# McCafe



## u2jewel (Aug 17, 2017)

I live in Hanoi. My 11th year here. For the last 5 years, we've been promised McDonald's here. But finally! These years have been a blessing in disguise though.. Less junk food in my diet.

But with Domino's, KFC and BK popping up all over the place, it's a matter of time before the diminutive Vietnamese become not so diminutive. Oh well.. With fast food, bad air quality and packs of cigarettes costing 75p, I'm not sure how long I can live (here)...

Back to the topic.. So after stuffing my face with a big mac, I spot a McCafe in the corner. There, to my surprise, I find a proper machine and grinder combo. Not a bean to cup.;NS 3 group and a Mythos. The hopper is interesting. What's that front compartment within the hopper holding the beans for? It's got one of those built in Tampers. I look at the menu. Espresso is 80p. Gotta try, right? She grinds. Shakes and flattens the grind. Tap tap against the fork, then tamp. So far so good. Presses the volumetric. 22 second pour. Looked a tad fast, but pretty much dialed in. Not quite mouse tail, but not a rat tail either. Looked in the paper cup. Nice crema. About 20g? Hmm, I wonder what the dose was.

Bang per buck, this was by far the best espresso I've had. Then again, at 80p...It was Italian in taste, and better than most espressos I've had here, most of them costing 3 times more.


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## buzz (Jun 1, 2017)

Sounds like the right ball park.

I've been in India a month, and only just found myself a cafe with an actually espresso machine!

All the other places use pods, or worse.

I watched him pull a shot, and it ran for about 9 secs and probably about 30g... Oh dear. And some nice steamed uht milk to boot


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

I've heard various tales of McDonald's coffee being quite drinkable  glad u enjoyed it


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## igm45 (Mar 5, 2017)

kennyboy993 said:


> I've heard various tales of McDonald's coffee being quite drinkable  glad u enjoyed it


Like all 'tales' in the UK this is not true.

It is so very very bad, even my friends who happily drink instant say its vile


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## u2jewel (Aug 17, 2017)

I'm not necessarily a huge McDonald's fan.. If I do go back home, I don't go there that often. I do enjoy the occasional Big Mac though☺, but there are other things higher on the list. Since there are choices to have coffee elsewhere, I've never tried a McCafe espresso until today.

Here in Vietnam, Cafe Phin (Vietnamese drip coffee) is the norm here. But thanks to Starbucks and their likes (big franchises) other ways of drinking coffee is slowly being integrated into the culture here.

Are McCafe machines in the U.K. NS and Mythos combo? You'd expect a global franchise to have everything standardised and have a 6000 page operating manual and a global network of supplies.. But if I remember right, the ones in Thailand and Hong Kong are bean to cup..

One thing impossible to find abroad is good fish and chips. If for whatever reason you are about to start a life in exile, enjoy some while you can.


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## ZappyAd (Jul 19, 2017)

u2jewel said:


> One thing impossible to find abroad is good fish and chips.


Sometimes it is also hard to find that in the UK.


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## Grimley (Jan 18, 2015)

To the OP; You wont get that in the McDonalds in the UK, the coffee in nearly all of their places is made via a Bean to Cup machine. I would question both the quality of both the Coffee beans & how often the machine is 'cleaned' as in cleaned of tannins. It's that that makes me think it's the reason why its one of the most bitter coffees I've tasted.


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## ChilledMatt (May 9, 2015)

Grimley said:


> To the OP; You wont get that in the McDonalds in the UK, the coffee in nearly all of their places is made via a Bean to Cup machine. I would question both the quality of both the Coffee beans & how often the machine is 'cleaned' as in cleaned of tannins. It's that that makes me think it's the reason why its one of the most bitter coffees I've tasted.


I think the bitterness is due to the temperature. I got my local McDonald's to reduce the temperature of the machine and it was way less bitter. It lasted less than half a day. McDonald's customers complain if the coffee doesn't take the skin off the roof of their mouths!


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## Stanic (Dec 12, 2015)

I popped into the local mc cafe and indeed they have two superautomats side by side

I was not brave enough to ask for coffee though


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

Well all is good, might fly over and have one,haha


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

So the boy survived his preschool injections with skill, so I find myself at 11am polling up at McDonald's for the promised treat (apparently park then McDonald's wasn't an acceptable compromise, and he didn't even flinch, so very deserving)

They are now doing a "flat white" it's a stronger latte with less milk is the advertising line...

Dare I try it?

Nope. I'm drinking Banana milkshake, the only acceptable McDonald's beverage!


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## Grimley (Jan 18, 2015)

There's a new Advert out - a flat white one with people explaining what a flat white is. I'm quite aware thanks, mcDonalds & I think i'll pass on your version of one methinks.


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

Grimley said:


> There's a new Advert out - a flat white one with people explaining what a flat white is. I'm quite aware thanks, mcDonalds & I think i'll pass on your version of one methinks.


Awwww, you don't know what a flat white is!


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

Microbubbubbubbles


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## Grimley (Jan 18, 2015)

Scotford said:


> Awwww, you don't know what a flat white is!


Really? I've got time off work soon, I may pay brixton a visit during that time perhaps.


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

Grimley said:


> Really? I've got time off work soon, I may pay brixton a visit during that time perhaps.


It's the complexity of brewing coffee and the simplicity of its mastery


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

Grimley said:


> There's a new Advert out - a flat white one with people explaining what a flat white is.


The advert is very funny . . . And yet (while McD can keep their coffee) I can't be the only one who has ventured into such places depicted and had a little chuckle at the sheer hipster-esse excess of it all.


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

MildredM said:


> The advert is very funny . . . And yet (while McD can keep their coffee) I can't be the only one who has ventured into such places depicted and had a little chuckle at the sheer hipster-esse excess of it all.


Especially when what arrives before you is a teeny tiny bucket of burnt with added foam...


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## Hibbsy (Jan 8, 2017)

MildredM said:


> The advert is very funny . . . And yet (while McD can keep their coffee) I can't be the only one who has ventured into such places depicted and had a little chuckle at the sheer hipster-esse excess of it all.


I have certainly waited behind some people who struggled to work out the vast selection of coffee available.


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

microbubbubbles


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## Sheena_Lance (Jan 24, 2018)

I tried that before during my visits in the Philippines and I never like thee taste, i would prefer to have starbucks as it is always available around the area.


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## Grimley (Jan 18, 2015)

Grimley said:


> To the OP; You wont get that in the McDonalds in the UK, the coffee in nearly all of their places is made via a Bean to Cup machine. I would question both the quality of both the Coffee beans & how often the machine is 'cleaned' as in cleaned of tannins. It's that that makes me think it's the reason why its one of the most bitter coffees I've tasted.


Well I tried the 'flat white' in there today. I wish I hadn't now. My advice to anyone is to drink one if you have to with plenty of sugar.


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

Grimley said:


> Well I tried the 'flat white' in there today. I wish I hadn't now. My advice to anyone is to drink one if you have to with plenty of sugar.


I'm assuming the milkshake machine was broken?


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## brabzzz (Apr 14, 2017)

@buzz

If in Mumbai, swing by this joint.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZnG7XgFWEqP2

They have a GS3 and not afraid to use it - and their desserts and sweets are, frankly, biblically good - some of the best i have tasted anywhere.

...it's like Paris but without the shite coffee


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