During my brief stay in Hong Kong, I tried two fancy cafés, with one offering the most unique coffee I have ever tasted.
Best Coffee In Hong Kong
I’m not very adventurous when it comes to coffee. Picky, oh yes, but I like a cortado, flat white, or cappuccino (espresso with milk) and I don’t often deviate from that, whether at home or on the road. I’m not at all into flavors and feel that sugar, let alone those nasty pumps of syrup that some people like in their “coffee,” does nothing but ruin the drink.
However, I tried an interesting mix of bourbon-infused coffee in Hong Kong a specialty roaster called Uncle Ben.
Uncle Ben Coffee
Shop 7 G/F Fu Lee Loy Mansion 9-27
King Wah Road Fortress Hill
North Point, Hong Kong
+852 9869 5573
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (Tuesday – Friday)
10:30 AM – 6:00 PM (Saturday – Sunday)
(Closed Mondays)
This is a tiny coffee shop that was quite crowded both inside and out…a good sign indeed.
Uncle Ben himself was present and I tried blend #212, a Finca Mocha Catuai Caturra bean from Honduras, infused with nodes of:
- Lychee
- Honey
- Brandy
- Dark Chocolate
Not sure what to expect, my flat white had a very distinct flavor of both brandy and lychee…an interesting blend I would not rush to reorder, but was glad I tried.
My friend had a cappuccino…look a that beautiful latte art!
I love that this was truly a coffee laboratory…an experiment in taste and smell.
Next, I tried an unmarked coffee shop nearby called Project C.
Project C
29 Hysan Ave
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM (daily)
I loved the spartan interior.
The menu was simple, but I could immediately sense the coffee would be excellent…and it was.
I chose a Brazilian blend with flavors of dark chocolate and hazelnut and it turned out very well (though I was a bit dismayed that coffee was only available in paper cups…)
I appreciate coffee shops that help you choose the right bean and Project C made it quite easy with a tray almost like a wine tasting:
Coffee isn’t cheap in Hong Kong…expect to pay a minimum of $5 for a cup. But Uncle Ben and Project C offer excellent coffee. I’m thankful that almost anywhere in the world you can find folks who love coffee and are dedicated to the art of great roasting. Hong Kong is a treasure in many ways and you do not have to settle for Hong Kong-style milk tea…you can enjoy excellent coffee too.
Where is your favorite coffee shop in Hong Kong?
The latte art on your flat white at Uncle Ben’s is really cool too. He wrote a ‘Fu’, which signifies good fortune/luck in Chinese.
I saw not Bourbon-infused, but Baiju-infused (!?!?!?!?) coffee in Singapore. I was recovering from a cold so had to pass, but apparently it was quite popular (?!?!?) so not surprised to see it offered here
Best place for a drink in Hong Kong—alcoholic or coffee—is the intervals bar on the skybridge at the airport. Hope you were able to check it out.
There’s nothing like a HK milk tea. Made with strong English black tea , condensed milk , and sugar.
Try 787 coffee when next in NY (also some locations in TX and PR). Beans are from Puerto Rico and they have some that they infuse with whisky, rum, etc. Not an every day cup for sure, but in the afternoon every now and then, nice to get a cortado with one of the infused beans, sometimes with oat milk, sometimes regular. Pretty good flavor without any of the ‘pump’ flavor. (Like you, I want my coffee either black or with some kind of milk – no sugar, no artificial flavors).