His dedication and integrity is really something special. A decade of pulling or pouring every single cup! Wow
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too long to watch what are the big takeaways from mr endorffeine
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- david chang can’t understand jack’s discipline to brew every coffee (instead of expanding, pursuing empire, buying a bean farm to make a roastery)
- jack used to have a sports car (Corvette) but sold it within a year
- jack is a honey badger (the coffee shop is designed to make guests a little uncomfortable so they adjust to the shop) and david loves it
- jack’s endgame: retire to bangkok, execute exactly what he wants to do with the coffeeshop with no compromises
- jack respects the occasional frappuccino
- david makes a slice of ham with redeye gravy using instant coffee (used to be at ssam bar)
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Appreciate it!
I felt judged when I ordered his shaken latte.
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Some more cliff notes:
-Jack’s mom does not drink his coffee and possibly to this day does not understand what he is trying to do lol
-A cup of coffee from Blue Bottle in the Ferry Building changed everything.
-He only considers himself a 7/10 as far as making coffee goes.
-He is constantly learning and trying to be better each day.
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Yeah, what theplankt said. sorry, i wasn’t able to respond earlier
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Pretty much most asian parents if your kid is not a lawyer, doctor, or corporate exec lol
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i don’t know Jack and haven’t been to Endorffeine a ton. Their hours and location didn’t always work out well with my life (which I gather is intentional 
) the Mon-Thu switch is a little better
One day I was there and he asked me my thoughts on the hand brew. I enjoy great coffee but definitely day to day brewing at home I drink maybe upscale commodity beans most of the time
What stood out most was how consistent the cup was from top to bottom but I wasn’t sure how to say that. It was the most direct expression of consistency.
So i just said “it was so even” and pushed my hand across a plane.
he looked off then said “i try to focus on balance.”
On why Jack doesn’t have food, strive to offer more, is content with where the shop is at:
“But then i wouldn’t be as happy. I think, in LA at least, it’s easier to get fixated on, in a coffee shop, the croissant that you’re buying or the cardamom bun—I love cardamom buns—than the coffee itself. And then even with that, you’re leaving the pairing of the two to the guest.”
On differences in approach and execution
“I think the US is a food media culture and i like to think that the rest of the world has food culture.”
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That was an interesting exchange. My take is the word “balance” implies different notes combine to creat an harmonious structure. His choice for no pastries, no electronic devices and bland environment demand patrons to focus the drink served. Absolute purist.
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Anybody tried this place? One of the weirder names I’ve seen.
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yes– we went there right when they first opened. it’s my favorite coffee shop that i’ve only been to twice. the barista (can’t remember his name) had been hired away from dayglow, maybe. good guy young guy.
pulled a fantastic shot for an americano. cheeky decor, too – though it looks from some pics on google like they’ve filled it out with some shelving and merchandise. when they got started it was like buying a coffee from folks squatting in an abandoned office.
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I am intrigued! Will visit soon.
Avant-garde coffeeshop of the highest order
interested in trying that Japanese black sugar.
How do you guys rank Los Angeles versus other coffee cities? (Portland, San Francisco, etc.)
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Aeropress coffee competition this Sunday east of the Arts District
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That is awesome intel! If I didn’t already have plans I would so go!!
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we a coffee city now?
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File Systems of Coffee, Melrose
Cortado. Real nice pull and mouthfeel/texture. Courtesy of La Marzocco, Brandywine Coffee (Delaware), and the skilled barista. Japanese Black Sugar Latte. Subtle sweetness. Wonder why more places don’t use Japanese black sugar?
Espresso beans used today:
Pour overs options with Sey. Tempted but I am already 2 drinks in. You can buy Sey beans here and Origami filters if you are running low.
I like the space. Plenty of room to move around. Tables, and bar seating. Not so busy part of Melrose away from the vintage and street wear. They got an old office desk with an old Macintosh computer lol! Plants!
Tron showing.
Check it out.
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Snagged tickets, thanks for mentioning! There’s a 30% discount off the $10 price if you use code ACC-ROASTER.
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There’s a shop in Seoul that I’ve missed on my two trips; I followed it on Instagram solely based on the name, and the 90s/early 00s of .txt nostalgia (here’s hoping their second location is .log, and their coffee kissa-style cafe, .flac): instagram.com/txtcoffee
Just US? Interesting question. I haven’t been to PDX ever; SF in a very long while; same for NYC. I recall, in the heady days of peak third-wave that the first was a leader, the second a reputable second-place competitor, and the third just starting to find its legs away from dark-roast doom (i.e., the introduction of Toby’s). About the third: In the biased lenses of hindsight, I kind of wish La Colombe’s style of cafe had more purchase here than what we have now.
In North America, I’d put Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal into the mix. Probably in that order. I bought excellent beans from Calgary’s Phil & Sebastian years ago that I still think about. Great body and personality with an excellent clean third-wave finish.
But I’ve never ever thought that southern CA had a dearth of good coffee; we’re very spoiled now with local roasters such as QUAT LA (Kumquat and Loquat) and Stereoscope. Maru makes a nice bean but I’m very bored with them.
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LA has extremely good coffee.
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