Coming from Montreal where the brunch and cafe scene is pretty prominent, I wasn't expecting much from a far more hectic city like Hong Kong where you'd think most people would only have time to pass by the closest Pacific Coffee or Starbucks to grab a quick bite or their espresso. In a city so densely populated where free space downtown is a luxury and every square foot costs an arm, how could local independently owned businesses survive? Hong Kong is indeed known for having ridiculously high rent prices (especially retail space where it can go up to $2,630/ square foot for areas like Causeway Bay) which is even higher than Manhattan. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there still exists a good number of local cafes/brunch spots spread around the city. Most cafes also offer actual meals throughout the day (many many all-day brunch places) since they would probably be unable to sustain financially on purely offering coffee and other beverages. The prices are fairly reasonable and comparable to what I would pay back home (brunch $CAD 15-20, lattes $5-10). Although I'm actually not a big fan of the taste of coffee itself, coffee shops will always be something I enjoy. Beyond the matcha lattes and egg bennies, there is something special about how much attention and effort each owners have put in offering the best experience in terms of decor or ambiance that starts way before the first sip and ends way after the last bite. That's undoubtedly how most have been able to survive amongst all the larger chain coffee shops. Anyhow, let's get right into some of the ones I have had the chance to try out and that I'd definitely recommend (they're not in any particular order of preference).
1. ETHOS
This was the first cafe in Hong Kong that was introduced to me by a friend (thanks Irwin! ) and the first time I really wished I went to HKU. It is practically across the street from the HKU campus and MTR station where many other popular local spots are close to (Brew Bros, Deadend, Cupping Room etc). If I remember correctly, I went slightly before lunch time to avoid the influx of hungry students. The place is fairly small and could fill up pretty quickly so I'd recommend avoiding peak hours. The minimal interior has a very simple design and bright (needless to mention that it's popular amongst instagrammers like most of the other places on this list). Now onto the best part... the food. If I had to convince someone to try this place in 3 words, I'd probably go with: MASSIVE LUSTROUS BACON. Seriously though, can we please take a moment to scroll up and look at that GLAZE. I took the All-Day Breakfast (138HKD) and no exaggeration, it's probably one of the best bacons I've ever had in my life (and I've been craving it ever since). The rest of the plate was also pretty good. There are plenty of other less popular options on the menu such as pasta but trust me, it is worth tunnel-visioning on the bacon alone. This is probably one of the best, if not the best brunch I've had in Hong Kong so far.
ADDRESS: 99 Hill Rd, Kennedy Town
2. HOW
Outdoor patio view
This place is the actual definition of lowkey. Located on the third floor of a factory building with no outside signs whatsoever, getting to the place was probably the sketchiest getting-to-a-cafe experience of my life. Basically, if you follow Google maps, you will find yourself standing in front of an alleyway that seems to lead to nowhere. However, if you walk through it, you'll eventually find one of those elevators that open by hand. Once you're on it, you're not sure if it will just drop at any moment or if you'll actually make it to third floor. But once you step out, you'll feel like you're in a completely different building from what you saw from the outside. The interior is fairly dim with only a few windows on one side. The concept of HOW is that it is a single warehouse room that was transformed into both a restaurant and a store that sells various things from clothes to furniture. Despite the place being fairly packed (to my surprise! How do locals even find these places...), the space is wide enough to not be disturbed by surrounding chatter. They also have a nice outside patio that was open the second time I went if the weather's on your side. As for the food, they have a really decently priced combo (about $20 CAD) that comes with a small appetizer (salad or soup), a main meal and practically any drink (sparkling juice, lattes, coffee etc). I got the Linguine with Prawn and Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato with an iced matcha latte (108 HKD) the first time, and I can't remember what exactly it said on the menu the second time but I was surprised it turned out to be a burger lol. The Linguine and shrimps portion was pretty good but the surprise burger was incredibly dry and definitely a miss. However, the overall the atmosphere is what draws me to go back. It's a great place to just chill with friends or maybe even bring a date (if you don't mind the not-so-charming way there).
