Cultural Coffee: A review of three coffee shops inspired by different cultures

We’ve all memorized our Starbucks and Dunkin’ orders to perfection, but I decided it was about time to expand my caffeine palate beyond the basic American chain menus. Luckily, downtown KC is scattered with locally-owned coffee shops inspired by different cultures around the globe. Instead of hopping into the drive-thru Starbucks line for the hundredth time, I took a detour to a variety of authentic and ethnic coffee shops. 

Latin American: Cafe Ollama

523 Southwest Blvd. 

Drink Tried: Cafe de Olla cold brew

“A safe space to reconnect con la cultura”

Both Latin-inspired and Latin-owned, Cafe Ollama was the perfect first stop for my adventure. The small coffeehouse shares its entrance with a tax company and was a little tricky to spot driving by. Once inside, the colorful Hispanic paintings, woven tapestries covering wood-paneled walls and furniture along with soft salsa music playing from a record player transported me straight to Mexico City.

The ambience didn’t stop at the decor. Several of the drinks are named after the owners and employees’ mothers and grandmothers, which made for a sweet, personal touch. There was such a variety of options, from the Abuelita Lupe to Mama Gloria, that I spent five minutes alone looking the menu up and down while the barista helped translate certain words and explaining the drinks in depth. 

My everyday go-to is Starbucks’ sweet cream cold brew with cold foam, so naturally my eyes went straight to the Cafe de Olla cold brew topped with a salted sweet foam. 

Cafe de Olla is a Mexican-classic — coffee brewed with cinnamon, cane sugar and a mix of other spices. The Cafe de Olla cold brew was beyond any other coffee franchise could dream of creating, giving me a flavor-packed experience every sip I took. It was spicy, tart and sweet all at the same time, contrasting more perfectly than you’d think with the salty foam on top.

Café Corazón

1721 Westport Rd.

Drinks Tried: Iced Mint Mojito Latte and Horchata Latte

“A Café with heart”

Café Corazón on Westport Rd. is marked by its beautiful and flower-filled mural of Frida Khalo and vibrant turquoise door. The seating inside is spaced out and limited, but luckily a large patio full of wooden benches and colorful metal chairs made for the perfect place to hang out. 

While Corazón offers your basic lattes, cappuccinos and Americanos, there’s an entire section of the menu dedicated to Latin American Specialties like Spicy Mayan Mochas and Latin Sodas with flavors ranging from Green Apple to Peanut Butter. Taking what seemed like the less adventurous route, I ordered the Latin Specialty Horchata Latte and the Iced Mint Mojito Latte from the seasonal menu.

Horchata is a traditional Mexican drink, made of white rice soaked in water then usually flavored with cinnamon. The Horchata Latte with sprinkled cinnamon and added vanilla syrup had a subtle, comforting sweetness that I could see myself sipping on a cold afternoon to cozy up. 

The Iced Mint Mojito Latte was a perfect contrast. Not only was the presentation beautiful — topped with housemade espresso whipped cream, mint leaves and lime shavings — it was bursting with flavor. Each sip was stronger than the last, in the best way, and I really appreciated  having a natural mint flavor over the usual peppermint syrup taste I’m used to.

I could easily head back to Café Corazón for any of my daily caffeine cravings, and it’s the perfect for any caffeine-lover with some extra free time.

Vietnamese: Cafe Cà Phê

1101 Mulberry St.

Drink Tried: Hella Good Latte

“Culture in coffee culture.”

Walking into the seemingly abandoned buildings in the depths of the West Bottoms, the bright red dragon mural indicated I was in the right place for my Vietnamese coffee experience. Owned by a first-generation Vietnamese American, Cafe Cà Phê is all about establishing culture in the coffee scene.

After a quick stalk of their Instagram, I came prepared — my order without a doubt would be the Hella Good Latte. The drink is made with espresso straight from Vietnam, oatmilk, drizzled with condensed milk and ube — a bright purple yam with a sweet and slightly nutty taste used as a staple in all types of Asian recipes. Its vibrant purple ombre into dark tan coffee made for an aesthetic photo op surrounded by Asian artwork. 

I’m not necessarily one to opt for sweet coffee, so the ube flavor and condensed milk required a pause for water in between every few sips. Though some of the most flavorful coffee I’ve ever had, I’m not sure I could reach for this when in need of a caffeine boost — it’s definitely more of a dessert-type of drink. Their specialty drinks are on the higher side of pricing at $6 each, but for the uniqueness of both the flavor and look, I’d say it’s worth it.

Though their location at 1101 Mulberry St. is only temporary for two more weeks, Cafe Cà Phê’s mobile truck will be doing pop-ups all over the city throughout the summer.