Café Exploration in Guangzhou's Old Town: A Visit to BONUS COFFEE

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What? It's Raining?! Rain Is Heavy? Doesn't Matter! I Must Drink This Cup of Coffee!

What? It's raining?! The rain is heavy? I don't care! I just have to drink this cup of coffee! In short! No matter what! I am determined to drink this cup of coffee! That's it! I don't want to say more! In short! No matter what! I must drink it!

It was half a year ago when I was wandering through the old district of Yuexiu in Guangzhou. Suddenly inspired, I made a turn and wandered into an alley, thinking to see if there were any buildings with the flavor of old Guangzhou, when I discovered this cafe hidden around the corner.

I still remember being shocked by the environment inside when I first entered. There were only bar counter seats and a long bench for customers to place their personal items. The overall decoration style was rather minimalist, but due to the relatively small layout and numerous items placed around, the bright lights shining on the wooden bar counter created a rather warm atmosphere. Additionally, the owner had stored her personal treasures collected from various places in the shop, each item with its own story, which made the whole shop feel cozy. With few customers inside and quiet surroundings, it was very suitable for studying.

The first product I tasted at this cafe was not coffee, but a dessert. And it was this dessert that made me remember this cafe. Unlike most desserts on the market, BONUS's desserts are not the kind that are overwhelmingly sweet, which is quite suitable for someone like me who doesn't particularly like sugar and has strict requirements.

A Return Visit After Six Months

In the blink of an eye, six months passed like that, until only recently did I have the opportunity to properly visit the shop again. The decoration remained simple and cozy, and the owner was still young and beautiful.

On such a hot day, regardless of anything, the first thing to order is definitely an iced Americano! It's both convenient and quick, and can most directly express this cafe's attitude toward coffee.

BONUS's espresso coffee has the acidity of African coffee, the richness of American coffee, plus a hint of smoky flavor. Only after asking did I learn that the espresso blend beans here, besides having the acidity from African beans, also include Guatemalan beans that bring a touch of smoky flavor to this blend.

Desserts and Specialty Coffee

When visiting BONUS, besides coffee, the most indispensable thing is a dessert. I still remember the cheesecake that made me fall in love with this cafe six months ago. However, when I looked at BONUS's menu again this time, my gateway dessert was nowhere to be found, which was quite disappointing. I had no choice but to order a raspberry sorbet with dark chocolate lava center.

Upon closer inquiry, I discovered that the menu had actually changed many times. The dessert menu changes every three to four days, and the ingredients are fresh, all made to order. This is also what attracts me.

The hot dark chocolate lava cake had just the right amount of sweetness. When it was about to become too sweet, a spoonful of cool raspberry sorbet provided both acidity and coldness, which was very refreshing. Overall, the two were paired perfectly.

After finishing the dessert, I ordered a cup of Golden Mandheling. The young female owner brought out a ZERO JAPAN double-hole fan-shaped dripper, explaining while brewing that it was to highlight the sweetness of Golden Mandheling and make it smoother on the palate. She then specially took out a KONO dripper that hadn't been used for a long time to brew another cup for comparison. It was truly as she described!

The Owner's Story

When the owner had time to sit down and chat, I discovered that before opening BONUS COFFEE in 2017, because of her interest in roasting, she specially went to Shanghai to find a professionally trained roaster to study for a period of time. Later, because of her interest in coffee, when the wave of specialty coffee had not yet risen in Guangzhou and there was nowhere to learn, she went to Qinghai to study coffee knowledge.

Practical Information

Finally, I need to remind everyone. I tried to go early to have a cup of coffee before, but BONUS COFFEE's business hours might differ from what's shown on maps and Dazhong Dianping. To avoid finding a closed door, going in the afternoon is quite good. A dessert, a coffee, plus a book, enjoying a quiet afternoon - this is truly a wonderful thing.

Address: Opposite Dazhong Glasses on Dezheng Middle Road (310 meters walk from Exit A of Nongjiangsuo Station, Metro Line 1)

Business Hours: 10:30 AM - 6:00 PM

For more specialty coffee beans, please add private WeChat FrontStreet Coffee, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473