Burnaby residents Mike and Shirley Wong decided to share their passion for Vancouver food and drinks with the world via their blog, www.vancouverbarista.com, this year.
The popular blog, which initially centered on Mike’s love of a good cuppa, includes extensive reviews of coffee and tea shops, as well as local restaurants. But there is much more to the blog – a sense of camaraderie about the good things in life, conversations between a husband and wife, and a resounding love for the region the couple lives in.
The Wongs live in Burnaby Heights – Shirley grew up in the neighbourhood and has lived there for 25 years. Mike grew up in East Vancouver and moved to the neighbourhood once they were married.
The pair travels around Vancouver, the region, and throughout the world, documenting their experiences and their love of fine food and tasty beverages.
Mike and Shirley recently shared some of these experiences, and their passion for what they do, with the Burnaby NOW.
What inspired you to start the Vancouver Barista blog?
Shirley: Mike brought up the idea of wanting to write a small blog about coffee in December 2014. I asked if I could help. I studied journalism and have a background in writing, so those skills have really helped me. At first, we weren’t sure what the blog would look like. I came up with a few ideas and asked Mike to pick one. He loved Vancouver Barista and from there it all came together.
Mike came up with our slogan, “For the love of coffee, food and all things Vancouver.” We then came up with a three-part concept for what our blog would cover: Visiting a different Vancouver coffee shop every week; writing 101 posts that walk readers through how to make good coffee; and blogging about things we enjoy doing around Vancouver.
Who has more of a passion for coffee, Mike or Shirley?
Mike: I do. I have a passion for not only drinking it, but learning as much as I can about the technical parts of it.
Shirley: I’m not a coffee drinker since I can’t handle the caffeine. Readers tell me I represent the opinion of non-coffee drinkers. I’ve since discovered a lot of readers are like me in that they enjoy coffee alternatives like lattes and teas, which are beverages I review.
Where does this passion come from?
Mike: It was the first time I smelled coffee when I was a kid. My sisters made it for my parents and their friends, and I instantly loved the smell.
Later in high school, I started to drink coffee. Those years, I also enjoyed going out with my friends to coffee shops along Little Italy’s Commercial Drive, where people say Vancouver’s coffee scene started.
You begin your blog posts with snippets of a lyric or a poem, from Madonna to Victorian poet George Meredith. Why?
Shirley: We started our posts with famous quotations and now we’ve changed to musical lyrics. In both cases, they serve as an inspirational launching point, or a fixture to set the mood, for the rest of the post. It has been a big part of how we found our voice in this blog. It’s what personalizes us.
I would describe the Vancouver Barista voice as conversational. It sounds like Mike and I just talking to each other at home over the dinner table.
How do you decide which coffee shops and restaurants to visit and review?
Shirley: I do a lot of research beforehand. We maintain a growing list. It’s huge and we keep adding to it; sometimes we drive by a café we never noticed before, hear about one on our Twitter feed, or our readers suggest one.
Is the blog sponsored at all? Do you hope to make it a money-making venture?
Shirley: We don’t make any money off the blog, at the moment. Coffee shops do not pay us to visit them and we don’t get paid to review products – and quite honestly we will never head in that direction where we can be bought. Our opinions are honest with no agenda. We’ve had a few advertisers approach us, but we’re not anxious to get advertising on our site. We didn’t start this blog with the intention of making money and that philosophy hasn’t changed, but eventually we would like to look at the business opportunity and hopefully generate revenue from it.
Mike sees this blog as a sort of online journal that keeps a record of all the places we’ve been. We feel lucky that readers are interested in following us to see where we go. I think our marriage has gotten stronger from this project as it’s something we are absolutely passionate about.
What has been the best coffee or coffee drinking experience you’ve had thus far?
Mike: Me and Shirley have had this debate many times. For me, it depends what I’m looking for that day, in that moment. I enjoy visiting different neighbourhoods – from Marpole to Burnaby.
Shirley: We’ve had so many great experiences that it’s like asking me to pick my favourite child. It’s impossible and unfair. My favourite part of this process is that we end up meeting so many great independent businesses – from cafes to roasters. This experience has changed me in that I’ve come to embrace local businesses and the importance of supporting them in our economy. I’m very proud that Vancouver has come such a long way, and continues to improve, in the international world of coffee.
What makes a good cup of coffee?
Mike: I would suggest people find out which region of coffee appeals to their taste (i.e. Ethiopian, Guatemalan, or a blend). The taste profiles vary so much. After that, I would say, have freshly roasted coffee beans from a local roaster. For home brewing, I regularly buy my beans from a local roaster – every week is different.
Why are you so passionate about food and coffee?
Mike: I’ve always loved good food. Growing up, food and family were always talked about. I’m a curious guy, and we’re very lucky to live in such a multicultural environment in Vancouver that allows me to explore and try so many different types of food. Whether it’s Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Middle Eastern, or European inspired. It gives me a greater appreciation and enjoyment, and if you’re going to eat why not eat well?
Shirley: I’m passionate about food and coffee because I know it’s about the people and local businesses behind that cup of coffee or that breakfast we’re eating. It represents a lot more than you can imagine.
Describe your ideal sipping or dining experience – whether it be a favourite place, a favourite dish or simply a favourite memory.
Shirley: We travel a lot and I love casual dinners in Paris’s petite bistros, sharing a tiny café table outside, hanging out with locals. Food tastes better outside, under an open sky and with someone you love.
Mike: I love roast duck in a small restaurant on Rue Cler in Paris. The taste of the crispy skin, a bit of fat and duck meat is my favourite. It stems from my upbringing that my family would always eat roast duck at home and in Chinese restaurants. I enjoy hanging out where the locals are when we’re travelling and it brings me inner peace.
