Coffee And Culture - Hong Kong Coffee Culture From Past to Present
Hong Kong's coffee culture began Restaurant / Ice Room
Known as a gourmet paradise known as Hong Kong, Hong Kong people find that talking about everyday topics in addition to drink and eat outside, know better how food culture. Coffee, tea, for authentic Hong Kong people, it is an integral part of a busy life embellishment, while coffee and tea with mandarin duck from the Yuan, it is Hong Kong's unique specialty drinks in the best examples. Yuanyang reportedly founded in Hong Kong's Lan Fong Yuen, Hong Kong-style milk tea and coffee blend made from coffee drinkers make concentrated slip while enjoying the aroma of coffee and milk tea.
A cup must immediately, witnessed the Coffee and tea in Hongkong synchronous development trend, the past 10 years, the development Coffee and milk tea. Host the 2009 Hongkong Coffee Black Tea Association of the first "golden tea king contest", will Hot Tea, HK Style culture to the international. And Coffee also not resigned to playing second fiddle, beginning in 2011 by the Hongkong Coffee Industry Association sponsored the Hongkong Coffee masters, make the champions of Hongkong Coffee teachers have the opportunity to represent Hongkong at the world cup, notes and Coffee teacher exchanges world class, a breakthrough is Coffee industry, make more Hongkong Coffee division director at the international stage can develop. Another world class siphon Coffee masters, the three Hongkong race representatives can achieve success in Japan for the world championship, Hong kong!
Hong Kong coffee culture along the way, hard-earned, listen for more than 86 years from the opening date of Olympia then minister coffee, the fourth generation successor of Mr. Lin Promises: Initial Hong Kong history, cosmopolitan coexistence , when the coffee genus luxury, only businessmen, foreigners and wealthy families can afford, so the store is located in Central, Pedder Street Chinese line, close to Central Pier to facilitate potential buyers, sellers, because most people need to access from the sea. Early Store Operations to cigarettes, coffee and other imports mainly olive and after the franchise coffee, and coffee brewing equipment, including Italian moka pot, very unique ibrik Turkish coffee pot. Olympia then minister of coffee can be regarded as the earliest coffee shop, the heyday have four distribution points, including the Kowloon Peninsula Hotel counters, quite sizable.
Diversified development of personalized coffee shop
In recent years, Hong Kong has entered a new era of flourishing coffee culture, in addition to large chain stores, the small personalized cafe is all over the streets, by the cafe culture influence, whether it is a single store chain, or personality, to ease the pressure of high rents, Menus are inseparable on the "meal" trail. We find that Hong Kong personalized cafe several features: Floor Street, Menus clear positioning (coffee / quick meals), indoor environment, home baking and so on. It is worth mentioning that the degree of attention put into the coffee shop, we can see the intentions of the store's commitment to long-term management of the coffee produced far more than the pursuit of luxury store decoration and other factors. Furthermore, each cafe operators in the preparation and during the early, had to carefully consider their location and siting of two priorities.
Let's look at how each cafe owner style all their own?
CoCo Espresso Cafe
Sheung Wan shop: Queen's Road Central, No. 197 on the ground floor, Wanchai shop: the 2nd Anton Street, Wan Chai
Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 - 18：00 Weekend: 9:00 - 19：00
CoCo Espresso owner Johnson Ko uncle in Australia to learn to do with coffee after returning to Hong Kong in 2007 on the preparations for his first ring shop, opened in early 2008, Hong Kong was just coffee culture is still in its infancy, "espresso" This concept in the eyes of consumers is still very vague, generally considered the Hong Kong-style milk tea and coffee were not in Hong Kong, opened a shop in the high rent high labor remuneration of pressure on him is challenging. However, the "do espressobar with boutique coffee shops" is Johnson has always insisted on the concept of intensive election in Sheung Wan district office shop, the most important is the work of many foreigners region, a large area of the store, these factors are not luxurious interiors and their coffee quality demanding more important.
