Under Coffee Review: A Hidden Gem in Hangzhou’s Growing Coffee Scene

 Even though I’ve visited over 1,300 coffee shops around the world, you know what? I still come across small places that surprise me when I slow down and pay attention to the details. That sense of discovering a hidden gem is something I truly treasure—it feels like a privilege. Boredom, to some extent, comes from predictability, but the world of coffee is vast and boundless. Along the way, this mutual exchange—between people, places, and flavors—is what keeps my curiosity alive and my sense of freshness intact.

The café I want to talk about today is one I initially slightly underestimated. But after a friend recommended it, I figured I should check it out—and I’m incredibly glad I did. It turned out to be absolutely fantastic. It’s Under Coffee, located at No. 14 Dongyuan Street, Chaoming Subdistrict, Gongshu District, Hangzhou.

By the time I visited, it was already a well-established neighborhood café with a strong base of regulars. When I stopped by on a Sunday afternoon, it quickly filled up, almost to the point of bursting. The place became lively in an instant. You could really feel how a café, in the midst of ordinary life, can be a source of light. Everyone there looked energized and full of life—proof that sometimes, a cup of coffee really can solve more than you’d expect. People were genuinely enjoying themselves, and it showed.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed Chaoming Subdistrict popping up more and more on my radar. This area seems to be quietly cultivating a distinct coffee community, with customers who have a surprisingly refined palate. That’s been my consistent impression after visiting several cafés nearby.

Under is a fully self-roasting café. The owner roasts all the beans in-house and mentioned that he sometimes roasts more than 20 different beans in a single batch. In addition to supplying his own shop, he also roasts for partners. One of the biggest advantages of a self-roasting café is the strength and diversity of its bean lineup, along with the ability to constantly introduce new offerings. That’s exactly why I’m always drawn to places like this. You can clearly feel the vitality and versatility of the shop—so much so that it’s almost impossible to define. Every visit brings something new to taste.

The menu here is equally impressive, offering up to six different espresso beans at a time, all single-origin (SOE). The owner regularly refreshes the entire lineup, so while these six beans are what I experienced, you might encounter a completely different selection when you visit. What matters is using each bean’s roast profile and flavor expression to understand the owner’s technical skill and creative intent—that’s what I was most interested in capturing during this visit.

As we all know, nearly every café—regardless of how many beans they carry—typically has a classic, traditional option with nutty and dark chocolate notes. This serves as the foundation and is usually the shop’s most popular “workhorse.” While this flavor profile is common, it requires strong performance and versatility across different drinks. That’s why these foundational beans are often blends—it’s rare to find such richness, intensity, and body in a single-origin bean.

This is where Under really stands out, along with the owner’s thoughtful approach. Instead of a blend, he uses a medium-dark roasted Costa Rican washed Caturra to deliver this classic flavor profile. At first glance, it almost feels counterintuitive. Most Costa Rican coffees are honey-processed, so finding a washed one is already quite unusual. Pair that with a medium-dark roast aimed at achieving depth and structure, and you’ve got something truly distinctive. As the shop’s “No.1 bean,” it immediately sparked my curiosity—so I chose it for a flat white.

One particularly delightful detail I noticed while watching the owner work was his “little trick” with milk. For the flat white, he uses Weiquan Full-Fat Milk 4.0 and adds about 15 grams of rice milk. It’s a subtle but clever touch. The result is a gentle boost in sweetness that complements the darker roast profile—but in a very refined way, with no sense of imbalance or intrusion.

The final cup was beautifully integrated. The first sip delivered rich chocolate and nutty notes—deep and satisfying. But what surprised me most was that, despite its intensity, the flavor didn’t transition into the usual caramel sweetness at the finish. Instead, it shifted into a remarkably clean sweetness reminiscent of cane sugar and maple syrup. It was so clean it almost felt like a break in the flavor continuum—truly fascinating.

