#012, mackie kitchen, 300110

company: L
conversation: Being duped, confidence, Foie Gras Burger and good eye mite.

This was another one of "My Coffee Guide" recommendations. Since L and I were meeting up with others later in the afternoon at Causeway Bay, I figured we could go on a coffee adventure. We trekked to an unknown part of the district but managed to find the store without any difficulties.

When we walked in, there was only one person inside eating, we were a little uncertain as to whether they were open or not but we were greeted by a waitress and told to sit wherever we pleased. I chose the window seat so that we'd get some natural light (it was a nice, sunny day) and although it was kind of awkward as people stared inside to our table, I think my pictures turned out pretty well!

The waitress handed us set lunch menus that ranged from linguine pasta to sandwiches, with an inclusive salad or soup, bread and coffee or tea, approximately HKD$58-$72 + 10% service charge. An additional $20 was required for desserts, but a la carte dessert cost an extra $30. L noticed that they change their lunch and dinner menus everyday and post the daily menus on their blog (free Wi-Fi ftw).

I think the word "cute" is very suitable for this store, I mean, just look at the hand embroidered fabric-cover of their drinks menu! When you first enter, there is a corner dedicated to free postcards and magazines by independent companies for you to take and read whilst eating. There is also a community bulletin board with pictures and business cards creating a very artsy feel.

Seating approximately 40, the layout is spacious and comfortable and we could have easily stayed there for more than a couple of hours just chatting and watching people walk by. We got there at 12:15pm but at around 1:20pm, the entire store was full. Although slightly hidden, the restaurant was surrounded by other cafes, burger joints and Chinese styled restaurants so competition was definitely there.


I had a cappuccino, regular, HKD$30 and a New York Cheesecake, HKD$30. She had a caramel macchiato, regular, HKD$35 and a homemade Crème Brulee with ice-cream, HKD$30. Both include 10% service charge.

This experience teaches us to read the fine-print! We had arrived during lunchtime but what we didn't know was that they had a minimum charge of $60 (+10%)! Whilst we ordered our coffees (unknowingly), the waitress left without any queries only to have the manager walk up letting us know about the minimum charge. At least we were in the mood to have something to eat or else I would have felt even worse. My apologies, L!

When my cappuccino arrived, there was a very pleasant aroma of espresso and its presentation was clean and crisp. The foam was thick and of the right proportion, the bitterness was tolerable and the espresso seemed a little watery but still strong enough to pack a punch.

I feel that I am still very inexperienced with tasting different blends of coffee beans as well as different temperatures in roasting and when an extraction has been done well or not. Hopefully through time and experience, I'll be blogging about the stores' blends and beans, as well as having intellectual conversations about them with other coffee enthusiasts!

The foam was filled slightly higher than the rim to look a little like a souffle. I always thought people liked the extra foam given to them but as I was surfing online yesterday, I found someone that really disliked it! I can understand that the proportions are wrong and maybe (technically) eating air isn't what they wanted from an espresso coffee (especially at that price) but when I was younger and my parents ordered cappuccinos, I would always ask if I could eat the foam. So for me, the more foam there is, the better! As long as if there's still a good portion of coffee left to drink afterwards.

My New York Cheesecake was also very nicely presented with a swirl of whipped cream on the side. Although dense (good!), the centre of the cake was very crumbly, soft and fluffy. After finishing a good half of the already small cake, I felt quite full and heavy. The whipped cream was a whole other thing! I don't know if it was the chocolate powder lightly sprinkled on top or that it was a special recipe, but the whipped cream was a light, sweet and a heavenly accompliment to the cheesecake. I don't know if they make the cheesecake themselves, but whoever does, well done.

The creepy little bugger on the right is L's caramel macchiato. According to wikipedia, a caffè macchiato is basically an espresso stained with a teaspoon of milk dropped into the espresso (that is how I have been taught as well), so basically it should not be as large as L's one was but rather placed in a hard-boiled-egg-sized cup. However, as wiki continues, trends have begun changing the macchiato by having steamed milk stained with espresso instead, which makes more sense in this case. This then crosses closely to being a caffe latte but different. Whilst drinking, I looked over to another table and their iced macchiato seemed much nicer, darn.

L commented that even though she could smell the caramel and slightly taste it, the espresso coffee was still stronger and thus not as sweet. In contrast, I thought there was a good balance between caramel syrup and espresso. The caramel gave the beverage a deeper taste and as the espresso came present, it would continue to linger but not overpower.

