Coffee Shop - Espresso Alchemy in Quarry Bay Hong Kong

Peter Lau, the owner focusing on brewing

When mum and dad visited Espresso Alchemy (EA) last Sunday, there was no references on the web and the physical location was in existence for just over 2 weeks. The only reason why they knew its existence was because Daniel at KC Coffee mentioned during the coffee appreciation class.

As they didn't go there on purpose, all the pictures were taken using the small Nikon Coolpix AW100.

EA is one of the coffee shops which uses locally roasted beans. The espresso was the best cup he had experienced in Hong Kong and she was impressed by the piccolo latte. The espresso was low in acidity, great texture and full of citrusy flavor. If you work in Quarry Bay, it's definitely worth giving it a try.

Their hot chocolate was like a cup of melted chocolate with a bit of milk. If you like a thick cup of chocolate on a cold wintry evening, you will like it.

Address: 4-6 Hoi Wan Street, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

One of the staff was still drawing up the white-board with the shop's alchemy signs, the 4 elements of good coffee.

Piccolo latte - also known as caffe macchiato - espresso with a smaller amount of milk than a typical latte

Like liquid gold - one sip and it's all gone, so make sure you smell before you drink. 

Coffee Shop - 18 Grams in Causeway Bay Hong Kong

The one thing missing after the delicious desserts from Tony Wong Patisserie (TWP) was a cup of good strong coffee. Since attending the coffee appreciation class, there are a few more coffee shop names on mum & dad's checklist. 18 Grams is one of them and one is located not far from TWP in Cannon Street, Causeway Bay. The location of the shop is prominent among the shops along this tiny stretch of street next to World Trade Centre. The decor is hip and it has a tiny but well equipped kitchen which serves all-day breakfast, which looked appetizing. Perhaps next time.

The espresso was aromatic and strong, but it was a bit too acidic. The latte was average. And the shop appeared to have some difficulties taking orders. One of our cups came out as espresso instead of doppio as ordered and it took almost 10 minutes for the replacement cup to come out. During that 10 minutes, two lattes was served to a couple when two piccolo lattes were in fact ordered.

If you are in Causeway Bay, you might want to try Cafe Corridor in Russell Street near Times Square for a better cup of coffee. The best cup is arguably the newly opened Espresso Alchemy in Quarry Bay. We shall write about these at a later stage.