#019, princess cafe & bistro, 120210

company: SO
conversation: University, catching up and life.

When looking for this store, I figured it would be easy to find as another coffee shop was on the same street. After 20 minutes of searching, we high-fived each other stumbling into an unknown area but finally seeing the store close by.

I counted exactly 9 seats in a small little room with three tables, a blackboard with meal prices, a corkboard with various pictures and a large refrigerated glass cupboard with cakes on each shelf. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling created an upper-class feel to enhance, I guess, their royalty interior. The place was smaller than I had imagined and if it were not for the lady that left, we would have been sitting on a smaller table squished in a corner.

We were handed several pieces of paper stapled in the corner which was our menu. Listed were several sandwich, omelette (HKD$38 - $45), instant noodle ($38) and dessert ($28) options as well as a great deal on cakes (buy 2 get 1 free).

Cakes ranged from tiramisu to cheesecakes (approximately $32 per piece) with whole cakes available in various sizes from $198 - $398. After we ordered our drinks, one of the waitresses began selling their cakes which were apparently homemade and low in sugar. Some tiramisu cakes we hadn't heard of included the strawberry tiramisu and green tea tiramisu. Their signature lime and lemon cheesecake was apparently also very popular.

The beverage sizes were named as Princess (regular) and Queen (large) which I thought was an interesting and cute way to incorporate the theme of their store. The drinks ranged between $15 - $30.

I had a cappuccino, Princess (regular), $25 and a lime and lemon cheesecake, $22. She had a latte, Princess (regular), $20 and a strawberry tiramisu, $32.

Yeah, we eventually gave in and ordered cakes after the recommendation of our waitress. She was nice and talkative and kept asking us if everything was okay. Eager beaver but who isn't?

The coffee machine was hidden behind the glass refrigerator so I was unable to see or hear the frothing nor did I hear any grinder working. When my cappuccino arrived in a clear glass, I could tell that the proportions were good with a hot, strong and creamy espresso. Although the froth had traces of espresso (to incorporate taste), the air bubbles were quite large.

As I did my best to listen for some frothing or grinding with SO's latte, I figured that maybe they were not frothing the milk manually nor were they pulling the shots themselves either. Working at a hotel in Hong Kong, I remembered that we did not make coffee the manual way either. We pressed a button and coffee with some frothy milk would shoot down a tube into a cup, no manual handling involved. Not exactly the yummiest coffee, but if you were not famous or well-known for it, then I guess it did not matter as much. Although props to you if you do have the skills and machinery.


My lime and lemon cheesecake was slightly small for the price I paid for it. Although I do understand how filling I would get if it was larger, there are certain expectations for certain prices! The cheesecake was refreshing, thick and fluffy with an interesting zing to it from the lime zest on the top layer. The lime and lemon mixed well together although it overpowered the blueberry jam in the centre of the cake. I don't usually order lime and lemon cheesecakes or any of those flavoured cakes in particular but this was a yummy one to start off with.

SO's latte looked a whole lot like my cappuccino although there was less froth. SO did say that the espresso was very strong and bitter but was nothing special.

Instead, we had much more to talk about with her strawberry tiramisu. The waitress went into depth about how they make the cream for the tiramisu, saying how they use real strawberries as well as strawberry liqueur to enhance the flavour. Taking a bite out of the tiramisu, there were a mix of textures as bits of strawberries were incorporated into the cream. Overall, it was a light and interesting slice of something new.

It was interesting to see that by the time we left the store, all their strawberry tiramisu cakes were sold out.

Princess Cafe & Bistro opened approximately 2 months ago, even on Open Rice they are still categorised as a newly opened store. If I was just randomly walking through the street, I would find it a bit out of place with various commercial buildings and Chinese restaurants scattered nearby.

Unfortunately, despite the length of time they let us sit and chat and the friendly and enthusiastic waitress. There were certain flaws in the layout, with it being crowded and the lack of space to sit comfortably as well as their interior that could do with some touching up. I now understand that their coffee was not their selling point but it was their cakes that were the popular items that kept customers coming in and out and their regulars coming back for more. Although their pricing strategies might have to be revised or at least portion controlled.

A little bit of a walk away from the Soho bridge, if you are in the mood for some homemade, low in sugar cakes and don't mind walking, I would recommend this place. It was interesting walking so far away from the regular Soho area that I am familiar with. This was fun.

address: G/F, 115 Wellington Street, Central.
中環威靈頓街 115號地舖
phone: 2866 9062

#018, pumpernickel, 120210

company: L
conversation: Food, shoes and Denmark.


My Coffee Guide recommended this restaurant in Tin Hau (heaps far!) but I found another branch in Causeway Bay. In this case, I don't really know if the service or food would be similar to the one in Tin Hau but at least their signature bread should be, right?

