I
f you thought good coffee existed in Toronto and Vancouver with nothing in between, than you would be sorely mistaken. After establishing themselves on the Cochrane coffee scene at Java Jamboree, owners Les and Ottilia Jaworski expanded their café brand to Calgary.
Using newfangled, highfaluting technology to create the perfect cup, Kawa (pronounved Ka-Va- it's Polish for coffee) employs Syneso and Clover machines. The Syneso, out of Seattle, is a revolutionary piece of handmade equipment with precise temperature controls for the perfect espresso. Meanwhile, a cup of the brewed stuff made from the Clover machine will give you an elitest stride on your way to work. It's a new concept machine which brews coffee by the cup- combining the French press and the vacuum technique. Owner Ottilia totes it for being a "completely different experience; with the ability to bring out the subtle notes of the coffee, similar to wine." Now you will never miss the floral and fruit flavours once hidden in that paper cup.
49th Parallel Coffee out of Vancouver seems to be the standard for high end cafes; and it's used here, along with the Josuma line, by award winning baristas. If you are not as into your beans as some, you may have been oblivious to the underground society of coffee freaks- but they exist. While one barista, Ashley, only made it to the top six in the regional championships, (she should probably just quit now), that guy (if his name is Brendan) making your iced latte is probably on his way to the national championships for baristas, held in Montreal later this year. How does one win said competition? With a concoction of espresso, rose petal infused milk, and a topping of crème anglaise mixed with whipped cream (is that necessary?), plus a sprinkle of lemon rind.
The space is quite conducive to sipping, with comfortable seats in a modern atmosphere. Think dark and brooding tabletops and wood panels, with metal accents and large windows for relief. Patrons have been complementing the owners on the beauty of the space.
Kawa is serving light lunches and snacks of house made panini sandwiches and salads. Or grab a pastry made by the organic goddesses at Ladybug. If it's organic it means it's good for you. Look out for Kawa's transition to the nightlife; soon, they are going to start serving wine, and tapas to go with it. And if their coffee handling is any indication, rest assured you are going to be able to taste every single one of those oak-y notes.
At a Glance
One correction, well two: There are actually several cafes in Canada with Clover brewing devices; what I think you heard was that Java Jamboree, which is Kawa's sister establishment in Cochrane, was the second shop in Canada to have a Synesso- that's the espresso machine they use; Clover is for brewed coffee by the cup. Nowadays there are four shops in Calgary with Synessos (JJ, Kawa, Phil & Sebastian and DeVille) and more across Canada. It's still a superb machine (and if Les and Ottilia like you, you might get to play with it!) but it's years from being second in Canada.
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