Moka & Co., a niche Yemeni coffee shop, will soon open a location at 2481 Broadway (at West 92nd Street) – its first on the Upper West Side and second in NYC. Thanks to Jake C. for the tip and photo.
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If any coffee shop has a right to be called Moka or any variation thereof, it’s this one. Mocha, or Mokha, is a city on the coast of Yemen that at one time was said to be the only coffee exporter, according to Moka & Co.’s website. That changed in the 18th century but the name is still synonymous with coffee and the city’s reputation as a key port for the coffee trade endures.
“For centuries, Yemen stood unchallenged as the globe’s only coffee exporter, a title it held with pride until the 1700s,” states the website. “The port city of Mocha, synonymous with the rich, chocolatey coffee beans that passed through its docks, became a byword for quality and flavor in the coffee circles of the old world.”
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On the UWS, Moka & Co. is taking over the storefront previously occupied by longtime Greek staple Telio before it moved into the Good Enough To Eat space on 85th and Columbus. No exact date has been given for the opening. Moka & Co. is getting ready to open another new spot at 30th and Third Avenue.
“Travel to Yemen without leaving your city,” the shop’s Facebook page invites. “Moka & Co. brings you authentic Yemeni coffee.”
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“Authentic Yemeni Coffee is coming to Manhattan… Join us with 2 new Moka & Co. locations coming to you soon and experience coffee heritage, delicious beverages and the Yemeni inspired aesthetics of a modern coffee house,” reports its Instagram page.
Reaction to the news on Instagram was all positive, presumably from customers familiar with Moka & Co.’s Astoria location, their only other shop in New York.
“Yayayayayay. I can’t wait,” wrote one fan.
“Woo hoo,” and “Wow, congratulations,” wrote two others.
On Yelp and Google, reviews are also mostly positive, the main complaint being that the prices are a little high and that there are no prices listed on the menu.
“Just beware because you might get sticker shock as the pastries are a bit pricey,” wrote one customer, noting that prices are nowhere to be found before ordering.
Iced Saffron Latte (c/o Moka & Co)
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The menu offers a variety of rich authentic coffees, teas and pastries. Specialty beverages include Mufawar Coffee with a secret specialty blend of cardamom and cream, and Jubani Coffee, which is coffee and Qishr with cardamom, ginger and cream. There are lattes, a cappuccino, teas you probably never heard of and several creative and flavorful iced coffees. There are spiced lattes, matcha lattes, an iced caramel macchiato, espressos and more. There are traditional desserts like baklava and basbousa, a variety of cheesecakes (KitKat, tiramisu and pistachio), and a variety of cakes, croissants, cupcakes and tars.
The coffee beans are grown on terraced mountainsides in Yemen, hand-picked, sun-dried on stone rooftops using an age-old technique, and then brought to the U.S.
“By embracing fair trade and organic practices, we not only support the Yemeni farmers with fair prices but also advocate for the environment,” the website states. “Our commitment to authenticity means your cup is not just filled with a drink, but with the legacy of recipes handed down through generations.”
In addition to its Astoria storefront, Moka & Co. also has locations in Michigan and Kentucky.
WIsh they had a commitment to their customers for fair and transparent prices. Be sure to verify what items cost before ordering….there’s a bad habit of the servers not being sure and going ahead and making your coffee and presenting the pastries first before ringing it all up and surprising you with a truly hefty price tag. As if not knowing how much their own menu items are, they have a reputation for very high prices – this is 92nd & Broadway, folks, not 60th Street and Madison Avenue – as well as not informing the public as to those prices. Don’t open a business if you must price things so far above market, customers only come once.
I went last week mainly out of curiosity for Yemeni coffee. The place is clean, nice and feels airy. The prices are a little too steep for my daily coffee budget, but the yemeni concoctions are very good. I would consider it more of an affordable luxury than a daily indulgence. The prices for regular coffees are in line with other 3rd wave coffee shops.