Do you know that feeling when you see someone again who you clearly know but haven’t seen in ages and thus cannot immediately place? I had that with Casey Kooyman of Morning Owl Coffee in Amsterdam just the other day. Casey and I have known each other for years but hadn’t seen each other in ages. Thus, when I walked into his cute café on Zeedijk the other day, I had to do a double take.
Casey opened Morning Owl Coffee after a period of doing pop ups out of a garage. Eventually, he heard that the owners of his current venue were looking for someone to do a pop up there with the goal to take over the lease. Casey didn’t think twice. Morning Owl Coffee sits somewhere in the middle of the Zeedijk, a street that in recent years has transformed itself from trashy to trendy.
As you wander down the heart of Amsterdam’s tiny Chinatown, you will pass the shopfronts of iconic brands like Patta and Comme de Garçon Black as well as other local fashion labels. This vibrant community also provides Casey with a lot of regulars who pop in to grab a coffee or a pastry at Morning Owl Coffee.
On the day of my visit, it was a cold sunny morning. Casey took the time to walk me through his extensive offerings of Amsterdam based specialty coffee roasters that include DAK, Friedhats, Uncommon, Rum Baba and more. “I try to source as much as possible from and around Amsterdam,” he explained while preparing an order.
While the space itself is very small and doesn’t have any indoor seating, there is never a shortage of business. Much is also homemade. From really delicious Mexican inspired cookies like Polvorones to pastries that use day-old croissants from Brood across the road. He also makes his own horchata using condensed coconut and fresh cashew milk. I had a sip and it was delicious.
As Morning Owl Coffee was the first stop on my coffee tour that day, I started off with a toasted almond orgeat flat white. Casey makes his own sirups too. This drink was really sweet but the coffee still shone through. Casey and I agreed that some little garnish like a crunch would make the drink even better.
For those who are into filter coffee, there is a fresh rotating menu of outstanding single origin lots. He also stocks excellent chocolates and some brewing accessories. The other highlight for me was the Matcha. Casey first whips the matcha in a bowl but then brews it using the Decent Espresso machine that he keeps in the back.
No matter your pursuasion, Morning Owl Coffee is bound to have something exciting for you.
