Coffee Menu Guide

Have you ever felt bewildered scanning the drink names on the menu the moment you walk into a coffee shop?

Today's coffee shops offer an overwhelming variety of products, which can be daunting for a first-time visitor or someone who rarely sets foot in one. What should you do? First, do not be nervous. Do not think of drinking coffee as something sophisticated; just approach it the way you would ordering at a restaurant.

Solution 1: Order Iced Americano or Latte

If you want black coffee, try an iced Americano. If you worry that black coffee might be too bitter, the way an iced Americano is prepared reduces the expression of bitterness. If it still tastes bitter, ask the barista for some milk. Adding a small amount of milk improves the taste of an Americano.

If you prefer milk coffee, try a Caffe Latte. A latte is a coffee drink with a higher proportion of milk, which does a better job neutralizing the bitterness in coffee. It tastes great hot or cold, and it is one of the easiest drinks for people to accept.

If you want something sweet, you can choose a flavored latte such as vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, or floral lattes; these are all sweet. Note that matcha latte and red tea latte contain no coffee.

Solution 2: Ask the Barista

Just as when ordering at a restaurant, if you do not know what to order, you can ask the waiter for a recommendation, and the same applies in a coffee shop. When you are unsure, ask the barista. They will patiently help you choose your coffee.

You only need to describe the kind of flavor you want, whether you need milk, whether you want it sweet, iced or hot, and the barista will help you select the right drink.

Solution 3: Read the Menu Explanations Below

If you are shy or worried about embarrassment, we have compiled a menu guide for everyone. When you really do not dare to ask, you can look here.

Espresso

Simple explanation: extremely concentrated, a very small amount of coffee liquid.

This is a coffee liquid extracted by an espresso machine, the square or rectangular machine at the counter, through high temperature and high pressure. If you are new to coffee, we do not recommend choosing it, because it is truly too strong and bitter. It usually contains only a few dozen milliliters.

Single Origin Espresso (SOE)

Simple explanation: espresso with a fresher taste.

SOE means using coffee beans from a specific region to make espresso, with the emphasis on highlighting the coffee flavors of a particular origin.

The most common Ethiopian beans used for SOE, such as Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, and Guji, carry sweet-and-sour flavors, making them taste fresher compared with the typical cafe espresso, which uses blended beans from two or more regions and has a rich, mellow taste.

Americano

Simple explanation: diluted espresso with water.

This is a drink made by adding water to espresso. It has a rich coffee aroma and moderate concentration, and it can be adjusted to your taste. If your shop's Americano is too strong or too bitter, you can add more water to soften it, or add an appropriate amount of milk.

Caffe Latte

Simple explanation: milk plus espresso.

If you want to see coffee art, choose a hot latte. A hot latte has delicate, smooth milk foam, a balance of milk aroma and coffee fragrance, and a rich, smooth taste. An iced latte is refreshing and rich, letting you experience both the richness of coffee and the refreshing smoothness of iced milk.

Oat-milk Coffee Latte

Simple explanation: oat milk plus espresso.

Oat milk is not a dairy product; it is a smooth, rich oat pulp. If you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk, you can choose an oat milk latte.

Raw Coconut Coffee Latte

Simple explanation: a mixture of coconut meat and coconut juice plus espresso.

The mixture of coconut meat and coconut juice is called thick coconut milk, which has a very strong coconut aroma and a smooth, thick texture. Most thick coconut milk is sweet, so if you want sweet coffee you can also choose a raw coconut latte.

Cappuccino

Simple explanation: milk coffee with cotton-candy-like foam.

Like a latte, it uses milk plus espresso, but the foam is thicker and denser. The first sip feels like eating cotton candy, rich and dense in texture, with a balance of milk and coffee aromas. Note that cappuccino does not come in an iced version.

Flat White

Simple explanation: milk coffee with a stronger coffee flavor.

A flat white is prepared much like a latte, but the coffee flavor is stronger and the portion is smaller. If you like milk coffee without too much milk, we recommend the flat white: a rich coffee flavor with a smooth, mellow taste.

Dirty

Simple explanation: only iced, never stirred, with distinct layers and a strong coffee flavor.

This is a drink made with chilled fresh milk or purified milk, with espresso poured slowly on top so that it floats on the milk surface.

When drinking a Dirty, you do not need to stir; just take it in large sips. The layered texture is fascinating. From strong to light, from deep to shallow, the first sip is rich coffee and the last is the sweetness of milk.

Coffee Mocha

Simple explanation: milk coffee with chocolate or dark cocoa.

Essentially, it is a latte with chocolate sauce or chocolate powder added, available hot or cold. Chocolate lovers should not miss it.

Cold Brew / Ice Drip Coffee

Simple explanation: cold-extracted iced black coffee with a clean, full, smooth taste.

This is different from an iced Americano. Cold brew is a black coffee made by steeping in cold water at low temperature, with a rich, full taste; ice drip is a black coffee made by filtering with ice water, with a rich, refreshing taste.

Different coffee beans produce different flavors. When ordering, you can ask the barista about the taste. Both coffees come without milk or sugar by default, but both can be added if you like.

Hand Drip

Simple explanation: drip black coffee with overall balance, a clean taste, and distinct aromatic layers.

The taste is cleaner than espresso and more balanced overall, and it expresses the charming aroma of the beans better than cold brew or ice drip. Hand drip lets you choose the beans, and different beans give different flavor expressions.

If you like fruity acidity, try Ethiopian beans. If you prefer mild acidity, try Panamanian beans. If you enjoy dried fruit flavors, try Costa Rican coffee. Or simply tell the barista what flavors you like, and they will help you pick suitable beans.

Images for reference only.

Source: Internet.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Once you know what you like on the menu, the next step is choosing the beans behind it. FrontStreet Classic Blend is the first pick for anyone building milk coffees at home: a medium-dark espresso recipe designed for espresso and moka pot use, it pulls a rich, fine crema even on a non-professional machine, and its mellow, full-bodied character is what makes a good latte, cappuccino, or Dirty possible.

For a nutty, chocolatey profile, FrontStreet Premium Blend is the classic espresso taste most people already recognize, blending Brazilian Cerrado and Colombian Huila for almond, walnut, and cocoa notes, smooth and creamy in a latte and equally good as an Americano. FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend, made from 100% Arabica, is the value option with a full body and plenty of crema at a friendly price.

And if you would rather explore the fruit side of the menu, FrontStreet Strawberry Sugar recreates a distinct strawberry-candy sweetness from naturally aromatic Arabicas, low in bitterness and ideal for when you want a milk coffee that tastes clearly different from the usual.