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Recap: Trip to Harbin#

• Regarding the questions in (4), I now have some answers. In terms of aesthetics, it is indeed the answer in terms of aesthetics.
• So why does it make me uncomfortable?
  • I don't like the Hruchev-style buildings with the earthy yellow tones in Daoli District. The color combinations of the public facilities I passed by are not pleasing to the eye. They make me feel a kind of ugliness that is neither here nor there. At least I can't feel the beauty of the design and combination in them. These designs lack vitality.
  • The architectural style here, like the appearance of buildings from the reform and opening-up period, is old. Walking on the streets filled with such buildings creates a sense of despair and decline.
  • In short, it feels like the end result of China's failed reform and opening-up, with a touch of the ugly collective style of the Soviet Union. So I don't like it here. The urban design here gives me a sense of malice.

In a sense, this should be considered a very unique urban style.

Experience and Evaluation#

• Why a café? Because there was no atmosphere for writing blogs elsewhere, so I went there. I also took the opportunity to ask the café owner if there were any other recommended cafés in the area. I often use this method to find good things, and it has always worked, at least for the small circle of coffee drinkers.

In fact, cafés, coffee shops, and coffee restaurants are often confused. Cafés and coffee restaurants are similar; they not only serve coffee but also provide meals, and you can eat there. However, this is not the case for coffee shops. They do not provide meals, and you cannot eat there.
However, in most cafés in China, the distinction is not so clear because most of them cannot make enough money just by selling drinks. So you can call them bars.

• I spent some time searching for and trying out these cafés, and here I list them.

Cube and Stay Café#

• As you can see, it looks a bit small inside, like most other similar cafés, full of modern interior design. It is located at the corner after a car wash, like an unseparated chat room, at least that's how I see it.
  • There are all kinds of conversations here, maybe because it's close to the university. Today, I heard a lot of discussions about studying abroad.
• Unlike one-fourth of Beijing, there are no specialty coffees here. I ordered a cup of Ethiopian coffee. After the barista ground the beans, she would let you smell it. As she said, there is indeed a hint of fermented acidity. After the hot coffee enters your mouth, there is a refreshing aftertaste and a hint of light alcoholic flavor.

You can't expect me to describe the fruity flavors. I can't taste the flavors described on the bag. You should try it yourself.

• In conclusion, I subjectively think that this place is not suitable for deep thinking work. It is suitable for chatting or doing some divergent work.
  • I stayed here for an afternoon, and the students learning German across from me were chatting the whole time. I didn't learn much.

Mint Coffee#

However, I find it strange that they are closed on Thursdays.

• The only recommended café in Qunli District, located on the ground floor of a residential area. It has a very ordinary café design. If you see it, you would think it's one of those not-so-good shops in residential buildings that are often mentioned on Xiaohongshu. Once you enter the shop, it looks like a typical café, small but with everything it should have.
  • There is a wetland park next to it. You can take a walk there and then come here to rest and chat. The conversations here are down-to-earth and about daily life.

By the way, there is a coffee tree inside the shop.

• It has outdoor tables, but it was too hot outside, so I didn't try sitting there. Besides, I can't sit in a beach chair and type.
• They offer Italian espresso, hand drip, and specialty coffees. I think the Italian espresso is delicious. If there are not many people in the shop, you can treat the sound of the owner making coffee as work ASMR. But in reality, she plays popular English music in the shop.
• In conclusion, there are quite a few customers here. The remote location doesn't seem to affect the number of customers. The bright atmosphere in the afternoon and the loud conversations of others fill the air here. It is also not suitable for deep thinking work, but it is suitable for having in-depth conversations or exchanging information.

It seems that this place is indeed suitable for resting and chatting when you are tired.

January Coffee#

• café
• In fact, I think this place has a strong "commercial" smell. The decoration is in a retro American style. I think the food on the menu is not worth the price compared to the coffee. It's too expensive.
  • Many people come here specifically to take photos. I saw a pair of women who brought a bunch of clothes to change and take pictures.
• The baristas here are accustomed to introducing the characteristics of the coffee, like salespeople. In fact, I think this creates suggestions and makes customers think the coffee tastes better.
• The baristas will make specialty coffees in front of you. They even cover the finished coffee with a lid to let you experience the aroma of the coffee. Unfortunately, for the cinnamon grapefruit coffee I ordered, I didn't smell any cinnamon, just a hint of burnt leaves. They said the coffee was sweet, but it tasted sour to me. Well, maybe I prefer sweet coffee.
• Perhaps because the shop is relatively large, even though it is noisy like a restaurant, with someone playing videos out loud, the atmosphere is not too bad, at least for me.

Can Box#

• It is located in a residential area. According to the owner, they just moved here six months ago. It used to be a Russian's residence, and the shop is very small. However, as you can see, the decorations inside are overwhelming and dazzling. It has very few seats, just a few. It is purely a place for taking photos. In fact, on the day I went, someone was taking wedding photos there.
• I didn't stay here for long. In fact, I think the design here goes against what a coffee shop should do. There are few seats, and there are not enough spacious tables. It is only used for taking photos and experiencing.

Limo Coffee#

• This is a bar There is a drum set for live bands in the shop.
• The barista looks very young. In fact, he seems to be a college graduate who opened his own shop. While I was sitting here, his friends would come to find him, and they would chat and play the guitar together.

Not Worth It and Searching#

• Obviously, after trying out more, I had less to say about the cafés because I found that they were all more or less the same in terms of appearance. They like to place their shops in residential areas or on street corners. In fact, there are a few that I didn't visit because I couldn't find them, maybe they closed down.
• I can't compare the taste of the coffee because I ordered different ones each time, and I didn't have the intention to compare them. I was just curious, so I did it. As for hand drip coffee, I can taste a bit of coffee flavor and a hint of red wine, acidity, but I can't taste the fruity flavors and other tastes they mentioned. My favorite is still latte.
  • After all, I can't try each coffee one by one like those baristas and then compare them to find similarities with fruits or chocolates.
• These cafés, although they have different interior designs, are still places for drinking coffee, chatting, and even working. They provide services such as an environment and a cup of coffee, maybe with some desserts. There is no so-called "petty bourgeoisie sentiment" or nobility here. They are just slightly better than the popular milk tea shops in terms of design and service.
  • Yes, you've noticed that when you try more, there is no nobility at all. They provide just these things: a clean seat, a possibly musical environment, a cup of coffee, and the introduction of the barista.
• After conducting on-site exploration, I saw real cafés and coffee. They are not "stylish," "capitalistic," or "noble." But without a doubt, they are expensive. When I think about it, if I only knew these things, how could I justify spending so much money?
  • The bourgeoisie admire drinking coffee because it fits their own etiquette and art. For them, coffee represents reason and wisdom. So what does coffee represent for me? Or rather, what should coffee represent?
  • I think I should break and forget about what I already know. I need to find my own answers from the most basic things I see, my own art, my own subjective construction.

Answer#

• In a conversation with a barista before, I learned that the aromas, tastes, and flavor descriptions they talk about can only be known through constant comparison and familiarity. To taste a sip of coffee, you need to separate those mixed feelings, analyze and associate them carefully to come up with a description of the taste of that cup of coffee. One day, while walking on the street, I suddenly realized that this conclusion is full of rationality. It is the answer I am looking for: Drinking coffee means rational analysis and separating mixed feelings. This behavior itself is art.

• Write in Harbin, 20230523