The restaurant was not hard to find as we were walking in that general direction but the area did not seem particularly busy. The entrance was basically glass windows from floor to ceiling allowing you to looking inside, there was only one lady near the windowsill eating what seemed to be a yummy sandwich.

Once we entered, we were not greeted by anyone as the counter seemed busy. So we took a seat until someone came over with menus and water. The area was nice and spacious, those sitting near the window would have a good view of the streets, good for people-watching. The walls further inside were decorated with paintings of ladies (naked!) which were artsy and seemed to fit the layout of the restaurant. The whole placed seemed like another version of Delifrance before they changed their store layouts.

There was a glass case showcasing their breads and cakes which all seemed very appetising. My aunt had tried the bread before and she said that it was definitely something she recommended. After 8:30pm every night, the bread is 30% off.


The first thing I noticed when seated was that our table was kind of small. With my camera, notebook, menus and our glasses of water, it was hard not to knock anything over. Looking through the menu, the prices were slightly higher than we expected for a place so far from the main foodie streets as well as for bistro food items. The set lunches ranged from HKD$68 - $88 plus 10% including their soup of the day, a main and coffee or tea. There was pasta, sandwiches and cakes available but I was unable to get all the prices down before we ordered. Oops.

I had a pumpkin soup, a salmon, asparagus and mushroom cream pasta and a cappuccino, HKD$78. She had a mushroom soup, mixed vegetables pesto penne and a pomelo honey drink, HKD$68. Both had an additional 10% service charge.

There were only 4 set lunch meals which was a very limited choice in comparison to other places that we had eaten at. To have anything other than coffee, tea or an espresso beverage, you would have to add money which was annoying because we thought the meal was pricey already.

As our soups arrived we were given a bread basket. The long stick bread was surprisingly yummy with subtle hints of poppy seads and pepper. The other bun was more of a regular wheat bun which was nothing special. Our soups seemed kind of watery but were tasty.

I won't say much about the pasta, they were acceptable and extremely filling. Although my cream sauce was watery, L said her pesto sauce was very strong and flavourful.

Back to the drinks. A regular cappuccino would be HKD$25 on it's own without the meal. The cappuccino was made quickly so I was unable to listen to the barista frothing the milk. Overall, the foam was alright although a little less creamy than what I was expecting and the espresso seemed slightly watery (or is it just me?). It was not very bitter and hot enough but was just not creamy.

It's okay though, I enjoyed the entire meal and the brownie dessert we received after our meal was a surprise. It was a little sweet and we were both so full from the pasta that we couldn't finish it all.

Pumpernickel is slightly far away for those that may not venture out in search for restaurants. In this case, Pumpernickel may lose out on potential customers. We did see several people come to have lunch but not enough to fill the entire restaurant. The prices asked for their food items are slightly higher than I would have expected although the interior and atmosphere of the restaurant provide a comfortable environment for dining.

Knowing that the restaurant promotes their bread (hence the name), it was one of the highlights of our meal. Maybe if we had chosen the sandwiches or the omellette that had a huge piece of bread on it, it may have been a less heavy meal (for me).

I can't say much about the coffee as I was not able to observe their process but it was alright if a bit watery. This could have been because of the extraction of the espresso shot although regularly they should only be 25 seconds long. Frothing the milk to the right consistency would allow a creamier texture and possibly make it less watery.

Overall, I was extremely full even though I thought it was slightly pricey. Probably just another tick off my list rather than somewhere to go to again. Maybe next time I'll just buy their bread since their bread basket was quite yummy. Maybe a bread blog will be next? Haha.

address: Shop B, 13 Cleveland Street, Causeway Bay.
銅鑼灣 加寧街13號B舖地下
phone: 2576 1302

don't get too comfortable, fall asleep & miss your life

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year, 新年快樂.

祝大家: 心想事成, 身體健康 and 學業進步.

Reviews coming soon!

#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

the explorer becomes a student, part 2

I think baristas are superheroes.

Your superpowers are frothing milk, pulling the perfect shot and awesome latte art. Your enemies are uncalibrated grinders, dirty steam wands and over-extraction (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Today we learnt about roasting, blends of coffee beans, more frothing and latte art. We went through Coffee Assembly's coffee menu and Felix made each one to show us the differences in taste, size and technique.

Once again, I tried and tried again to get better at my latte art and steaming of milk. For my latte art I managed to make an onion (bottom right) and something that might have resembled a certain body part (I'm not going to get anymore specific than that haha).

I quickly threw them down the drain because I was embarrassed that I still couldn't execute the technique used to create latte art as well as getting my milk to be even socially acceptable. Like Sylar from "Heroes" (in the first season) he had to practise (and kill - but that's beside the point, not a perfect metaphor I admit) and meet people with the powers he wanted before he became a hero himself (or villain? Definitely not a perfect metaphor).

