Within a 5-10 minute radius walk of The La Maison Rose studio .. we have been observing and following the progress of 8 different brands of coffee. Every brand has its own unique style and attracts different crowds of coffee drinkers to each establishment . Here are our notes ...
Less than 2 minutes walk up nearby Peel Street is ‘FINE PRINTS ’ which reminded me of a really cool espresso bar in Europe or Australia.
The lighting, the aroma and the atmosphere made me feel like I was entering into a different time zone or even a movie set. ‘FINE PRINTS’ roasts their own specialty coffee in small batches ; both single origin and espresso house blend of Kenya, Ethiopia and Columbia beans which costs me HKD$ 110 for 250 grams.
FINE PRINTS draws a customer mix that includes local residents ,artistic types and expat professionals.
2 minutes further up Peel street is Hazel & Hersey. This is where other coffee enthusiasts hang out . Coffee lovers who like to brew their own coffee at home come here to find coffee related gadgets , relevant books , different coffee beans and enjoy a fine cuppa at the same time .
H&H only sells coffee , no food service is available . Prices of their specialty coffee beans are very competitive. 200 grams of their specialty house blend sells for HKD$ 78. I particularly recommend ‘Morning Bird’ which are dark-roasted beans from Brazil and Colombia. They also have a few interesting other coffee beans on their shelves. H&H’s boss said their 3,000 sqft roastery in Kowloon produced commercial quantities and recently became a supplier for Pacific Coffee; the best known local chain in Hong Kong 🇭🇰
A 3 minutes walk along Hollywood Road ., ‘NODI’ ( at ‘TOM DIXON’ , a British brand interior store) is an artsy corner which seats 20. Enjoy your coffee while looking at Dixon’s hi-end, chic and contemporary home accessories. NODI ‘s house blend combines Brazilian ,Columbian and Indonesian beans. They are outsourced and sold at $ HKD 100 for 200 grams.
The customer profile here ; a mixture of people in the design industry , hipsters , Instagrammers and some tourists.
A 3 minutes walk down Graham street and you will find ‘NOC’ .. This stands for ‘Not Only Coffee’ or ‘No Other Choice‘ -( an inside joke and a wishful thinking of NOC) The Graham Street NOC is one of six sleek and minimalist coffee operation.
‘NOC Coffee Co’ is the brand flagship roastery in Sai Ying Pun. NOC’s signature no.34 was created for people who like their espresso smooth and fruity while no. 18 is for drinkers who prefer a heavy-bodied blend, mixing the aroma of dark chocolate with a nutty taste. No. 18 is slightly more expensive than no .34 and costed $ 120 for 200 grams.
A 5 minutes walk downhill to Stanley street is Coco Expresso , another well known brand . Here , they serve cafe latte at a slightly lower temperature. For those who prefer their latte hot , do not forget to remind the barista . The signature house blend is seasonal sourced directly from coffee farmers that work with them ( the one I bought has no disclosure of exactly where their beans are from ) HKD$ 100 for 200 grams of sweet and fruity coffee . I made a coffee after 2 weeks of the roasting date and it tasted clean , smooth and flavourful .
A 5 minutes stroll down Cochran street where it meets Wellington street is the ‘ Cupping Room’
Raise your hands if you have been there and Iet me ask if you like their coffee which is fruity and sweet .. To be honest.. Cupping Room and Coco Espresso coffee styles are pretty similar to my taste however I believe Cupping Room always advertise that their barista and coffee are champion. Its seasonal blend for the summer and early autumn 2019 is ‘Attaboy’ which costed me $HKD 115 for 200 grams. The beans are from Ethiopia and Spain ( Duromina ,Los Naranjos and Worka Natural ) They also offer a good selections of pastries , cakes and all day dishes over and that is one of the reason why this branch is always full .
A 5 minutes trek back up the Aberdeen street slope and you will find the famous instagramable ARABICA %.
This is the destination that everyone would like to visit at least once to take a picture and enjoy their coffee. It is a refreshing , pleasant and easy acquired taste for everyone.
Their espresso house blend is $HKD 140 per 200 grams .. and yes ..it is more expensive than most others. I previous wrote a story about ARABICA a few weeks ago . I hope you saw that on one of my social media platforms.
Walk on 10 minutes until you reach Queen’s Rd Central and Landmark’s FUEL ESPRESSO is one floor down from the entrance next to Gucci.This is the place where the corporate crowd meet up or take a break . In the past I myself used to come here quite often but recently I have made my own cup of coffee at the La Maison Rose studio. Apart from great coffee , FUEL ESPRESSO’s almond &coconut cake and carrot cake are my personal favourites.
In my humble opinion, the roasted beans that I bought from FUEL ESPRESSO produced the most interesting and complex flavour among the 8 brands I have talked about . It has a hint of indian spice on top of cocoa , berry and citrus. These coffee berries are grown in India and flown to Wellington ,New Zealand for roasting. The packaging comes with clippers on the sides to protect the freshness . YES .. fancy and of course that adds up to the pricing ... It is HKD$ 160 per 200 grams . The most expensive bean and coffee among the 8 brands .
Last but not least ..There are many more specialty coffee shops out there beyond the radius of La Maison Rose and I am sure you have your own special preference. It will be fun if you can share your experience by leaving some comment and tell us your favourite brand and why you like it .
The best response can win 200 grams of coffee bean from Arabica %
Good luck and enjoy 😉
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