Nespresso @ Alkmaar, The Netherlands

So here I am in The Netherlands, approximately 6360 miles (12 hours flight) away from Kuala Lumpur for a short holiday, catching up with friends and also attending a wedding. First stop is Alkmaar, a municipality and city located in the province of Noord Holland. This small little town is really famous for its traditional cheese market which I don't get to see because I am here on the wrong day of the week (Cheese market only happens on Friday). Boo hoo! Nevertheless, wherever I am, hunting for a good cup of coffee is a must. 

I was introduced to a very nice lady, Anna whom my friend is staying with (coz he works here). We had a good time chatting over a cup of coffee and she introduces me to Nespresso. I've heard of Nespresso before but I never paid any attention to it. I thought it was a 3 in 1 coffee that Nescafe came up with. I was indeed wrong when I saw a huge store in London. After much research, I found out that Nespresso is a brand name of Nestle Nespresso which is based in Switzerland. They have their own machines to brew espresso from cofffee capsules and boy, they have tons of different genre and flavor.

Coffee are divided into 5 categories:-

a. Pure Origin

b. Espresso range

c. Lungo range

d. Decaf

e. Variation

Each coffee capsule contains 5 - 6 grams of coffee which makes one cup of coffee. Different coffee capsules contain different intensity. So, the first thing you need is this coffee machine especially from Nespresso. You fill water in the container located at the back of the machine, pop the capsule in the compartment at the front and then you get your cup ready. 

Since it's going to be a long day, I settled of Arpeggio with the intensity of 9/10 under the Espresso range. This particular blend is Arabica beans from South and Central America. It has a strong character and intense body to it. This strong roasted coffee makes each cup of coffee well for it has an intense aroma of roasted nuts and cocoa.  

You can taste the strong and bitterness from the coffee on your first sip. Surprisingly, there weren't much bitterness in the aftertaste. Whenever I have my flat white, some have the bitterness aftertaste but since I am enjoying an espresso, you truly get to taste the real flavor of the beans. For a home made coffee from a capsule, the coffee is smooth and very aromatic. No wonder it is such an expensive coffee. The machine itself cost about 150 to 170 euro and there are some which is much more expensive. While 10 capsule of coffee cost about 3.50 euro.

This particular experience is priceless. In my hand was a nice cup of coffee with the view of the greenery and beautiful garden is truly amazing. Coffee + great view, is fantastic. I am truly grateful to the host for such a nice coffee treat. 

Tompouce - Dutch Dessert

Introducing a typical Dutch sweet (Dutch Dessert) known as Tompouce (Pronounce as Tum - pus). We bought in a Watson look alike pharmacy. I AM NOT KIDDING! There is a section in the store that sells all kinds of pastries, cakes and tarts. I had to asked my friend if he took me to the right place.

According to Wikipedia:-

Tompouce must be rectangular, with two layers of puff pastry. The icing is smooth and pink or occasionally white. For many years however, the top layer has been orange on Koninginnedag (Queen's Day), and a few days before. It may also be orange-coloured when the national football team plays in large international tournaments; this dates from about 1990. The filling is invariably very sweet, yellow pastry cream. Tompouce are sometimes topped with whipped cream. Variations with different fillings or with jelly are comparatively rare and are not called tompoes. 

I was told that Tompouce are usually served with tea or coffee. Being a coffee lover, I opted for coffee (it's a no brainer choice). Not quite sure what coffee my friends make for me, it was delicious (trust me, it's definitely not Nescafe). Taking my coffee pure black together with Tompouce, is just perfect. I love the fresh cream in between the thin pastry which tasted very much like custard. It wasn't too sweet at all. If you are ever in The Netherlands, this is a must try! 

Big thanks to Janneke & Martijn that introduced this to me :)

Dank je wel!