My trip back to Changchun this time was quite short, only about a week. It’s probably the first time in the last 15 years that I’ve returned to Changchun in spring. Besides the nostalgic blue skies, white clouds, and pleasant temperatures, there was also the sandstorm I had almost forgotten—it struck without warning, instantly bringing me back to reality. This time, I’ll just write about three shops in Changchun.
Thirty Three Cafe Coffee Lab
This shop has been open for over a year now, and it’s a must-visit every time I return to Changchun. I’ve gotten to know the owner quite well. This is a place that truly puts its heart into making coffee. The quality of the coffee is rare in Changchun, and would be considered high-level even in Shanghai. Although the shop is small and doesn’t have many seats, the quality of the coffee output is very consistent. It’s the kind of place worth making a special trip for just for the coffee.
The shop is located on Baihui Street, between Qinghua Road and Tongguang Road. Transportation isn’t particularly convenient; it’s a bit of a distance from both subway stations and commercial areas. However, Changchun isn’t very big anyway—it takes about a 10-minute walk after exiting Jiefang Dalu Station on the metro, and roughly the same amount of time to walk to Guilin Road, so it’s manageable.
As for the atmosphere, it’s a home-style cafe. The space isn’t large, but there aren’t many tables and chairs either, and they are spaced out nicely. Customers tend to chat quietly, and since there are many regulars who all know each other, the vibe is really nice. Regarding drinks, they offer both traditional and creative coffees. The creative coffees are seasonal; the owner is always researching and innovating, launching new products every quarter while retiring the previous season’s items—a bit similar to OPS. However, since the creative drinks contain sugar, I personally prefer the traditional coffee. Every time I visit, I order either a Latte or a Dirty, which are truly delicious and unforgettable.
Cooking Man
This shop is relatively remote, located in Building 7 of Zhongmao Tiandi. Although there are plenty of office buildings and residences around, public transportation is practically non-existent. Building 7 itself has a rather peculiar design and seems to consist entirely of commercial spaces, though currently, except for this one shop, everything else is vacant. The decor is very industrial-chic, with premium materials used throughout—you can tell the owner spared no expense and put a lot of thought into it.
They serve coffee here, and surprisingly, I saw a Black Eagle machine—I’m not sure if this is the only three-group Victoria Arduino Black Eagle in Changchun. However, they chose illy beans, which feels a bit too safe given how many excellent beans are available nowadays. The barista’s skills are passable, but the milk temperature was slightly too high. While the integration was okay, the higher temperature caused some separation in texture. Paired with dark-roasted beans, even though I ordered a milk-based coffee, there was still a burnt, bitter taste.
As for service, ordering is basically handled entirely by the owner. The servers seem a bit lost—they mostly just deliver food and clear tables. They know absolutely nothing about the menu and can’t even pronounce the dish names fluently. Also, the seating is quite uncomfortable; you can’t sit for long periods, and it’s not really suitable for dining. It does look nice, though. Right now, the view outside the window is just a massive construction site—maybe there will be a decent view once it’s finished.
Now onto the food. The flavors were surprisingly good—I didn’t expect to find Western food of this caliber in Changchun. Portions are on the smaller side, but plating is excellent. Let’s break it down: the sous-vide chicken roll had slightly tough meat, but tasted good. The salad was also a delightful surprise—even though it was just fruit and vegetables, the dressing was perfectly balanced, sweet and sour, with a great texture. As for the burger, since I didn’t ask for foie gras and didn’t specify the doneness, it was a bit average, though still tasty, and the fries served with it were delicious. Finally, feeling like I hadn’t eaten enough, I added a seasonal special: octopus and Hokkaido scallops. Absolutely delicious—great ingredients, perfect seasoning, simply flawless.
Mo Shiguang Cafe PUB
The location of this shop is even more unique. Situated at the northeast corner of the vast, newly built Nanxi Wetland Park, it occupies a standalone building. Although the shop relocated here from elsewhere, securing this spot must have been quite a feat. There don’t seem to be many people around, and transportation is extremely inconvenient—you pretty much have to drive there yourself.
It spans two floors, with plenty of seating upstairs, while the downstairs leans more towards a bar and cafe vibe. The decor screams “Instagram-famous” style. While the aesthetic is on point, it lacks a bit of refinement—the materials and design feel somewhat rough. The TV was playing Tom & Jerry, which felt a bit random. The seating is fairly comfortable and well-spaced, which deserves praise.
I didn’t have high expectations for the food at an influencer-style spot, but surprisingly, the taste far exceeded my expectations. The salad and roast chicken were both delicious, as was the seafood rice. Although it wasn’t prepared in the traditional Spanish paella style—the rice seasoning and texture leaned more towards risotto—it was a solid local adaptation. Dining here is a great choice.
A word on the coffee: surprisingly, this shop offers as many as 10 SOE options. However, it seems bean turnover might not be fast enough to guarantee freshness. If possible, I’d recommend asking which beans are freshest before ordering… Of course, these beans all appear to be lightly roasted, so espresso-based drinks might taste a bit weak—you might be better off trying pour-over or siphon. This time, I ordered the house blend regular latte. Even though they use a three-group Slayer machine, the beans were mediocre, the milk temperature was too high, and the integration was average, resulting in noticeable texture separation. The latte was served in a straight-sided mug, which isn’t actually ideal for lattes—I’d suggest switching to proper coffee cups. Overall, I feel the coffee pricing is a bit steep and doesn’t quite match the quality. If they want to focus seriously on being a cafe, there’s still significant room for improvement.
The staff’s knowledge of coffee and food is average, but they are quite attentive when it comes to refilling water.
Photos in this post taken with SONY A5100 + 35mm f1.8 / iPhone XS MAX, edited in Lightroom.
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