinder for a couple of brew. The rest are kept in a air-tight container.


To ground the coffee beans need skill too. How fine should the powder be? Read on...


Just enough coffee powder for 2 shots of expresso


Pack the powder with a sufficient force...


and end it with a twist


Nicely packed!

Compacting (tamping) the coffee powder uniformly is important to ensure a consistent brew. As you know, espresso is basically extracted by forcing water at high pressure through the coffee powder. Proper tamping ensures that the water force through the powder evenly, resulting a consistent extraction.


Push it into the head...


and lock it in!

This is important! The previous time i got sloppy and imagine the water forcing out at high pressure...not a nice sight!


Getting ready for extraction...


and here it comes...


Extracted in approximately 25 to 28 seconds

Why do we need to time how long it need to extract? The reason is that a nice espresso should be extracted in around 24 to 32 seconds. If it is too fast, this means it is under extracted and the coffee is not as thick as it should be. Too slow, the espresso is over extracted and this lead to a bitter brew. So how do we adjust how long it take to come? We will need to grind the beans to the required granuality that will meet the required timing.

Are you bored already??? There are still more steps ahead! Frothing of the milk and it definitely not easy...


Start off with cold milk, it is easier for the milk to take in air making it easier to foam the milk


Foaming the milk...


Continue heating the milk till the required temperature is reached. Milk steamed to the right temperature has a nice tint of sweetness...


Give the milk a good bang and swirl till the milk reveal a nice sexy velvet surface

Frothing the milk is really tough. What you see outside is a more simplified approach. You get lots of foam and bubbles and that is really easy. However that is not the right technique. What you want is micro bubbles that is mixed well together with the milk. This will taste really nice instead of tasting just foam. Hence it take a lot of control to allow the right amount of air to be mixed in during the frothing step.


Pour it slowly...


See the shape forming? Still not that well done, it should be a nice heart shape


Finishing it off...

Seems easy??? You gonna to give it a try...really take a fair bit of practice. The key is getting the frothing of the milk right. The pattern is actually from the foam of the milk. It is a challenge to pour in by hand and has the milk blend with the espresso and have the foam on top. You need to froth the milk properly to do this! That is why in most places, what they do is to use a spoon to filter and just pour in the milk first. Next they use the spoon to scoop up the foam and place the foam on top.


You can draw somthing nice...


if not, its called abstract art...


and serve with nice chocolate cookies

Phew this is indeed a long entry and hope you guys have found it interesting!

of course, we are not master barista yet! there are really more science and more art into making the perfect brew. However, at Pitstop cafe we ensure that meticulous care is taken to ensure that each cup we make is yet another step closer to perfection.

until then...

drop by at Pitstop for that perfect brew in the making!

BoyBoy

Pitstop turns 1!!!!!! month old..

Pitstop cafe has recently turned 1 month old and yet the number of people who celebrated their birthday here is enough to add up to a Methusaleh!

It's a joy to celebrate birthday as it commemerates the day you are brought to the world.

It's even more lovely to know that your friends knows that this is your special day and bother to make that day unique for you!

At Pitstop cafe, birthdays are carefully handled.

First, we make sure that you are always the odd one out among your friends.



Now you know who's the odd one out...

Second, we secretly hid the birthday cakes that your friend has so generously bought for you.


It was not difficult to hide this birthday cake

Thirdly, we switched off the lights and the Pitstop crew, just like the Smurfs, walks out holding your birthday cake singning the birthday song.

Now, the birthday song is a very special thing. Specially harmonised and practiced, the Pitstop crew will croon a discordant version of the birthday song for you as your friends will join in the chorus.


The candles are 'rigged', he took 5 mins just to get them extinguished!


Lastly, we will present to you a special sundae, on the house of course. If possible we can also be instructed to smash the cake in your face.


The Emperor and his Harem

Now, at Pitstop cafe we try to create a friendly environment where everyone feels at home and at ease.



Far from being commercialised and cold, you will be surprise what Pitstop cafe can do to perform 'out of the box' stance to ensure that unique experience. Don't worry whether if the action is appropriate at such public spaces,


All 3 of them share the same birthday...cool!

The Staffs are equally crazy and spontaneous, just tell us what you have in mind and we will try to do it for you. We can even organise a hide and seek @ Singapore River, or even close the whole cafe for you!!


We even have a private balcony for you!

You will be really surprise at what we can do....

Pitstop cafe, FUN is boundless.

Latte Art Fun

I thought Coffee was just some mild substitute of ecstasy or perhaps a way of acting glam at some cool coffee joint.

Thanks to the Bros at Highlander Coffee who widen my perspective about coffee and providing a comprehensive an experiential barista training.

A worthwhile investment for a 4k Coffee machine, even more worthwhile to know the intricacies behind a cup of coffee.

Latte Art which is the pattern formed on the surface of the coffee crema by a well frothed milk requires hours and hours of training as well as consistency and stable hands.



Frothing the milk requires consistency in maintaining the ideal temperature and angle for creating micro bubbles. The swirling action and steaming of the milk creates a velvety texture and also allows the milk to exude its aromatic flavor.



The formation of the Latte Art is a clear indication that the milk has been frothed to perfection, giving the Cafe Latte it's distinctive taste and mouth feel. We will cover more on the making of the coffee, so keep a look out...



Most of the common Latte Art forms are either leaves or apples. Other patterns will depend on the Barista's creativity to 'draw' exqusite artworks on the crema and milk itself.



In Pitstop Cafe, we strive to put effort into every cup of coffee making the art of drinking coffee a unique experience as well as FUN and interactive as we can discuss more profoundly into the science of making a good cup of coffee.



Pitstop Cafe, Drinking coffee can be FUN as well!!!

Like to know the whole coffee making proccess? Check our blog soon!

Important new year's eve announcement