Her crème brulee was also presented well. I liked the idea of putting the ice cream in a rock glass creating different heights and visual textures. Just like in the movie; Amélie, I enjoy cracking the caramelised sugar crust on top of crème brulees, or even watching them being cracked. The crack and subsequent fractures in the crust indicated an experienced chef, the brulee on the other hand was cold (intentional?) and thicker than what I am used to. An overall good dish.

Mackie Kitchen, is owned and run by manager James. I plucked up the courage to talk to him for a bit and ask him some questions, he was nice. He originally opened a bookstore 2 years ago called "Mackie Study" and when that closed, Mackie Kitchen was born. I am certainly not surprised that this store has lasted this long, the general environment and atmosphere allows one to relax and enjoy the company of others or a book without feeling pressured to leave.

Presentation is obviously very important to them. Looking at other tables, the dishes were well portioned and despite being full from the desserts, we felt peckish to try their lunches. If we weren't meeting up with others for lunch, I think we would have eaten there.

Although prices may be on the steeper side, for such a good environment, I can see how many people can keep visiting. From 2:30pm to 6pm there are tea sets available for $30, which would have suited us much more. I guess today was a bunch of lessons learnt! We received a $10 discount coupon for our next visit which is a good incentive but you have to eat more than $60 before you can use it. I hope to visit one more time before I leave. Join me?

address: 銅鑼灣加路連山道9號地鋪, Causeway Bay.
(Keep following Leighton Road until you get to Caroline Hill Road #9)
website: Mackie Kitchen / phone: 2808 0351

#011, coco espresso, 290110

company: Sh
conversation: MLIT (oh, humanity), magazines and Christmas.

After lunch, we decided to walk around before heading over to the coffee shop. Sh was a little dubious after the last time I bought her to S Square Cafe but I had my fingers crossed about this! Afterall, "My Coffee Guide" had written about it, so maybe I'm just biased. Oops.

Whilst we were walking, Sh was on the phone as I counted the building numbers. It's a good thing I was looking carefully or else we would have missed it. The door frame of the store was almost identical in colour with the surrounding stores and it was easy to miss.

I realise that when I find a store I have this sense of glee and excitement and as lame as it sounds, a sense of accomplishment for being able to find it. Yes, there are more important things in life than being able to find a coffee shop. But it's also important to be able to enjoy the simpler things in life... Like a good cup of coffee, or a yummy piece of cheese cake. After all that has happened, in the world, even just this afternoon in Hong Kong, life is precious and I think Ferris Bueller said it pretty well: "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."


When we first entered, there were a lot of people in the store. Fortunately, three people sitting on bar stools left a little after we entered and this freed up a lot more space. Seating approximately 17 people, the store is very small but considerably cosy with a tiny but well-equipped kitchen. Framed photos lined the sides of the walls giving the store character, and a general feeling of home is created.

Although we reached the store not even 5 minutes after walking from Soho, the location was a little out of our way and looking around, I noticed many other coffee shops, thus competition is relatively high.


I had a cappuccino, regular, HKD$24. She had a caramel latte, regular, HKD$27.

The coffees did not take a very long time to make, we sat down for maybe 10 minutes and our coffees were ready and delivered. I wasn't able to observe the barista frothing the milk, but the final product spoke heaps.

My foam was thick and creamy and the proportions of the cappuccino were perfect. Once the drinks were set down, a pleasant waft of espresso aroma floated to our noses and we dug in (after I took photos, of course). My first impression was that it was very strong and although bitter, it was tolerable. The chocolate powder scattered on the foam was a nice touch and allowed little hints of sweetness.

Talking to barista Johnson, I learnt (or rather my thought process was reinforced) that the foam on top of any coffee should not be completely white even though it creates a perfect drawing board. The crema or espresso should also be mixed in with parts of the foam so that when taking your first sip, you will also taste the sweet bitterness (oxymoron!) of the espresso rather than just a huge gulp of foam. Free pouring allows this mixing to occur in comparison to using a spoon to scoop the foam out (ahh, this is what I do) and plop it on top of the espresso.

The smell of caramel from Sh's latte was very strong but did not overpower the coffee. Although I could smell and taste the caramel, I did think that it did was not sweet enough (sweet tooth talking?) and neither did Sh. This was the first latte that used a glass instead of a ceramic cup. I'll make an assumption and say that it is to help waiters and baristas distinguish between cappuccinos... At least most of the time that's what helps me!

As you can see, the foam on a latte is approximately a centimeter thick whilst the rest is coffee. All espresso based beverages are basically a variation in the proportions of espresso, milk and foam.

