Smell of good vibes
Besides delivering world-class brews, Hong Kong's specialty coffee shops also serve as platforms for storytelling, fostering inclusivity and forging connections. Faye Bradley reports.
In February, Hong Kong's Espresso Alchemy claimed the 43rd position on the World's 100 Best Coffee Shops list. It's the first coffee shop in Chinese territory to make it to the top 50 in the list released by CoffeeFest - a Washington-based business resource and networking platform for the specialty coffee industry. The scores were based on public votes as well as marks awarded by industry experts from around the world, which indicates Hong Kong's rising stature on the world's specialty coffee map.
The city seems to be in the throes of a specialty coffee boom. It is not uncommon to find micro roasters operating out of tiny nooks in industrial buildings or people ditching corporate jobs to put on a barista's apron and run a startup.
Dozens of new cafes have opened across the city in recent months. They come in all manner of shapes and forms - from Blue Bottle Coffee's expansive new location in Tung Chung to tiny establishments like Grandma's Coffee in Wan Chai.
Singapore's Common Man Coffee Roasters debuted in Tsim Sha Tsui in November, followed by a sleek new outpost of Japanese coffee brand Arabica in Terminal 1 of Hong Kong International Airport.
