#023, bookworm cafe, 200210

company: Dad and Mum
conversation: Food, apartments and general chit-chat.

After a HKD$14.5 (for adults) ferry ride from Central to Yung Shue Wan taking approximately 20 minutes, we arrived on Lamma Island. It was kind of like walking into another world, everything was less rushed and more cultured, even the air was different. A 10 minute walk from the pier along the only main path, I realised that the group of people on the same boat had melted away attracted by the many seafood restaurants (Lamma Island is famous for their seafood) and various cuisine restaurants.

We found ourselves alone as we stumbled upon Bookworm Cafe, strongly recommended in My Coffee Guide. It was a small but easily seen entrance with an old school sewing machine on the side (holding their business cards).

I should point out here that this restaurant is completely vegetarian, meaning things like imitation meat and lots of (vegetable) protein. Definitely something new for me.

It seemed a little dark inside (hence the blurry pictures) but we sat at a booth that might have been a bit cosy for 4 adults next to a window allowing the afternoon's warm sunlight to come through.

What I first noticed once we sat down were several post-it notes taped along the shelves above us with quotes and sayings that bought an authentic-feel to the place. They even wrote on a small blackboard in the corner to: "Please be patient, our food and drinks are fresh!"

Underneath the shelves above were many cute kids pictures stuck on the walls, this made me realise exactly how established they were within the community of Lamma Island.

The waitress that bought our menus told us that the soup of the day was beetroot soup, which definitely intrigued me. Looking through the menu, I realised that the espresso coffees and various drinks were inexpensive, approximately HKD$20 - $27, many of the food items ranged from $50 - $80. I spent quite a while deciding what I wanted as I noticed that there were facts about various vegetables and vegetarianism at the bottom of almost every page. Both interesting and informative, I attempted to read each one.

Bookcases lined one side of the wall with CDs, books, magazines and many games. It was only when I heard the sound of scrabble tiles being mixed together did I notice that they had created their own mini-library and that you had to apply for membership. Being in a relaxed environment, you could spend hours upon hours just reading and playing games.

Everything just seemed so quirky and unique. My eyes darted around just trying to absorb everything but finding new intricate details in the process. They made their own salad dressing, there is Wi-Fi available, they're closed on Thursdays, community gatherings are sometimes held here, even the people eating in the restaurant were interesting.

I had an Eggs Orlando Brunch, HKD$65 and a cappuccino, regular, add $10. Mum and Dad both had the beetroot soup, small, HKD$25 and medium, HKD$45 and a hot chocolate, HKD$25.

Once again, I was surprised to find my cappuccino with cinnamon sprinkled on top. I heard the barista frothing the milk which seemed to be good but at first glance at my froth, the large air bubbles and its lack of creaminess was a bit of a disappointment.

Whilst hot to the touch, it burnt my mouth. The espresso was bitter and strong and up to standard although it was watery and did not seem very thick. The mug was large which was well worth the $25 I would have otherwise paid for, but the watery espresso coffee in it did not appeal to me and thus would not be worth it.

Similar to my previous post at United Bistro Cafe, the smell of cinnamon greatly overpowered the espresso coffee aroma that I would have smelt just before drinking. Although I am not adverse to the idea, it is still an interesting and new concept to me. Whilst providing a slight sweetness to the beverage, I guess maybe I have grown accustomed to drinking cappuccinos with chocolate to appreciate a difference in taste.

Unfortunately, the hot chocolate did not live up to standard either. It was watery and tasted like hot chocolate made out of the powder, which I know is what is usually used but sometimes it is creamier and thicker. The foam, again was bubbly and unappealing as it formed craters on the surface as the bubbles burst.

My Eggs Orlando brunch was a special for the weekend. This included: Scrambled eggs with avocado, veggie hams, baked beans and a toasted bagel. It may not seem like much especially as no meat is concerned, but as I munched away happily, I began to feel satiated. Funnily enough, if you had given me a blind-fold and told me to try the veggie ham, I would not have thought it any different to a normal piece of ham (even looking at it, I would have been fooled).

I ended up not finishing the bagel as I was full and that maybe it had been toasted for a little too long, turning out to be more of a very crunchy bite rather than being soft and crispy.

With all the beetroot I have eaten in Australia, I could not imagine what it would taste like as a soup. The once tangy and sharp juicy beetroot was mushed up and at first glance looked like purple pumpkin soup. It even smelt like it. It was incredibly thick and although strange to look at, was very good (with a little salt added). Just don't get it on your clothes.

The soups were accompanied by garlic bread which was surprisingly well-made (y'know how I love my garlic bread). With a lingering garlic taste and just enough butter for the salty and rich taste. An adventurous dish.

Bookworm Cafe established since 1997 has obviously become quite a popular restaurant for visitors and residents on Lamma. Not even 15 minutes after we walked in, the restaurant was practically full (we noticed later that there was an extended bit outside that was more open). As I seldom visit Lamma Island, this was a nice little trip to somewhere further away where the hustle and bustle of the city was far from our minds.