Like most personalized shop facing the greatest difficulties, "Gregory low plus the rent on this expensive" Like, Johnson frankly a lot of pressure to shop early, leaving his firm should strive to achieve the three "best": the best coffee division, the best coffee, the best coffee equipment. "When asked about the operation, and he said," to maintain quality coffee produced, spend beans, etc., should be more choice, but also a good source, but also to ensure a cup of milk PURA focus cabo tasty, simple meals species not too much, otherwise it will confuse the cafe image! "
Six years ago, in the testimony of the Hong Kong Cultural scratch espresso stage today, six years later, the Italian coffee culture has become popular, Johnson also has a new view of the coffee shop: good cafe is not just to better use coffee machine, coffee shop barista is the soul. Therefore, the second between the CoCo Espresso Wanchai branch of his American Coffee Fest Latte Art Contest first Chinese world champion Kim Yeung cooperation, implement them with "barista" as the leading concept store, and continue to explore more coffee for the coffee pursuit Teachers open more independent stores are also one of the goals in the future, in order to barista named, produced by its management and is responsible for, so business attitude, even if there is no good shop, there is no luxury decoration, but also to get most like coffee guests agree!
In recent years, the world's coffee culture began to take off, Hong Kong has a lot of like-minded coffee shop owners are quietly pay for the coffee culture in Hong Kong, there are many like coffee baristas work hard, which makes more than Johnson gratified, but also more determined he had to do espressobar boutique coffee shop with the idea!
Barista Jam
126 Jervois Street, Hong Kong
Hours: Tuesday - Friday: 8:00 - 18:00 Saturday - Monday: 10: 00-18: 00.
Also located around the area of Barista Jam Cafe on the business district, the shop owner with the experience of returning to Hong Kong, Australia, one would like to do an Australian-style side streets alley cafe in Hong Kong. The whole shop presents a minimalist style espresso-based, there are white-collar workers often appear in stores meal time queuing scene. When asked about the biggest challenge the shop, the store is still responding "problem of staff shortages and rent" most vexing. Barista Jam is open storefront with office workers around the time of writing, in addition to providing Italian coffee and light meals outside, Barista Jam also sell some equipment to facilitate a group of home coffee brewing coffee for guests, also provide elementary and higher-order coffee-related courses .
Faced with going to the diversification and development of specialized routes, the owner that although the coffee market is very active in recent years, a lot of new blood in Hong Kong coffee shop industry! Small independent cafes still accounts for the strength of non-mainstream. Survival also need to know the owner of the operation, and the shop as a business to hands to do it.
Xen Coffee
King's Road, Quarry Bay Plaza Basement Manley K-12 Shop No. 995-997
Hours: Monday - Friday: 9: 30-19: 00 Saturday: 10: 30-19: 00
Sunday: 12: 00-19: 00
Xen Coffee is located in Quarry Bay, owner of Dixon Ip said the election that year was mainly due to Quarry Bay, Taikoo Place, Bong is not good coffee, choose the library is like it can enjoy a quiet coffee. After his cross-industry franchise coffee, also saw Hong Kong close to the world coffee market coffee trend direction, but also his firm Xen Coffee walking the fine line of coffee. In Xen Coffee, Menus only single origin coffees from all the world, with a siphon pot brewing, will supply home-made Western-style pastries. Guests to the store from the beginning when the request for a cup of coffee drinks daily, and gradually began to taste like wine tasting like coffee requirements to get a cup of gourmet coffee. Dixon believes, XenCoffee positioning operation is more like a mentor to guide consumers want to enjoy more quality coffee, enjoy coffee life is more important. Therefore, Xen Coffee Siphon coffee occasional courses are also open for guests at home can also enjoy a cup of good coffee.
In Hong Kong, many people open cafes are required to adhere to a courage and a sense of distance, the ideal and the reality of a test of toughness and perseverance practitioners recommend for those who just opened shop is only done once the coffee shop is not a single, had as a kind of business to do, careful management, shop shortage of money is not going to happen days, but must be able to know how to enjoy life can be sustained coffee.