Coco Espresso is a nice little cafe to drop by if you are in the neighbourhood. Barista Johnson did admit that whilst traffic flow was minimal and relatively slow, (explaining why they close at 5pm on weekdays and have a 4pm close on Saturdays (not open on Sunday)) the quality of coffee was well appreciated as some customers regularly make the walk from Soho or mid-levels to visit his cafe to drink his coffee.

I found that this store was the only one so far that made flat whites. Flat whites are very similar to a latte but with just enough foam to cover the surface but not have much depth, thus being stronger. From reading My Coffee Guide, I found out that the barista had actually trained and worked in Australia, where I first learnt about the flat white (which I thought was a drink made with white chocolate. Fail.)

During our conversation, it was obvious that Barista Johnson is talented, experienced and definitely passionate enough to make such consistently good coffee. With sandwiches (HKD$28-$40), all-day breakfast (HKD$40-$58) and cakes available, if it's not busy, it would be a nice place to have lunch.

address: G/F, 197 Queens Road Central, Sheung Wan (close to Exit E2).
phone: 2542 2228

my coffee guide, 給咖啡一杯時間

It's mine! This book was written by a Hong Kong actor Moses Chan (陳豪) who also has a passion in coffee and it's fine art. He even had a television programme based on him going around the world trying different coffee blends. He then wrote this book as a guide to coffee shops around Hong Kong. Although I have only been to two, I think when the time comes, I might be able to visit them all!

This is not going to limit me though, there are many more coffee shops that he hasn't written about that I really want to visit. It's written completely in Chinese so this will definitely help me!

Sorry about the delay, I haven't been able to visit any coffee shops recently but I hope to soon!

#010, first cup coffee, 230110

company: L
conversation: Guys, museums, Autumn's Concerto (Taiwanese Drama), giving up and getting lost.

**I would just like to point out that the interior of the 'cafe' was so dark that all my pictures ended up really fuzzy and dark. My apologies.**

Let's just say that if I were Christopher Columbus on a voyage to discover America... I probably wouldn't find it. Maybe it was a combination of tiredness, not reading the address right and even Open Rice giving me the wrong address; we walked an entire circle around buildings and crossing roads only to find ourselves back at square one when the coffee shop was hidden away on the next street the whole time.

L was the first to see the sign, whereas I just walked right past the store. In retrospect, I would have continued walking if she hadn't stopped me. It was so dark that it verged on the creepy side of things. But an explorer does not give up even if the place looks dodge, so I went in and accidentally thought a regular guest was the waiter... My bad. After being handed the menu, we decided the prices were fair enough (L's treat!) and then came the dilemma of sitting near the entrance where there were many smokers or sit near a suspiciously potential drug deal in the corner. Hmm...

The furniture was mis-matched and some of them were poorly kept. If the place hadn't been so sketchy, I think I would have appreciated it more. The bar looked readily stocked and everyone was ordering coffees so that must have been some indication towards the quality.

Whilst the menu was approximately 10 pages long, I realised they had made the "Hot Drinks" and "Cold Drinks" separate when they were essentially the same beverages. Although I did see something else that I had not noticed in other coffee shops: coffee drinks with alcohol. I only skimmed this section but an example was a latte with Baileys (an Irish cream based liqueur, yum). Whilst this raised the price quite a bit, this is an excellent combination. I can only imagine the creaminess of the Baileys working with the latte to create an extra layer of sweetness.

Breakfast food items as well as wraps and sandwiches were also available, we saw one of the employees make a wrap which smelt quite good.

I had a cappuccino, small, HKD$28. She had a mocha, small, HKD$32.

The drinks came relatively fast and they were hot. The barista understood what she was doing but the frothing of the milk was quite noisy and this was evident in the quality of the foam on my cappuccino.

Although it might not be obvious in the photo, but as I was taking photos, more and more bubbles appeared. This made me remember my cups of coffee (the few that I made) which had visible air bubbles and craters because I did not froth the milk enough. This does not take away from the taste of the cappuccino but nice froth makes the cappuccino more visually appealling. Usually I can just sprinkle lots and lots of chocolate powder on top to hide the imperfections.

With the first sip of the cappuccino, I noticed it was very strong. Like, very strong. It reminded me of S Square Cafe's espresso punch, but this was not sour. The great thing I realised about this coffee was that there was no aftertaste. Even as we left the cafe, I asked L if she had any sourness in her mouth, we both marvelled at the fact that whilst we could still slightly taste the espresso, it was a nice aftertaste and not something you needed to cover up with gum.

