conversation: Macau, taking photos and coffee.
Before heading over to my relative's place for a Chinese New Year dinner with quite a bit of time to spare, a coffee adventure happened. Although within IFC (International Financial Centre), I only had a store number as reference and after weaving our way through the mall, we eventually stumbled upon a little quiet corner on the third floor.
Whilst looking at the drinks menu and their prices, something on the counter caught my eye. It was My Coffee Guide! What are the odds. Turns out Fuel Espresso is actually the first store recommended in the book. Seating is extended out into the mall to allow people-watching and maximise space. We looked for a place to sit, but even with approximately 32 seats (including bar stools further inside), they were all paired off, forcing us to have to move a table closer to create a four-seater.
With a small variety of beverages listed on their blackboard, they cover the basics in espresso coffee with hot and cold options available ranging from HKD$24 - $44. Cakes and cookies are also available for $16 - $25, indicating that this store specialises mostly in drinks rather than expanding into the food department (I guess that's what Soho is for).The overall layout allowed patrons to order at a counter and have the staff deliver the drinks upon them being made. The sleek design and wall arrangements made the whole store look and feel stylish and modern. Even the staff looked really cool and trendy with their glass-less glasses and gelled hair, but they were nice and not intimidating at all.
The wall in the picture below was aligned with paper cups, water bottles and their tea selection. To serve the tea, I observed that they used antique teacups and pots and even had the tea leaf strainers.
Mum and I had a cappuccino, regular, HKD$36. Dad had a latte, regular, HKD$36. G had an iced chocolate, HKD$44.
On first inspection of the menu, I was quite surprised at the prices. As a student, prices like these make me hesitant to order (ahem, S Square Cafe). IFC (1 and 2) houses a mall, cinema and is Hong Kong's tallest office building with 88 floors. Gazillion-dollar-dealing business people working around the area or within the building must not think much about a 36 dollar coffee.
The cappuccinos and latte were made first and looked very promising. Whilst watching the barista froth, he may have put a bit too much milk in the jug causing some to splash and almost spill before he turned off the steam wand. When milk is heated or steamed, it expands as air is incorporated and the fat molecules help to keep them in place. So when initially steaming milk, room must be accounted for in the milk jug. But the result was a creamy froth and a good lookin' cappuccino.What is different with this cappuccino is that instead of using chocolate powder, they use chocolate flakes. This creates a thin layer of melted chocolate on the surface, adding another flavour to the strong espresso. Although I enjoyed the chocolate dimension, my Mum did think it was a bit too sweet.
Whilst the froth was creamy, the chocolate was sweet, the espresso very aromatic and strong. The only thing that pulled it away from being a good cup of coffee was the fact that it was not hot enough. Boo. I think this was because while the barista was frothing the milk, he turned off the steam-wand too soon so as to not spill any more. This caused the milk to have a nice consistency but it did not have enough time to heat up to a good temperature. What a shame.The latte was in a glass proportioned nicely. I found out from Felix that using a glass for lattes is an Australian (Sydney?) custom and it is only for aesthetic purposes with no difference to using ceramic. Question answered.
G's iced chocolate had a scoop of vanilla ice cream hidden inside. Yum. It was thick and had a strong taste of dark chocolate although she complained that it was slightly powdery. Like many of the thick iced beverages I have seen lately, I'm guessing this one was filling and heavy.Fuel Espresso appears to be a more "up-and-go" type of coffee shop for the regular business person before going to work or attending a meeting. And whilst I imagined men and women in suits signing contracts and making deals, I could also see people chatting and reading books. There was a slow trickle of people even though stores were closed and no one was working. Mornings at this place must be super crazy busy!
Seating here is not exactly comfortable, the carpeted area was quite dirty (maybe a baby or kid sat here before we arrived) and the price was way above the usual espresso drink I have seen around that are of the same quality. If only the cappuccino was hotter I would have been able to overlook all of those flaws and recommend it to people and possibly even return.There are certainly other coffee shops in IFC mall, and I'm betting they are not to be missed. But the consistency of the milk and the creaminess of the espresso is only found in well-trained barista skills and you will be sure to find it here (fingers crossed it is hot when you try it).
address: International Financial Centre, Shop 3023, Central.
中環港景街1號國際金融中心3023號舖
phone: 2295 3815
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