In the past decade, five years ago in Seattle coffee culture so many Hong Kong people went to the coffee shop from the cafe. After five years, led by the coffee shop market trends, big stores have to learn to shop. As siphon coffee Masters (HKSC) and one of the founders of Hong Kong coffee Masters (HKBS) Hong Kong area, he said every game coffee Hong Kong people not only to a better understanding of world coffee quasi-standard, which is also our understanding of the industry friends, interactive opportunities, and jointly promote our boutique coffee culture.
Cafe Corridor
A underground Russell Street, Causeway Bay on the 26th
Hours: Monday to Friday 9: 00-23: 00 Saturday: 12: 00-00: 00
Sundays and public holidays: 12: 00-23: 00
She chose to shop in its present location, the owner Felix frankly did not think too much, so a modest or even a fancy look very mindful also miss the place, just because the rent affordable; while operating philosophy is very simple: just do what you love to do. That time, Hong Kong from the inherent cafe coffee culture and instead invest in Italian coffee, cappuccino, milk coffee popular; 2000 leading coffee chain Starbucks to open outlets in Hong Kong, more inspired Felix vision for the development of Hong Kong's coffee industry.
Because small investment, store decor arranged mostly Felix hands, personalized coffee shop in the case of unintentional With positioning. Another element is to create a personalized coffee beans used in the store, originally opened in a single product purchase coffee beans from suppliers in proportion to fight with the store, and now home baking, creating an exclusive style tastes while and guests coffee request also has a good interactive communication. Home baked beans being brewed coffee, drink up there is always a special and moving taste, it may be hidden in the soul of a cup of coffee. Flagship store is espresso, coffee and hand shopkeepers also actively invest resources in selected beans and cup measure, we offer hope for a more delicious coffee.
"In addition to coffee, light meals for our shop is also very important" Felix said wistfully: "While monopoly boutique coffee shop think it's cool, but also need to think of a cup of coffee so do not want to eat ah! give up some of the food and desserts. "
Coffee cultivation of Chitose months, the cumulative number of word of mouth and the guests, so the former leisurely tour zai Cafe Corridor has become increasingly busy, people's needs and requirements of coffee has increased, guests are no longer satisfied with espresso, and is the hope that more taste some fine coffee from different countries face unique terroir, so industry awareness 'Third Wave coffee' has spread in Hong Kong community. In recent years, the coffee market in Hong Kong tend to diversify more Micro Roaster,
Diversified supply of coffee beans, Felix also from other countries, to find out the name of the company to buy roasted coffee beans for exchange-type operations, so you can widen the taste buds of coffee enthusiasts and horizons.
Cafe Corridor opened in 2001, in 2004 due to the addition of three times the rent and make Felix reluctantly turn the camp, abandoned the ground floor, the pressure to lower rental shop upstairs, put on the coffee beans wholesale supply target, workshops, professional foster on, so that the business has diversified development. The landlord re-settled in 2008 touting the existing ground floor, Felix lot of thought under the proper circumstances rent reopen the store at the same location. Years of operating experience, he talked about the cafe opened cafe is still mixed feelings, the proposed new shop to blindly believe people should not be too perfect, too measurable business pressures, including the principal amount invested, operating expenses, personnel management, social skills and other factors Do not attempt to challenge the high rents.
The Cupping Room
Shop No. 207, 2nd Floor, Stanley Plaza, Hong Kong
Hours: Monday: 10:00 - 19:00 Tuesday - Sunday: 09:00 - 19:00
The Cupping Room in Stanley opened by the end of 2001, due to the remote shop downtown on weekdays to shop majority dominated by foreign guests and tourists on weekends to attract more local coffee lovers. Since 2012, Hong Kong was the owner Kapo Barista Championship, the store more appealing to some coffee enthusiasts and practitioners in the field admiring. In recent years, the popularity of specialty coffee began in Hong Kong, there are different characteristics of stores to shop, described as flourishing: There are home baked with the Australian style, there are chain stores beginning in the main features boutique market. This trend is in line with the trend for the Cupping Room, this is a good sign. Because customers deepened awareness boutique coffee and coffee quality requirements.