A mocha is basically a variation of a latte, except with a teaspoon of chocolate powder dissolved inside. Thus making it less bitter and strong. L's mocha was visually appealling and what surprised me was that when I tasted it, I could actually tell the difference between the espresso and chocolate! Although I did not regularly drink mochas before, when I did, I thought the espresso was so powerful that I could not taste any chocolate whatsoever.

In comparison to the cappuccino, the mocha was much sweeter (although my sweet tooth wasn't complaining) but still had a good balance with the coffee.

First Cup Coffee, the name, makes me think of ones first ever cup of coffee. Honestly, I don't remember mine, but I don't think it was anything special. I think this store was more of a bar than a coffee shop which disappointed me. If I was walking by, I might even cross the street because I felt intimidated to go in.

The wide entrance allows smokers to sit and smoke but causes the smoke to drift into the shop. The barista ended up sitting down at the bar and lighting up, so I would definitely not recommend this place to any non-smokers. It was unpleasant and I ended up smelling like smoke myself. With the wide entrance, the cold wind could easily come in, making our coffees lukewarm about halfway through. I understand that coffee starts getting cold the second you drink it but the lack of heating did not help.

Despite boasting coffee in their name, the interior definitely says otherwise. It is not some place I would return to even though the graffiti seemed cool and the coffee was not half-bad. It obviously means something when L and I were discussing further plans to eat at a restaurant nearby and then re-visit Crema instead.

address: G/F, Chevalier Bldg. Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui (look for Prat Avenue).
尖沙咀漆咸道南45-51號其士大廈地下C及D舖
phone: 2316-7793

#009, cafe corridor, 220110

company: J
conversation: Work, the cafe, outings and The Killers (rah!)

Travelling to and from destinations can place a lot of pressure on the wallet. Travelling expenses sometimes even add up to the cost of a cup of coffee! Whilst I am very interested in coffee shops all around Hong Kong, there are certain places that are a bit out of reach for me. Despite the cost, if a recommendation is made, I am more than happy to visit. This was one of those times.

J made a recommendation about a cafe that made excellent toffee nut lattes. So, of course I had to try it. Turns out it was the first cafe on my list of coffee shops anyway. C'est le destin!

The cafe is not hard to find as it is directly opposite a popular tourist destination (Times Square) although the entrance is slightly hidden. It is kind of sketchy as the cafe is found on the ground floor below a sex shop on the first floor. Awk. People walked by quite a lot and while I thought they were about to enter, they would continue up a flight of stairs, feet thumping as they ascended. Double awk.

Walking into the cafe felt like I was walking into a novelty antique store as there was stuff everywhere. Shelves with coffee pots, picture frames and figurines lined across the walls.

Seating approximately 16 people, wooden chairs and tables allowed spacious and comfortable chitchat. Free Wi-Fi is available but requires a password to access. Although the cafe was relatively empty when we arrived, it provided a nice and quiet environment to study or catchup.

We both had a toffee nut latte, regular, HKD$33.

Offering 'take away' or 'stay' options, beverage and food item (sandwiches and cakes) prices range between HKD$24 to $35. Although it is not a gourmet kitchen, you can tell that the kitchen and chef make everything individually and to-order.

J's drink arrived first, sporting a leaf design on the top. This was created through free-pouring without any use of utensils (such as toothpicks or scratch awls). I have always been in awe of a barista's ability to create a work of art just from manipulating the way they pour steamed milk into a shot of espresso. Through differing speeds and the swinging (?) of the milk jug, many images can be created with only shades of brown and white.

Some latte art is achieved through stencils and chocolate powder.

Finally, my one arrived with a bear on top. At first glance, I did not notice the little details the barista had made on the bear. But do you see the little flicks of fur on the top of the bear's head? What a cutie. This type of latte art is achieved through the use of utensils: scratch awls are most commonly used for woodwork but the spike can be used just like a pencil to basically draw on the foam. Although I don't know exactly all the techniques used to make the bear, a mixture of free-pouring and utensils was definitely used.

Whilst watching the barista froth the milk, it was obvious that she knew what she was doing and was very experienced. The froth was creamy and smooth but I did think that for a latte, there might have been a bit more froth than necessary. After my first sip, I was overcome with sweetness from the toffee nut syrup but the espresso crept in slowly and as if knowing it was the main character remained long after the sweetness had subsided. In other words, the toffee nut was sweet enough without overpowering the espresso. The temperature was acceptable.

