Rumors Coffee

Rumors Coffee is on Hunan Lu in French Concession.  The shop is tiny, I mean really tiny.  It's about the size of my family room back home.  It's owned by Japanese and they take their coffee very seriously.

1. Select your choice of bean off the menu.  It is measured, then ground for your single serving.  The ground coffee is poured into the filter, the grinder wiped out.  The filter is placed above a heated, small glass pitcher.
2. Hot water is poured into a silver coffee pot, while the Barista(?) gauges the temperature on a thermometer.  When the water is the precise temperature for your coffee selection, she begins to pour.
3. She gently swirls hot water onto the grounds.  Then she stops and stares.  We all stare.  The grounds begin to rise into a little swollen pillow.  She is "blooming" the coffee.  Cool.
4. She resumes pouring the hot water in slow circles on the grounds, never actually pouring onto the filter itself.  The coffee grounds continue to swell to the top.
5. Before the coffee has completely drained from the filter, she removes it.  So the last coffee in the filter never makes it into the glass pitcher.  
6. At last, the brew is poured into my cup.  Ahhh.

I always drink my coffee with milk and sweetener.  This was so good, I drank it black.  Rich and clean, but not bitter at all.  A lot of work went into making it, but it was very impressive.
There is a small sitting corner about the size of a double bed.  It has a tiny couch, table and chair.  We sat and enjoyed our coffee and people watched.
     Rumors Coffee also has two cakes on the menu.  They are made in a toaster oven next to the coffee counter.  Like cooking in an easy-bake-oven.
     My coffee was about 100rmb, or about $16 a cup.  Same as a decent glass of wine.  Not something I would have everyday, but definitely worth the trip.