Whilst I understand the theory and logic behind the process of making an espresso coffee. There is a difference between knowing how to make it and actually making it. I guess I'm just a little disappointed in myself, I thought I would have been better at it after working with my colleagues that taught me too. But yes, practise, practise, practise! (I mean, I don't mind getting bitten by a radioactive spider if that'll help?)

Felix taught us a little about different coffee beans with differing qualities and how when blended together create complex levels in the overall taste. He roasted a mix of Brazilian, Ethiopian, Papua New Guinea (has strong aroma but little taste) and Indonesian (has strong taste but little aroma) beans for about 30 minutes in his roaster and when he ground them, man, the smell was amazing! We had to wait about an hour before we could actually try the espresso from the freshly roasted coffee beans, but it was well worth the wait and overtime.

Ristretto, espresso, espresso lungo, espresso macchiato, cappuccino, caffe latte, latte macchiato, caffe mocha and cappuccino mocha. These are the espresso beverages Felix described in detail, made and got some of us to taste. I got to ask more questions and have them answered. If you are interested and want to learn more about coffee, I do recommend Coffee Assembly.

Before we left, Felix told us to keep practising when we had the chance. Afterall, learning about all this stuff will only be useful if we put it to use. I hope to keep practising but I'm scared of doing it in front of others as well as wasting coffee beans and milk! Ahh.

#016, pop bites, 060210

company: K
conversation: Renovation, Valentines Day, spirituality and life.

After reading several reviews on Open Rice, many stated that this restaurant was well-hidden and hard to find. I am usually not a very observant person when it comes to road and street signs, so I had no idea what I was supposed to be looking for or which direction I was supposed to go. We walked to the end of one street only to walk all the way back... Needless to say, when I found out that Pop Bites was about two stores next to Flying Pan (where I eat quite often), I felt kind of dumb.

As we walked in we were greeted by a waitress that asked us whether we wanted to sit by the window or on a sofa. Not knowing the layout, we opted for the window because everyone wants a view right?

There were tons of newspapers and magazines available to read as well as books and CDs all lined up on a wall. The interior felt very artsy with paintings scattered around and the dim atmosphere near the entrance added to the coziness and relaxed environment.

The place is big and spacious, I wasn't able to count how many seats there were as we were hidden in a corner but I did notice a DJ turntable as well as wine cellar! Where we sat, the window allowed sufficient light although the view was just the back of buildings. The music was quite mainstream (I heard some Daniel Powter and Taylor Swift), suitable for the environment and not too loud so as to disrupt conversation.

The waitresses were very nice if a bit eager (that's okay, so am I) and whilst we looked through the menu (they serve breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner), I noticed that prices might be slightly high for the average student but considering we were in Soho, I guess regular customers within the area would find the prices acceptable.

Sandwich, salad and pasta sets were all available ranging from HKD$48 - $72. To include drinks, desserts and soups would require an additional charge, approximately $15 for a drink and $20 for a soup or dessert. Just wanted to note that if you ordered the breakfast set, on the weekends or public holidays, you would get all you can eat scones and toast! Yum.

I really like their use of the same pattern as decoration for the walls, ceilings and even their cups and plates. There were random different things all around but somehow they all seemed coherent when put together.

We both decided to get the sandwich lunch set. Using a sandwich order form you were able to choose two toppings (meats or cheeses), type of bread, dressing, vegetables and additional charging stuff: drinks, soup, desserts etc. Each additional topping was an extra $10.

I had pesto sauce, roasted chicken, grilled mushroom, all vegetables on ciabatta bread with a cappuccino. She had avocado tartar sauce, salmon, Jarlsberg cheese, all vegetables on wholewheat baguette with green tea. HKD$48 + $15.

Our drinks arrived first in a glass mug, I was admiring the foam and smelling my cappuccino multiple times when a waitress delivering K's sandwich asked me if anything was wrong with my drink. How nice.

The foam was thick and creamy and the proportions were good. For me, it was the first time I was served a cappuccino with a straw, I still don't really understand what it was for apart from mixing in sugar. My first sip was a gulp of foam, which was a bit much but the espresso later on was milky and strong but not bitter. The temperature was slightly hot, although it got colder as I began eating. Overall, it was a good cappuccino. I really wanted to watch the barista make the espresso coffees but I wasn't able to see so far. Kudos to them.

K said that her green tea was very refreshing and light. Looking at the consistency of the tea, I could see that they had used matcha powder instead of regular tea bags or tea leaves. This allows a stronger flavour and apparently is much healthier. Look at that sandwich: Yes, it looks just as yummy as it tasted.

I think this is going to turn out to be more of a food post than a coffee one. My sandwich was quite large, whilst finishing my coffee I felt very, very full. The sandwich was crisp, chicken moist and provided many textures from the grilled mushrooms, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and red onions. The side salad was fresh with a zing from the dressing, I think, maybe balsamic vinaigrette?