I noticed that there were many different types of syrups available to add to their coffees and their teas were also very interesting: strawberry and vanilla etc. What I also found intriguing was their Iced Cucumber Caffe Latte (HKD$34). Overall, an excellent experience.

Cafe Corridor was a hangout place for J when she was in High School. With a 12 o'clock closing time from Fridays to Sundays (and 11 closing time from Monday to Thursday), I can see why. She informed me that it had closed previously but reopened without any changes having been made. She told me that they had changed the artwork on the walls since her previous visit indicating that they probably support independent artists/illustrators as I saw their business card placed near the entrance.

Unfortunately, while enjoying our drinks and conversation, construction work was occurring nearby which was a bit distracting but unavoidable. The music was slightly louder than I expected but this was not noticeable until pointed out. Being near to such a popular tourist destination, it worries me to imagine how expensive their rent is. Nevertheless, I hope they remain open for many years to come.

For me, this was definitely one of the more indie cafes that I have visited and I have already made plans to visit Cafe Corridor again. In comparison to Soulmate's toffee nut latte, this one wins. And what? Starbucks who?

address: G/F, 26A Russel Street, Causeway Bay.
銅鑼灣羅素街26A地下
website: Cafe Corridor (it's not really informative apart from the guestbook which is interesting to read)
phone: 6096 5013 / 2892 2927

#008, dcolonp, 210110

company: M
conversation: Guys, Rugby (hehe) and the restaurant.

Walking around Tsuen Wan trying to find this restaurant made me realise that this district has many different cuisines on offer. Food blog next? I think so!

When we entered the restaurant there were only two other tables occupied which meant that we beat the lunch rush. The restaurant was cozy to be fair but once the students arrived every seat was taken and a sense of urgency was felt within the shop. This was understandable due to the students only having approximately an hour to eat lunch before returning back to school so they were out of there even before our meals came! (We were obviously not their priority).

The interior was similar to that of S Square Cafe (bad memories) but instead of bare walls, they had placed mirrors to make the room appear larger than it actually was (that is what I have learnt from the many interior designing shows). The menu boasted 5 pages of drinks with different components to be added to them (tapioca bubbles, whipped cream with sprinkles). After browsing through the menu, M told me that the store was very similar to those in Taiwan with the items on the menu as well as the drinks that I had thought were very inventive. I felt like I was in another one of those 茶餐廳.


I had the 'A' lunch set (HKD$28) with an iced cappuccino (+HKD$6), HKD$34. She had the 'B' lunch set (HKD$28) with a Tiramisu 冰沙/frappuccino (+HKD$8), HKD$36.

They had a total of 2 set lunches, so obviously our choices were very limited. The waitress kindly told us that by adding charges we could change our drinks to special ones. The weather was hot and humid (I thought I had avoided this kind of Hong Kong weather from the summer) so I opted for an iced cappuccino instead of a hot one. On it's own, it would have been HKD$20, which I thought was very acceptable in comparison to the other coffees I have had.

The iced cappuccino reminded me of drinks a bartender would create with the different densities of the liquids (eg. the B-52), a layer of syrup had fallen to the bottom, espresso coffee in the middle, ice, cream and foam on the top. I will not lie: I actually thought this was awesome! Thinking the foam on the top was actually just whipped cream, I slurped it up but found myself exclaiming that "it's foam!" to M. Whilst taking photos, the cream started to cascade into the dark brown coffee. This is when I decided to finally stir all the components together.

The taste was bitter but a bitterness that I had tried before with the other more successful cappuccinos. Even with the syrup, there was only a slight hint of sweetness that appeared to bring out the taste of the coffee even more. The cream allowed the beverage to become smooth and be less strong, although the espresso coffee was obviously watered down to create a long black (a shot of espresso with water). Usually in these Hong Kong styled restaurants, they tend to fill your drink up with huge ice cubes so as to save money on the actual ingredients used to make the drink. Instead, they used chipped ice to allow the drink to become cool but avoided making the drink anymore watery than it already was.

Unfortunately, our food arrived before the drinks, this is usually not a problem for me although I do like to quench my thirst before anything. For my meal, I had a roasted duck breast with cheese sausages in soup ramen noodles. It was nothing spectacular with the simple ingredients and short cooking time needed. Not something to return for.

M's cream sauce chicken and mushroom rice was another easy and quick dish to prepare. Both of us could not finish.