I could imagine sitting there for hours on end, chatting, playing games, reading the newspaper or books, or just staring into space. It might have looked a bit dated but that is what gave the restaurant character and personality. Sometimes old is good.

Whilst the beverages were not great and afterall, this is specifically a coffee blog, I would not recommend coming here if you are looking for an Italian cappuccino. But otherwise, please do. The other pictures of their food items looked appetising and were just calling out to me. I would not mind coming back to try their vegetarian burgers or even their salads.

As it is the overall atmosphere and company rather than just the food and beverage that makes an adventure complete, this one is sure high up on my list. Usually I don't expect much to be happily surprised but after planning the trip for quite sometime, it lived up to my expectations (apart from the coffee).


address: G/F, 79, Yung Shue Wan Main Street, Lamma Island.
(There are two piers, the other being Sok Kwu Wan. Don't get confused or else it will take you about an hour to hike to the other pier.)
For more information regarding ferry timetables, please visit Lamma Island's website.
website: Bookworm Cafe
phone: 2982 4838

**Sorry it has taken so long for me to even post some of my older adventures from Hong Kong. Whilst uni has picked up and I am working again, I am excited to continue with this blog but I hope that you will be patient. Thank you.**

#002, crema, 080110

company: L
conversation: Too busy playing with my iPod Touch, facebooking (or lack thereof), invisible rope, university and life.

This was the first time that I had no idea where I was going. With a badly drawn map on a post-it note, the store's address and their phone number, I was walking (hopefully) in the right direction. Good thing L knew her way around so I think I might've taken her the long way if we had followed my directions. Once entering the store, the service was a little confusing. We assumed it was self-service because the layout was similar to any commercial coffee shop. For example: the handoff counter and condiments bar were clearly visible for self-service, but instead we were greeted by a waitress/barista (she made our drinks) who gave us menus and pointed to a table for us to sit.

The was a buzz in the atmosphere with quite a few coming in and out whilst we were there. We stayed for about an hour and a bit but I think one good thing about these cafes are that they don't give off any indication that they want you to leave (even though they might), they are designed to allow customers to stay, sit and chat for as long as they want. Quite a lot of the patrons were business people as it was a weekday that came in to have meetings or just grab something on-the-go. Seating was relatively spacious and comfortable, and with free Wi-Fi, I think I would've spent a lot longer in the cafe if only I didn't have to go.

I had a cappuccino, medium, HKD$30. She had a hot chocolate, medium, HKD$27.

Both of us had no idea what sizes the cups were even after spying on the couple next to us who had two different sized cups and the other table having another two different sizes, so we decided on a medium since it was the one in the middle (it seemed safe at the time).

But when the waitress placed our drinks on the table, I was amazed at the size of the cup! Almost as big as a rice bowl, the hot chocolate and cappuccino was filled right to the rim with two packets of brown sugar and a teaspoon on the side. I think the first words coming out of my mouth were: "Far out." Or at least it was something along the lines of exclaiming the monstrosity of the size. (Picture on below shows the size comparison to my iPod Touch).

I do remember my Mum being nostalgic and telling me about her trips to Rome andParis and how their coffee was SO big that it felt like you were drinking out of a mixing bowl. In a way, I might've felt the same here.

After inspecting the depth of the foam (cappuccinos have 1/3 espresso, 1/3 milk and 1/3 foam) and taking lots of photos of the cute bear on top (bonus points, if you ask me), my first impression was that the coffee was not as hot as what I'm used to. I'm a little bit of a wuss so scorching hot coffee = nono, but this was still a little bit cooler than I what I was expecting (although, it might've been the amount of time I took taking the photos, but I digress).

The consistency of the milk and foam was amazing though... Smooth and rich. The sweetness of the coffee was something else I wasn't expecting, I don't think it was the brown sugar that I had put in, but there was only a hint of the bitterness I usually tasted in coffees.

The hot chocolate was very much similar to ones from McCafe (which is a very good thing, I adore McCafe's hot chocolate) with just the right amount of sweetness and velvety milk.

Crema is the name for that thin layer of cream (technically oil that comes from the coffee beans during extraction) that forms after pulling a shot of espresso. Pull a shot too long and you can potentially destroy a perfect cup of espresso, with no crema, boo. Very often I am afraid of pulling my shots for too long so I end up staring at the coffee machine and watch as the dark brown espresso streams out of the group handle like runny honey and stop when the colour appears lighter (or approximately after 25 to 30 seconds). At least I think that's what I'm supposed to do!

Although not as intimate as Soulmate Coffee, Crema is larger in size and portions. With a greater variety of items on the menu, they provide tea sets as well as lunch and dinner options. The travelling distance was certainly further than I had expected, but if I am in the neighbourhood again, I don't think I would mind enjoying a cup of coffee and mooching off their Wi-Fi.

address: Shop G36, G/F, Peninsula Centre, 67 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.
尖沙咀麼地道67號半島中心地下G36號舖
phone: 2369 0338
credit: The Espresso Guy