The Cupping Room Menus flagship is espresso, and has been sold in the shop. Replacing a single product monthly coffee blending coffee, several meals and some pieces of chocolate these elements attract more and more customers into the store consumption. Young owner Kapo coffee market trends in Hong Kong in recent years, some have their own unique insight: "I think the Hong Kong market began to catch up with the current level of Asian International Taiwan, Japan and South Korea and other Asian countries, although we do not have other strong coffee culture. but because of this, the market development space and freedom is relatively large, diversified and quality of development tend to, inevitably appear more and more home baking personalized shop, but because of stubbornly high rents for shops operators have a certain degree of difficulty. "
For operating a boutique coffee shop, Kapo think the most difficult part is how to boutique coffee with fun and simple way to present and easier for the general public to accept. Finally, this year's World Championships in Melbourne ready to play Kapo, as the local representative, I hope the experience of the World Cup can be brought back to Hong Kong to share with you. The same player he saw all of our baristas have added value, such as admitted SCAE certification courses and Q-grader, etc., given the level of the Great Leap Forward barista in a short time, the future of Hong Kong players in the world ranking tournament can continue to promotion, let everyone with admiration.
Barista pain and joy
Hong Kong's thriving restaurant industry for many years and showed a rising trend, but the barista is also an industry in which a member of the barista profession which has not been widely recognized in the community, before 2011, Hong Kong has not appeared in a large coffee-related competition, baristas into rows and learning pathways have not many channels. Moreover, under the tutelage of coffee into the line starts you need to do more than play the role of food service, and everything needs to start from the most basic, both clean, floor, do simple meals, meal, brew coffee and other work to be done . If not at heart like coffee, few college students willing to join the industry.
When the shopkeeper plagued with "employer and employee liquidity shortage big" question, as an employee of the reasons for considering a career barista also have their own ideas, divided into two classes: first joined the line or into the line near Barista think ten hours or more to work long hours, and pay far more than casual office clerical. While the other eye in hot pillow to work barista, coffee pursuit of knowledge more and more, and perhaps do not care about salary levels, even at this stage of jobs that can not meet his / her space requirements for career advancement, or obsessed with theory and want to get a sense of accomplishment in the game, often serving and not feel self-director of a show.
2011 start, start to appear in Hong Kong tournament GBC & GLC @ HOFEX, HKBC & HKSC three events, based Hong Kong with the international coffee IT integration platform, interbank technology learn and close contacts, either as senior judges who still budding barista players, tournament so that these weekday workhorse coffee established more of a sympathetic person and precious friendship.
Sometimes life is like a cup of coffee, bitter total with astringent, savor the nuances of bitter coffee always taste a hint of sweetness. As a barista plays into the line for many years Felix cWong, for the "barista" is ideal career have a deep feeling: to be a professional barista is satisfactory, have different feelings in different stages of entry. No early line or entering the line, is pretty ideal, because it will have daily contact with fantasy to new people and things, but the fact is the same. But after 1-2 years of repeat and repeat, the word gradually ideal process day after day and buried, as it was like no time and then carefully studied the details, because all the work has been skillfully handled the size of the coffee things for granted, that here think it is time to start questioning the ideal year it? For me, coffee is the most perfect job, which I find myself in a lifestyle, in addition to earn a living, but also to the personal philosophy of life can be shared through the coffee and more people, it is the happiest .
As American Coffee Fest Latte contest the first Chinese world champion Kim Yeung, has repeatedly game experience, he admitted to the satisfaction of the guests bring a cup of coffee and barista quietly abound in Hong Kong, but also hope that through their own and guests interaction, selfless sharing, so that more people like the coffee, and join the industry, added new vitality to the coffee industry.