Her Tiramisu 冰沙 (which I translated to a frappuccino) was a main focal point on Dcolonp's Open Rice page. Therefore, I got her to choose that one over the Oreo冰沙. After tasting, she said it was similar to a mocha frappuccino, which I guess is similar to a tiramisu. The extra sugary lady finger added to the presentation and texture-wise would have been the spongy layer in the middle of the tiramisu. Once it arrived, it spilt everywhere as the ice melted. It was messy.

Dcolonp's selling point is their drinks, with a vast amount to choose from and with inventive components (a coffee flavoured sugar pouch that will burst when you bite into it) that create different textures and additional flavours adds to its appeal. Whilst drinks are their specialty, their coffee is nothing special in contrast to others that I have tried. Obviously a cheap place for students, the interior design is not exactly somewhere to "hang out" afterschool. Although M and I stayed until we were the last people in the store, the general atmosphere drove us out before our conversation was over.

Having many branches around Hong Kong, I would not mind dropping by if I am thirsty to try their other drinks. However, I would not make an effort to find their other outlets. Dcolonp seems to be just a tick off my list rather than a recommendation I would make.

address: 荃灣路德圍40號地鋪
website: Dcolonp / phone: 2499 3138

#007, s square cafe, 190110

company: Sh
conversation: Catching up, guys and evaluating the cafe.

I was going to start off with a keyboard bash to illustrate my disappointment and frustration, but decided that I have to compose myself and tell you, my fellow readers, about my worst cup of coffee so far.


After much debate of which cafe in Mong Kok to go to, Sh and I decided that S Square Cafe (the first one on the MK list that I had written) was the way to go. We were confused at first with the street signs and numbers, but managed to find our way up to the second floor of a dodgy looking building. That is the whole point of exploring and adventuring, right? As we began walking up the stairs, we saw a faded poster for S Square Cafe pointing to an elevator. My innocent and naive mind quickly asked: Is the cafe in the elevator? Alas, no. We walked into the lift and found that there was no second floor! So instead we chose the third floor and figured we'd walk down if we went too far. Once the doors opened, we realised that if we had just walked one more flight of stairs, we would have found the cafe. Fail.

We initially thought the cafe was closed because there was no one at the bar and the staff were all sitting down around one table. They told us to sit wherever we pleased and gave us quite a few menus. The seating, although limited was spacious and the view of the street below was interesting (I like to people-watch). The bare walls were a peach colour and the lights looked like they had been there for a thousand years. Nothing impressive, we settled in and began reading the menus.

I had a cappuccino, regular, HKD$45 (gasp, I know). She had a passionfruit tofu smoothie, HKD$44.

I should note here that I didn't order a cappuccino, but a cappuccio. Seriously.

If you haven't realised it already, this was my most expensive cup of espresso coffee. I almost hesitated ordering it because of its price. From Open Rice, I had seen that they use French Press' for guests who order their exotic black coffees (approximately HKD$40 - $60), so I had assumed that they took their coffee very seriously. And with their equipment on display, it seemed promising. Needless to say, with such a price, my expectations were very high.

Watching the barista at work was interesting, as he weighed out the coffee beans and then proceeded to grind them. This showed that the coffee beans were definitely freshly ground (and thus would not be oxidised as much as previously ground beans creating a bitter taste). He had no problem frothing the milk, although he had to stand on a platform because the coffee machine was taller than he was. This was strange but with the lack of space, I can understand them wanting to utilise as much as possible.

As the waitress placed my cappuccino, sorry, cappuccio, on the table, I noticed more bubbles in the froth in comparison to my previous ones. The latte art seemed half-hearted (get it?) and looked more like something else. Even though I did not use the sugar, I was disappointed that they gave me white sugar instead of brown (it provides a heavier flavour into the coffee). Unfortunately, the coffee was lukewarm to the touch, and when I tasted it... Gosh, a combination of sourness and bitterness filled my mouth followed by a punch of espresso. It was an incredibly bad experience. Thinking about it makes me shudder, the more I drank, the more I felt sick. But I felt guilty not finishing it with the price I paid for it. I kept thinking to myself: How could it taste this bad?

After drinking only half of my cappuccio I looked over enviously at the patrons coming out of Haagen Dazs with their yummy ice creams in hand.

We soon concluded it to be the coffee beans. Despite being grounded on the spot they were not treated properly. All the barista did was place a clip on the coffee bean package without expelling any of the air out. This oxidises the coffee beans itself. Creating a bitter and sour taste. Not to mention the fact that we didn't know how long those coffee beans had been on the shelf either.

