1. Tell us your story, when and where did your journey with coffee begin?
Back home in Nepal, we‘re mostly tea drinkers. It was only when I came to Australia that I found my love for coffee. The smell of the beans, the sight and sound of the steam from the machine, it was all very captivating to me. My first job in Sydney was a kitchen-hand but I was more interested in the café side of things, so I began learning how to make coffee in my spare time. Soon enough I was placed in the café where I began pouring my heart out into the coffee and have never looked back since.
2. What makes a good Barista?
A good Barista is someone who loves drinking coffee and wants to share that same experience with others. Knowing what a difference a great coffee can make to someone’s day and putting the same amount of effort into every single cup of coffee is what makes a good Barista.
3. Any funny or embarrassing moments on the job?
I’ve had a customer ask me what kind of coffee a Barista is.
4. What’s the most unusual request you’ve had to make?
I try to be accommodating when it comes to a customer’s order but sometimes you get orders like a long black with two cubes of ice, a cappuccino with eight sugars or something like a quarter strength decaf extra hot cappuccino with soy where it takes you few minutes to get your head around the order!
5. Have you served anyone famous?
While I was working at Sydney Airport I saw and served many famous people including cricket and football players. I have served members of the band System of a Down, the rapper Lil’ Jon, Chef Kylie Kwong, Designer Alex Perry and Masterchef winner Emma Dean, just to name a few.
6. What’s your favourite coffee?
I love drinking latte. The balance of creamy milk and the bitterness of the coffee is why I love it. Plus it gives you a chance to see the skill of the Barista making a piece of art on top of the cup.
7. What’s your favourite dessert?
Cheese cakes are my favourite but I also love warm chocolate brownies with ice cream. Yum!
8. Any tips you would like to give to someone who is looking into becoming a Barista?
If you love coffee and you want everyone to enjoy coffee as much as you do, then this is definitely the job for you. You need to know what makes a great coffee and try to achieve that with practice. It’s a rewarding experience to see your customers enjoying the coffee you have made and knowing that sometimes it’s that one cup of coffee that makes their day.
9. Besides coffee, what other interests or hobbies do you have?
Travelling has to be my number one passion. Growing up in Nepal we don’t get many opportunities to travel overseas. So when I came to Sydney, it opened a whole new world for me. Now I travel as much as I can locally and overseas. Besides travelling, I love to cook for my friends and family. I am a huge movie fanatic so I spend a lot of my home time watching movies. I also like to draw and create art projects when I have free time.
© Lantern Club, Roselands