I also ordered a hot Americano made with an anaerobic natural Bensa. Whenever I see Bensa on the menu, it’s almost an automatic choice for me—I just love it. This Americano was generous in volume and very satisfying. At the front, you get a hint of tropical fruit notes from the anaerobic process, though they’re quite subtle. Soon after, it transitions into a more classic natural profile, with bright citrus and a touch of berry-like acidity—juicy and pleasant. Through the mid to late palate, it remains consistently sweet and clean.

SOE vs. Blend Coffee: How to Choose Without Getting Burned

 Every time you walk into a café and stare at the menu — “SOE Latte,” “Classic Blend Americano” — do you suddenly get hit with decision paralysis? Should you pick a bright, distinctive SOE, or stick to a familiar, no-fail blend? The truth is simple: it all depends on whether you’re craving steady comfort or fresh exploration.

Let’s start with the basics. SOE stands for Single Origin Espresso, meaning the espresso comes from one specific region. After James Hoffmann won the 2007 World Barista Championship using an SOE, this terroir-driven style slowly became a trend. Today, you can find it in almost every specialty café.

Blend coffee, on the other hand, is made by mixing 2–4 types of beans from different origins. It’s the traditional choice for espresso.

Why Blends Are the Safe Bet

The biggest strength of blends is their reliability. Before specialty coffee became mainstream, blends were usually dark-roasted to mask defects and create a smooth, full-bodied cup. Even if one bean had minor flaws, the other beans would balance it out, ensuring a consistent taste.

Modern specialty blends are more refined. Roasters carefully choose beans that complement one another — for example, earthy Mexican beans paired with floral Kenyan beans. The flavors don’t clash; instead, they create a fuller, more complex profile with extremely consistent extraction.

For everyday coffee drinkers, blends are wonderfully worry-free.

• They have a longer peak flavor period than SOE, so you don’t need to switch beans as often.

• Whether it’s your first cup or your hundredth, the taste stays steady.

• Most cafés use a blend as their house espresso because it’s forgiving, versatile, and works well for americanos, lattes, and most signature drinks.

  

Why SOE Is for the Curious and Adventurous

The charm of SOE lies in its uniqueness and freshness. Single-origin coffee isn’t new — farmers in Ethiopia and Guatemala have been drinking it for centuries — but the specialty coffee movement put it under the spotlight. Roasters now prefer lighter roasts to highlight each region’s distinct “terroir.”

The flavor diversity is incredible:

• Ethiopian SOE may taste like passionfruit,

• Guatemalan SOE can have crisp green-apple notes,

• Burundi SOE carries peach sweetness,

• Brazilian SOE leans creamy and nutty.

As an espresso, these characteristics burst through with clarity. Every sip feels like a miniature flavor adventure.

But SOE also comes with quirks that not everyone enjoys:

• Highly seasonal — your favorite SOE might only be available a few months a year.

• Less consistent — single-origin beans are sensitive to farming, processing, and transport; small changes can alter flavor from batch to batch.

• More difficult to dial in — some SOEs lean acidic, and making milk drinks requires careful adjustment. Every time you switch to a new SOE, baristas often need to recalibrate the espresso settings.

For coffee lovers who enjoy discovery, though, these “challenges” are part of the fun — exploring new terroirs, tasting regional differences, and dialing in the perfect shot brings a deep sense of satisfaction.

Which Should You Choose?

There’s no absolute “better” choice — it depends entirely on what you want:

• Choose a blend if you drink coffee daily and want a stable, reliable flavor without constant experimentation.

• Choose SOE if you love exploring new tastes, appreciating terroir, and don’t mind a bit of variation.

At the end of the day, the point of drinking coffee is simple: enjoy what you like.
So next time you order, follow your mood — go with a blend when you want comfort, and pick SOE when you’re in the mood for a flavor adventure.

Why Single Origin Espresso Costs More: What Makes SOE Coffee Special?

