The white coffee at Cafe Natasha’s on South Grand Boulevard is, in fact, not coffee at all. Deceiving? Maybe. But manager and co-owner Natasha Bahrami sees this misnomer as a way to engage her customers, rather than mislead them.
Lebanese-inspired white coffee, or café blanc, is simple: water boiled with a bit of sugar and either orange blossoms or rose water. In Lebanon, teens drink it after a late night at the clubs and restaurants serve it as a digestif after a large, rich meal.
But at this South Grand eatery, where it’s made with rose water concentrate, it’s a novelty that offers a deep calming feeling and an introduction to a powerful new aroma. When served alone, rose water concentrate smells clean, fresh and fragrant. It tastes quite different, however, offering a slight bitterness and nearly overwhelming the senses. Yet when served with hot water and some sugar (honey also works well here), it becomes a delicious and unique treat. The heat pulls out the aroma, allowing its healing qualities to be both tasted and smelled, and the bitterness disappears, leaving you with a slightly sweet and powerfully soothing beverage appropriate for a chilly winter evening.
Sidle up to the bar and order one for $3.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2010.