#017, moccato, 100210

company: Sh
conversation: Ngong Ping 360, HAVE A NICE TRIP, timetables and coffee.

I have always passed by this little coffee shop whenever I am at the Tung Chung Citygate Outlet Mall (I even asked them if they were hiring back in December) but never had the chance to try it out. As Sh and I were just coming back from being tourists I figured this was more of an opportunity to try it rather than an actual adventure. We had had quite a bit of a day so we were tired and ready for a nice comfy environment to chat.

A strong smell of freshly ground coffee (mm!) awaited us as we entered looking up at the overhead menu. Seeing all the varieties of coffee, I noticed that the prices were acceptable in comparison to other places that I have tried although there was a limited selection of food items (only sweet stuff like cakes, brownies and cookies). Espresso coffees ranged between HKD$22 - $30 with regular and large sizes, fruit smoothies and juices were also available.

As we ordered at the counter, I realised I was craving for something super sweet rather than my regular cappuccino (I usually order that so I can make comparisons with other stores). We took a seat near the entrance so we could watch people walk by. Seating approximately 15 with inside and outside tables, the area is spacious and comfortable to have conversation. The brown interior although enhancing the "coffee shop" look and initially being inviting did not make us feel warm for some reason. Nevertheless, we ended up sitting for a while.


I had a Cafe Brule, regular, HKD$28. She had a Moccato, regular, HKD$28. We also ordered a chocolate brownie as well, HKD$20.

Cafe Brule description: Premium espresso with white chocolate and caramel topped with froth from steamed milk and drizzled with creamy caramel sauce.

One word: Sweet. There was not a very strong espresso taste as the caramel overshadowed it with a burnt taste so it tasted weird. I was able to listen to the barista steaming the milk but because it was not a cappuccino, I was unable to determine the consistency of the froth (ahh, maybe I should have just ordered the cappuccino for comparisons sake). The steaming sounded alright though and the end result was a very creamy sweet beverage.

Surprisingly, the thick chocolate-y brownie accompanied my Cafe Brule very well. The taste of the espresso showed itself underneath the caramel. The weird taste disappeared allowing the espresso to be stronger and more prevalent.


Moccato description: Our signature coffee, imagine a hot drinkable tiramisu... The rest is a secret!

Sh liked the additional lady finger (a reminiscence of Dcolonp) placed on top of the drink which was a mix between a mocha and a very thick and creamy hot chocolate. I can imagine how the differences in texture from the lady finger and beverage could resemble a tiramisu. There were other flavours found in the drink but I couldn't seem to identify what they were. Ahh, Baileys? Tia Maria? I don't know.

After drinking our beverages, we found ourselves feeling very full and sleepy (I guess warm drinks tend to do that). The cups were larger than expected and we wondered what the large would look like. They were huge as we spied two ladies next to us drinking their coffees from cups that were significantly larger and rounder than ours.

Moccato is a coffee shop owned and run by the Novotel Citygate Hong Kong, although located away from the lobby of the actual hotel (if you associate lobbies with coffee shops?). It is found inside the mall so as to attract shoppers for a sweet treat or a comfortable place to rest after a long day of shopping. Although there is a Pacific Coffee Company nearby (competition), they do seem to have a slow but steady flow of customers.

For the overall atmosphere provided by the coffee shop, it's affordability and their quality, if you are ever in the area shopping and feeling slightly peckish or thirsty for some coffee, I would recommend this place. Although Haagen-Dazs is a close contender (you can always get a coffee flavoured ice-cream).

I still need to pay you back, Sh! Thanks for an awesome day, hope your headache disappeared soon after.

address: 東涌文東路51號諾富特東薈城酒店2樓
2/F, Novotel Citygate Hong Kong, Citygate Outlets, 51 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung.
phone: 3602 8838