 When you walk into a café and order an Americano or a milk-based coffee, you’ll often see two options on the menu: the default house blend espresso, or a pricier SOE. And naturally, some people wonder—why does this “SOE” cost more? What exactly makes it more expensive?

SOE Coffee — What Exactly Is It?

First, both SOE and blends are terms within the world of espresso.
SOE (Single Origin Espresso) refers to espresso made from coffee beans that come from a single origin, as opposed to a house blend espresso that combines beans from multiple origins.

Back in the days before “acidic coffee” became trendy, most cafés used blends composed of beans from two or more regions. Shops rarely emphasized where their beans came from or what ratios they used. And since darker roasts were the mainstream preference at the time, this ensured stable extraction, rich crema, and a full-bodied espresso.

The Rise of SOE

In the 1980s, the concept of specialty coffee took off. High-quality single-origin beans that highlighted unique terroir flavors suddenly became the stars of the coffee world. Roasters and baristas were drawn to these beans and started exploring more refined flavor expressions.

From what I know, single-origin coffees were initially brewed only through low-pressure methods like pour-over, siphon, or French press. But at the 2007 World Barista Championship, competitor James Hoffmann used a single-origin coffee to pull an espresso shot—and won the world title.

That moment pushed SOE into the global spotlight and helped make it mainstream as specialty coffee culture expanded.

Today’s SOE Market

Nowadays, not only are more cafés offering SOE on their menus, but major online marketplaces are also filled with SOE options. These coffees often come with detailed tasting notes—floral, fruity, tea-like, fermented, winey—as well as clear origin information.

SOE has become an essential category in the coffee market, and large chain brands have helped promote it even more. Single-origin espresso is now widely embraced by coffee lovers.

Why Does SOE Cost Extra? What Makes It More Expensive?

The E in SOE obviously stands for espresso, but the definition of single origin is a bit flexible. In theory, beans harvested from the same country, region, cooperative, estate, or farm can all be considered single-origin. For example, the dozens of single-origin coffees on the chalkboard next to my bar could all technically be turned into SOE.

However, unlike blends, SOE is meant to distinguish itself from traditional “bitter espresso.” So cafés typically choose well-known, high-flavor-clarity single-origin beans—usually roasted light to medium—so that their unique profiles can shine even under espresso pressure.

Think of the bright citrus of a Yirgacheffe, the berry notes of a natural-processed Ethiopian, the sweetness of a honey-processed Geisha, or the tomato-like acidity of a Kenya.

In short:
The more distinct the flavor, the easier it is for people to remember that particular SOE. And higher-quality single-origin beans simply cost more than regular blend components—so the added charge is natural.

Why I Don’t Serve SOE at My Café

Many friends ask me:
“You already have so many single-origin beans. Isn’t SOE just pulling espresso with them? Why don’t you offer SOE?”

In reality, ensuring that SOE tastes good and remains consistent is not easy.
Unlike pour-over, espresso extraction uses high pressure and amplifies the traits of the beans. SOE coffees are usually lighter roasted, meaning the beans are harder and require finer grind settings and longer extraction times.

One small misstep leads to over-extraction or under-extraction—resulting in bitterness or sharp acidity.

I’ve experienced this firsthand. I once had a fantastic Sidamo SOE flat white at a café. But when I went back later and ordered the same drink, it didn’t taste as good. After asking the barista, I learned that the beans and roast profile were unchanged—the inconsistency came from the espresso extraction itself.

For me, consistency is everything. It starts with dialing in before opening and continues with maintaining stable shots throughout the day.
If I applied every single-origin coffee on my menu to SOE, the workload would be insane. Not only would the equipment struggle to keep up, but dialing in the appropriate grind size and ratio for each bean would be a huge daily burden.

And that’s not even counting developing recipes for SOE Americanos, SOE lattes, SOE dirty coffees… The thought alone gives me a headache.