Sh decided that my New Years Resolution of try new things was a good idea and decided to do what I like to call a "peanut butter and banana smoothie" (I ordered it on a whim because of my New Years resolution and after trying it I instantly regretted it but chugged it down anyway) basically, an attempt to try something new but failing because it tastes gross/bad.

I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say that she didn't finish it either. The first sip was a kick of artificial passionfruit flavouring, which was followed by a tofu aftertaste. Interesting to say the least.

S Square Cafe is a disappointment to say the least. No one else walked into the cafe, and with 3 waitresses standing outside of the cafe smoking definitely did not add to the already tainted first impression we had. The prices are crazy for an area known for its inexpensive food and drink. I believe that I am usually lenient with little cafes and give them the benefit of the doubt with their lack of training but I will not be returning, and I recommend any of you out there to steer clear. I don't know what to say... LSKDIE['.';.IRU8QO2J2!!!

address: 2/F, 66-68 Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Mong Kok.
旺角西洋菜南街66-68號2樓
phone: 2380 6588

#006, mo-ikken cafe, 170110

company: Dad, Mum, G and D
conversation: Breakfast, the food and coffee.

If you live in Hong Kong, you will not be a stranger towards the term 茶餐廳 (English literal translation: tea meal room). The food provided here in Mo-Ikken Cafe is similar to that of a 茶餐廳 but with a higher price tag to account for the more comfortable seating and the presentation of the dishes. The restaurant is well-lit, decorated with ceiling fans and spacious seating. Staff greet you just as you enter, and although it is not extraordinary service they are efficient and friendly.

Having been to this cafe several times for breakfast and lunch, I had a good impression of their breakfast items but not so much for lunch. The problem with eating breakfast here is that it ends at 11:30am. Having to get dressed and travel to this cafe is a tough ordeal in the morning since I have been very lazy lately. Although lunch is inclusive of soup and a drink, it is nothing special. The regular dishes include baked rice and/or spaghetti, fried rice and curry with rice. If possible, we usually try to avoid coming in later than 11am to make sure we can have breakfast.

Their Horlicks were a good indication of their skills in frothing milk (yum) and after realising that they advertised their cappuccinos as a recommendation and with their impressive bar and steamer on display, I decided to try it this time.


I had a Ice & Fire Pineapple Style Bread (HKD$15) and a cappuccino, regular, HKD$22. Everyone else had a breakfast meal, HKD$26 - $29.

Breakfasts are a set with an additional coffee or tea with extra charges according to the type of drink you want to change it to. Unfortunately, espresso drinks are not included and have to be ordered separately. Consisting of the typical Chinese breakfasts (macaroni pasta, sandwiches and Chinese noodles) there are also sets that include scrambled or fried eggs with your choice of proteins (ham, bacon, sausages), there is even a healthy option of oats.

Altogether, it is a very hearty meal and the previous times I had breakfast here, I was full until dinner (didn't finish most of the stuff as well).

I did not really understand the Ice & Fire Pineapple Style Bread. Was the slice of butter (too much) the "ice" part and the fact that the bread had been pan-fried the "fire" part? I assume so, considering I found nothing else special about it. Although filling, the butter and oil from frying the bread made me feel very heavy and ew.

Back on to the main point: the cappuccino. Sorry, let me rephrase: what cappuccino? Whilst watching the manager (she was wearing a different coloured shirt) making the espresso, I realised there was no coffee grinder and that she was directly tamping (previously?) ground coffee into the group handle and fitting into the machine. I wait a couple of seconds expecting the espresso to slowly stream out, but saw nothing.

When I pulled shots (the little times I did) at work, everyone kept reminding me to start the extraction within 3-seconds of putting the group handle into the machine. This is because any time spent longer in the machine would cause the ground coffee to burn and make the espresso bitter.

You can imagine my horror and confusion when I did not see any espresso streaming out of the handle. The manager then began to froth the milk. This was a reminder to me of exactly how much I still need to learn as the screeching of the milk and steamer brought me back to the times when I was on the verge of tears just trying to get my milk to begin a whirlpool. She attempted to steam the milk twice before pulling the espresso shot and then serving the cappuccino to me.

The above picture shows the difference in the espresso coffee (right) and regular Hong Kong style coffee (left). Apart from the presentation, I did not see any difference. Suffice to say, I was very disappointed. Despite the lack of froth and chocolate powder on top, I was surprised to find that the coffee itself was smooth and velvety. I was expecting incredibly bitter coffee but found that even without sugar, the coffee was still drinkable and did not taste burnt at all. Why? What happened??? I'm confused!