Altogether a very relaxing atmosphere with yummy food and good company.

Pop Bites provides a very unique and comfortable environment to enjoy food as well as beverages. I noticed on the menu that they had several pages of drinks for their "Magic Hour" (happy hour?), I did not see the prices of the beverages but I do think that they would not be much different from Lan Kwai Fong. The small cakes on display are homemade and available for afternoon tea, they look appealing and appetising and remind me of bakeries in Sydney.

K rated this restaurant an overall 8 out of 10, which is high for her standards as she is very critical (10 for her would be Cafe Deco at The Peak). As she took a sip out of my cappuccino, she did say that it would bring her back when she was in the mood for a good sandwich.

The unique aspect of this restaurant is that there is an open kitchen allowing patrons to smell bacon and eggs during breakfast time or pasta during lunch. The kitchen is relatively small, but food comes out at a timely rate. Another awesome aspect is: No service charge!

The little details (cups and plates) in this restaurant make me feel like the owners have put a lot of thought and time into creating a place where people can spend hours enjoying their food. With friendly waitresses providing good service, this is definitely a place I will be returning to. I want to become a regular!


address: UG/F, 3-5 Old Bailey Street, SOHO, Central.
phone: 2525 4141

#015, main st. cafe, 040210

company: M
conversation: Hockey, Wi-Fi (none) and Starbucks.

I had originally wanted to take M to another coffee store, but when we got there. It was closed! We concluded it to be because they might not get a lot of business during weekday lunchtimes, so we checked my list to see any other coffee stores in the area. We found two that were essentially next to each other and went on a little trek to find them. Once we found those, they were closed too! I don't understand! Why would they do this to me? Why?

We ended up settling with a little restaurant between the two closed coffee stores, and decided to hunt for another one afterwards. In the end, whilst walking within Langham Shopping Mall, we were both tired and not really in the mood to go coffee hunting. I had heard good reviews about Main St. Cafe (on the food court level of the mall) so we decided to check it out.

It was more of an open bar cafe as there was a little booth for you to order and pick up your drinks or food. Prices were cheap: Espresso coffees ranged between HKD$20 - $35 with hot and cold options available. Savoury foods such as hot dogs and sandwiches as well as cakes, scones and donuts are priced accordingly (we saw this super huge cheese cake for about $45 per slice, their selling point is their New York cheese cake). Seating approximately 30 (not including the bar seats and outside), the area is comfortable and a good place to relax with the general buzz of the shopping mall.


I had a cappuccino, medium/fit, HKD$28. She had a blueberry cioccolata, medium/fit, HKD$30.

First things first, I wanted my cappuccino in a ceramic cup because I wanted to take nice pictures with the store's logo, I saw the sizes of medium and large so when I asked them to see the small size, they said they didn't have any. So I had to get a medium, for the price, it seemed reasonable.

I watched them make it as I waited by the handoff counter. Using a high-tech coffee machine and grinder, they seemed at ease in making coffees in large quantities for many people (there was a little bit of a line). As I watched the barista steam the milk, he multi-tasked by pulling the shots for another persons double espresso. For me, it is always hard to multi-task because I get so frazzled when I think of all the people just waiting on me. Ahh. M's drink came soon after, looking rather small for the price she paid.

We sat down at a nice secluded spot next to a guy studying and on the other side, a lady sleeping. Scooping into my foam, I realised that there was a lot of foam and I mean, a lot of foam. Like, 5 cm deep worth of foam. Every sip that I took (I burnt my tongue! Too hot) I got a huge gulp of foam. As much as the foam was creamy, I felt a little over-indulgent after drinking such a large cup of milky coffee that was predominantly foam. Overall, the espresso was very strong but not as bitter as I had expected it to be (maybe the foam helped a bit).

No pictures of M's blueberry cioccolata which was thick and creamy but with a subtle hint of blueberry syrup. We were trying to figure out why there was such a distinct taste to her beverage and concluded with us figuring out that they probably use dark chocolate as their chocolate base. Makes sense. Maybe not something I would try again but hey, try new things!

Main St. Cafe reminds me of Starbucks, maybe apart from them foaming the milk themselves (Starbucks uses a machine that starts and stops accordingly). With more food options but less drink combinations available, the prices and seating of Main St. Cafe reflect Starbucks and Pacific Coffee Company greatly.

If you are maybe in the area, and are tired from shopping around in Langham Place. Maybe it's cold outside or too hot to be walking around too much. Then try it out. Although maybe if you're looking for specialty coffees (rather than food and coffee), I would recommend Caffe Pascucci instead.

address: Shop 13, Level 4A, Langham Place, 8 Argyle Street, Mong Kok.
旺角亞皆老街8 號朗豪坊4A樓13號舖
phone: 3514 9332