One overwhelmingly good coffee sparked Tomomi Costello’s interest in learning how to make great coffee herself. Previously not knowing much about coffee, Costello started her hospitality journey in various roles, from restaurants to sushi making.
Relatively new and always learning, Costello has been a barista since 2019 after training under compatriot Takahito Koyanagi, 2016’s NZ Cup Tasters Champion.
At Lola Café in Mount Wellington, she defines a great coffee by the extraction and temperature of the steamed milk, served to customers right away while tasting and looking its best.
“When they buy a second cup, you know they enjoyed it!” Costello finds customer feedback a rewarding aspect of the job.
At Lola, Costello has noticed a rise in the use of eco cups, alongside popularity in milk alternatives, with oat milk becoming most popular over almond and soy, after regular milk.
Her go-to order is a small-sized coffee with a double shot, usually opting for a flat white, cappuccino or long black. Her favourite blend is Kokako ‘Mahana’, sold at Lola, though she is recently enjoying Kokako Guatemala ‘Guaya’B’ filter coffee.
Costello is a dog lover, “Unfortunately, my dog is in Japan with my family. I love when customers come to the café with their dogs.”