The Mo-Ikken Cafe, in Chinese is called 又一間餐室, meaning "just another restaurant store", plays on the fact that there are so many similar cafes and restaurants around. Although many of the other stores do not require a 10% service charge, they do not provide any particular any service to warrant such charge. However, one of the great things is that with the level of service received in Mo-Ikken Cafe and their presentation, they do not include a 10% service charge with the meal as well. Score.

Paying $22 for a cup of coffee similar to the filtered one included with the meal was a huge disappointment especially with it being highly recommended. Even though it tasted fine, the lack of foam and presentation (there was coffee spilt on the sides) was just, not good.

Rarely ever empty during breakfast, lunch or even afternoon tea. This is definitely just another one of those restaurants... But different as well. I would return, for breakfast and their Horlicks and stocking tea. But not for their espresso coffees.

address: Shop G08 ,1 Po Lun Street,Manhattan Hill Plaza, Lai Chi Kok.
荔枝角寶輪街1號曼克頓山商場(曼坊)G08舖地下
phone: 2886 8778

#005, oscar's espresso bar, 160110

company: My Dad
conversation: Coffee and library books (he was too busy reading the newspaper).

Turns out I might have visited this coffee shop a bit too early. Open Rice gave me the address to a "Coffee Square" but lead me here instead. After confusing myself and then the waiter enquiring about whether or not they were Coffee Square, the owner and main barista, Pavel (hi!) came to explain to us that they had bought the shop, only opening a week ago and were still undergoing some final touches (such as a store banner, more art work and price tags). Picture below shows Pavel (his forehead+arm), the waiter (black+glasses) and a contractor (beige), all discussing colours, just wanted to point out the chalkboard.


The exterior was bright orange with a welcoming white interior, the ceiling for half of the store was high with a fan above, bar stools surrounded one side of the wall and a sofa lined the wall further in opposite the cashier bench. On the menu (chalkboards just above the bar), I saw a vast array of flavoured teas (blueberry, cranberry), caffeinated drinks and food+drink sets all priced decently from HKD$20 - $35.

We both had a cappuccino, classic (regular), HKD$27.

The cappuccinos arrived hot and filled just a bit higher than the rim to make it look like a rising souffle. The texture of the foam was amazing, it felt like I was eating whipped cream. Surprisingly this is the first time I have seen chocolate powder on top of a cappuccino since this blog started.

I always liked it when a guest ordered a cappuccino from me, mostly because I always knew my pouring technique wasn't up to scratch and the top of the drink would look like a piece of brown and white abstract art (in the bad way) if they had ordered a latte or flat white. With a cappuccino, it was procedure for us to sprinkle chocolate powder on top of the foam helping me hide the ugliness that was my "free pouring". I just tried researching why chocolate powder is even put on top of cappuccinos but I remain clueless. Anyone with any knowledge about that, e-mail me! I will continue researching.

The coffee was slightly bitter but got sweeter and the espresso got stronger with each sip. Pavel mentioned being established in Australia with family in the coffee bean roasting business (Australian Independent Roasters) and that their coffee beans are roasted in Australia then shipped to Hong Kong, that's some dedication right there. Sometimes I wish my palate was more sophisticated and experienced to differentiate between the subtle tones within different coffee beans.

Oscar's Espresso Bar, is named after Pavel's son (lucky kid). Its location allows for a constant flow of foot traffic, located in-between a Chinese hardware store and another restaurant, I can imagine it can get quite busy during the weekdays. The food items on offer are similar to that of Starbucks even though the coffee is from another planet (far better): packaged and ready-to-go wraps, sandwiches and hand rolls, indicate a Western-oriented clientele. Whilst I do agree with the naming of the store as a bar rather than a cafe (due to the store being relatively small) the seating is comfortable and the environment encourages guests to sit and enjoy their drinks and snacks... They even have a toilet! Beat that, Starbucks!


I am excited to see the progress of Oscar's within the next couple of months or even the next few weeks whilst I'm still here. With regulars and loyal customers, as well as such a positive and determined attitude towards fully training their staff, success is imminent and I wish them the best of luck. Pavel, if there is anything inaccurate with what I have written, I am happy to edit as you see fit. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for being so hospitable!

address: Shop A2, G/F, Khuan Ying Commercial Building, 85-89 Wellington Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central.
中環蘭桂坊威靈頓街 85-89 號群英商業大廈地下A2舖