ADDRESS: 3/f, How Ming Factory Building, 99 How Ming Street Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
3. THE COFFEE ACADEMICS
This place would've never made it to this list if the Elephant Grounds in Wanchai wasn't completely packed with people in suits on their lunch break from all the surrounding offices on the day I tried to go. Looking for a cafe to study, I came across Coffee Academics a few steps away. It's apparently well known for its coffee and has several locations around Hong Kong. The interior has a woody and cozy decor. As soon as I sat down, a menu was given to me and overall, the service was on point. The Classic Eggs Benedict (78HKD) and the Latte (45HKD) were decent and tasted similar to what I've had in Montreal. I would mainly recommend this place to grab a bite while studying as there are several power plugs on the walls and a light background music/ chatter. It's great for people who like to study with a bit of noise in the back. Also, the best place to sit especially to study would probably be the seats along the window counter since the place is fairly dark. It's also great for people watching while sipping on a latte at the heart of one of the most hectic areas of Hong Kong during weekdays.
ADDRESS: 35-45 Johnston Road, Wan Chai
4. ARTISAN GARDEN CAFE
This hidden gem in Sai Wan has one of the nicest interiors I've seen so far. The amount of details and effort put into the decoration of this place is amazing. It is so incredibly packed of various objects ranging from decorative cups to stacks of old books, yet it still maintains a certain order. I got the All Day Waffle Breakfast (108HKD) that came with scrambled eggs, sausages, mushrooms and obviously waffles. I also took a Hazelzut Latte (45HKD) that was REAL good and A+ for the latte art. It's also really close to Ethos, so if you're on a all day brunch spree, you got your spots.
ADDRESS: 23 Po Tuck St, Sai Wan
5. TEAWOOD
Teawood is a taiwanese style cafe and quite different from the others on this list. It also has several locations around Hong Kong (which we only realized after traveling 1h30 to Tsim Sha Tsui when there is actually one closer to HKUST near Hang Hau...). For those from Montreal, the menu and food is really similar to Nos Thés. The main difference and probably the highlight of this place are the desserts. I will get to that, but first I had the Noodles with Fried Chicken Fillet (67HKD) and my friend had the Teawood Noodles with Stewed Beef (73HKD). The portions are pretty filling for the price tag. We also couldn't pass on the large selection of drinks that they had ranging from bubble tea to various smoothies. I went with the Purple Taro Shaved Ice (36HKD) while she went with the Mint, Cocoa and Oreo Shaved Ice (36HKD) which were both really good. And finally, the dessert... I'm not even exaggerating it was way bigger than both our faces. We shared the Rocky Road Chocolate Honey Toast (74HKD) which is basically a mountain of hard toasts topped with ice cream and dripping cream. Unsurprisingly, we did not finish and I would 110% not recommend you order one for yourself. The first few bites tasted amazing but we were both so full at that point that we couldn't really enjoy it. It would probably be best shared by 3-4 people but it's a must try just for how monstrous it looks when the waiter puts it on the table.
ADDRESS: 2/F, Carnarvon Plaza, 20 Carnarvon Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui
SPECIAL MENTION: ELEPHANT GROUNDS
This place deserves a special mention as the menu is fairly plain and there is nothing really extraordinary about this cafe but the food was actually pretty good. When we got there around 2-3pm, we had to wait an hour to get seated and half their menu was already gone, including the bennies :(. My friend got the Avocado Toast (95HKD) and a Matcha Latte (55HKD) and I got the Buttermilk Pancakes (95HKD) and a Latte (40HKD). The portions are a bit small in my opinion, but the pancakes were delicious and hella fluffy. This place is perfect if you're just looking for a very easy and simple brunch!
ADDRESS: Shop C, G/F, 42-28 Fashion Walk, Paterson St, Causeway Bay
Happy brunching/ cafe hopping!
Main photo by Irwin Chan. All other photos taken by iPhone 6 and edited with Lightroom (please forgive the quality lol)
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