The coffee shop market is quite tough, especially in Shanghai. Dianping alone lists over 3,600 cafes—from U.B.C. Coffee, a favorite for middle-aged blind dates, to the ubiquitous Starbucks, to all sorts of trendy boutique cafes~~~ Plus, countless hotels and Western restaurants essentially turn into coffee shops in the afternoon. In Shanghai, there’s never a shortage of places to grab a coffee~~~~
But Changchun is a different story. Two years ago, there wasn’t even a Starbucks, and the quality of coffee at local trendy cafes was pretty awful… Nowadays, more and more Starbucks are opening up, and the people of Changchun are finally getting to enjoy a proper coffee culture~~~~ Maan Coffee, with locations across the country, has also opened in Changchun. I actually didn’t even know this brand existed until I looked it up and found out there are already five branches in Shanghai… I’m guessing the Shanghai locations aren’t nearly as big as the one in Changchun.. Plus, they’re all in fairly remote areas… Only the one at Zhengda Lecheng is somewhat closer to the city center…
The standout feature of this cafe is its size—a full three-story cafe is quite rare! The ambiance is great: open layout, minimalist hard furnishings, wooden furniture, and an eclectic mix of lighting styles. The menu mainly consists of various coffees and waffles. There’s Wi-Fi throughout, and after you order, you get a little bear figurine to identify your order when it’s delivered. It reminds me a bit of Xi Jiu Xiang, though Xi Jiu Xiang has a more minimalist, modern vibe~~~
There’s an iMac by the entrance for browsing the internet, but unfortunately, I ran into some older guy loudly watching a Chinese TV drama while smoking—it was unbearable…
Huge floor-to-ceiling windows—this photo probably only captures about a third of the first floor….
You get a little bear when you order. They must need a ton of different bears to keep track of all the orders~~
Hazelnut Caramel Latte—way too sweet; by the end, I just couldn’t finish it…
Iced Hazelnut Caramel Latte, served with breadsticks on the side~~
Strawberry Waffle—the waffle itself was pretty good, and the strawberries were local and not very sweet,
but with the added syrup and cream, it ended up being super sweet…
Yogurt Berry Smoothie—the smoothie base was nice, but those berries were just way too sour…
Also, napkins, hot water, and cold water are all available self-service.
The cold water has lemon slices in it, but if it sits too long, it tastes terrible…
For anyone with a sweet tooth… this place is absolutely perfect~~~~
It’s also a great spot for folks visiting home for the holidays to catch up with friends and chat.
Plus, not only do they stay open during the holiday, they even extend their hours by an hour…
Oh, and there are snow sculptures at South Lake Park, but since it’s been warm lately, they’re almost melted away…
Photos taken with a SONY NEX-5R + 16-50 f3.5-5.6, post-processed in Lightroom.
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