These five specialty shops will recharge your energy during a visit to the whirlwind city that is Hong Kong.
BY TANYA NANETTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT
Photos by Tanya Nanetti
Hong Kong may be a hectic city, but it’s a place that truly has something for everyone: one of the highest concentrations of high-rises and skyscrapers in the world; surrounding lush hills and numerous waterways; and a unique mix of traditional Chinese culture and modern life.
And during a busy day spent exploring, you might need a break. And what’s better than a delicious specialty coffee to give you a boost?
Here are five cool cafés we discovered during an exploration of the city.
Zombie Specialty Coffee
Have you ever felt like a zombie before coffee? I certainly have, which is why I was immediately drawn to Zombie Specialty Coffee, a friendly neighborhood café near the very central Nathan Road. Their motto simply reads: “I am a real zombie without coffee!“
I went there for my first breakfast in town. Immediately, I fell in love with the two friendly baristas, the nice communal table full of new friends, the tasty pastries, and the delicious coffee. I came for a hot latte and stayed for a pourover, having the choice of international beans (at the time of our visit, the Canadians Pirates of Coffee) or local beans.
I decided to try the local roaster champion Craft Coffee Roaster. Their Ethiopia anaerobic, juicy and slightly acidic, made me really happy with the choice.
Triangle Coffee
In a city like Hong Kong, full of specialty-coffee shops and roasters on almost every corner, it is always nice to find a place that specializes in something different. Triangle Coffee, a café in the Kowloon City District on the way to the incredible Hong Kong Science Museum, has chosen to focus on single-origin chocolate specialties. Here, alongside the (perfectly executed) classic coffee offerings, the menu features three different types of hot or iced single-origin chocolate, with between 50% and 75% cocoa. Tanzanian cocoa beans, darker and fruitier, won my heart, either consumed on their own or stirred into a tasty mocha that gave me the energy to tackle the rest of the day.
Good Day Coffee Co.
Slightly off the beaten path, on a residential street a short walk from central Nathan Road, Good Day Coffee Co. is a tiny café that at first glance is reminiscent of traditional Asian stores.
There is a small white curtain framing the front door, two stalls placed on the open window to the side, and only two other seats inside. The rest of the small space is occupied by the perfectly manicured counter, behind which the owner/barista/chef does her magical one-woman show. Here she makes her tasty sando (Japanese sandwich), serves delicious homemade pastries, and brews exceptional coffee and tea, with an emphasis on the best matcha from Uji, Japan. Along with a morning latte, I chose to try an unusual genmaicha milk: delicate and tasty, and definitely the perfect choice.
Fineprint HK
The Peel Street location of local roastery Fineprint is bustling all day, with a long line that never seems to end. Still, Fineprint is really cozy, even with so many people inside. It feels like a neighborhood café, despite the fact that the clientele is obviously made up of a diverse mix of locals and tourists.
Maybe it’s the communal table, crowded with strangers (who become friends during coffee time) next to the regulars reading the newspaper. Or maybe it’s the Pine pedestrian street, which always seems to be the customer’s playground, with people eating and drinking and sitting on steps and brick walls, savoring their delicious beverages in ceramic cups.
Whatever the reason, there are certainly not many places in the city that manage to so seamlessly blend a crowded environment with a neighborhood feel.
Lungo Coffee Roaster
The number of specialty roasters in Hong Kong seems endless, and there always seems to be a new place to visit around the corner.
I ended up at Lungo’s by chance and was pleasantly surprised by the lucky choice: Here a more traditional blend is offered alongside a delicious single-origin for all espresso drinks. A tasty black sesame latte is available for those who choose to avoid caffeine, and the delicious black sesame burnt cheesecake pairing was simply one of the best cakes I’d had in town.
In addition, I fell in love with Lungo’s design, a mix of traditional Chinese and modern art that blended perfectly to create the coolest coffee package I saw in all of Hong Kong.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tanya Nanetti (she/her) is a specialty-coffee barista, a traveler, and a dreamer. When she’s not behind the coffee machine (or visiting some hidden corner of the world), she’s busy writing for Coffee Insurrection, a website about specialty coffee that she’s creating along with her boyfriend.
Subscribe and More!
Out now: It’s the February + March 2024 issue of Barista Magazine! Read it for free with our digital edition. And for more than three years’ worth of issues, visit our digital edition archives here.
You can order a hard copy of the magazine through our online store here, or start a subscription for one year or two.
