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Coffee

Coffeelin in LHT Tower, Central, Hong Kong designed by JJ Acuna of Bespoke Studio. Photo: Steven Ko

This coffee shop brings retro Milan to modern Hong Kong

After falling in love with Milanese coffee on a trip to Italy, this entrepreneur enlisted designer JJ Acuna to bring the Italian city’s vibe to Hong Kong.

Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution

Can robot baristas save Shanghai’s cafes from an ailing economy?

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5 new coffee shops in Hong Kong to try, including at airport

Coffee fiends flying out of Hong Kong are in for a treat, a Kowloon favourite has crossed the harbour and the OG Fineprint has expanded.

Coffee lovers in Hong Kong have several new places to try, including the newest branch of % Arabica, in Central. Photo: Arabica

Starbucks’ new CEO vows to make cafes ‘inviting’ once again

In an open letter, Brian Niccol said Tuesday he wants to once again make the cafes “inviting places to linger” with a clear distinction between dine-in and to-go service.

Roasts with the most, 5 new Hong Kong cafes that you should visit

Hong Kong coffee culture gets an extra shot with five new cafes that serve up a wide selection of cakes, snacks and hot dishes, and of course, great lattes and more.

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Starbucks loses its perk in China as drinkers flee for cheaper brews

‘Frankly, I don’t think Starbucks can gain a lot of traction in China’s small towns and villages,’ analyst says after the chain’s revenue slides.

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Shoppers walk by a Starbucks cafe at an outdoor shopping mall in Beijing on December 23, 2023. Photo: AP

University brews up caffeine hit with China’s first coffee science major

Yunnan Agricultural University is now accepting students into its new undergraduate degree in coffee science and engineering.

Opinion | Climate change threat is more than a storm in Vietnam’s coffee cup

From Brazil and Colombia to Indonesia and Vietnam, crops over the last decade have been hit by adverse weather and disease. Supply is increasingly unstable and shrinking, even as land suitable for cultivation disappears

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Opinion | Luckin Coffee’s rise over Starbucks reflects changes brewing in China

Luckin’s meteoric rise reflects a market shift as Chinese spend more carefully, and increasingly prefer local brands with more efficient service to slower, more expensive foreign names.

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A Luckin Coffee store in Beijing promoting its Kweichow Moutai liquor-infused latte on September 4. The rise of local coffee chains reflects a broader trend of increasing consumer nationalism in China. Photo: Reuters

How matcha came to matter: the buzz around the tea that is drunk like coffee

Celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid lifted matcha’s profile in the way the Olsen twins did for Starbucks coffee years ago – and now the world is in on the fad

Matcha, a decade on: the distinctive, caffeinated green powder isn’t going anywhere. Pictured: drinks at Los Angeles’ Rocky’s Matcha. Photos: Handout

Why decaf coffee is no longer getting roasted as being ‘inferior’

Decaffeinated coffee is growing in quality and popularity as new techniques to remove caffeine from beans preserve flavour and add complexities, and people look for their ‘drugs without their drugs’.

Caffeine boost: China’s rising coffee demand spurs cutthroat cafe competition

China’s rapidly growing coffee consumption is spurring cutthroat competition between local and foreign chains, which are opening shops at breakneck speed, overtaking the number of outlets in the US.

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How instant coffee became the hottest Korea-wave export

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Update | A new Korean wave: K-dramas raise profile of Korean instant coffee mixes

Korean exports of coffee mix and instant coffee sticks rose as the world’s K-drama fans saw them in series such as Moving, Vincenzo and My Mister. Entrepreneurs are remaking the humble product.

Song Joong-ki (right) and Jeon Yeo-been drink coffee in a still from K-drama series Vincenzo. Photo: courtesy of tvN

Textiles, watches, coffee – family’s business changes with each generation

Hong Kong-born entrepreneur Krshna Moriani chose not to take over his father’s watch business; instead he started Barista Baba Coffee, bringing Australian-style coffee beans and pods to Hong Kong.

Malaysian coffee farmers hope to draw tourists to Borneo region

Tourists are drawn to the homestays of northeast Sarawak, Malaysia, for jungle adventures and to sample indigenous culture. Farmers who have planted coffee bushes hope the project will be another visitor draw.

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Tokyo Jazz Joints: Japan’s ‘jazz kissa’ cafe culture revealed in a new project

Tokyo Jazz Joints documents these vibrant vinyl listening spaces – gaining traction across the globe – in a photo project, podcast and new coffee table book

A still from the Tokyo Jazz Joints photography book, published in 2023 by Northern Irish photographer Philip Arneill. The project documents a declining subculture of public record-listening spaces which boomed in postwar Japan. Photos: Handout

Opinion | Mao-tai latte shows how to keep Chinese culture modern and relevant

Rather than just Kweichow Moutai’s latest sales gimmick, the Mao-tai-infused coffee could be the start of a cultural renewal that China badly needs. A cultural renewal can help increase China’s appeal to both its own people and the outside world, and this must start from within.

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Liquor-laced latte a hit with young Chinese

Hongkongers upset with McDonald’s decision to discontinue legacy coffee drinks

Fast food giant to offer some products from McCafé at all locations as replacement.

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The fast food giant on Facebook said it would discontinue its ground and premium roast coffee, including both hot and iced versions. Photo: Dickson Lee

20 years of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte: are you ready for more?

Starbucks released its Pumpkin Spice Latte in autumn 2003, playing on nostalgia and the powerful link between smell and memory. It was a huge success, and the seasonal drink is still a bestseller.

Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. Photo: Starbucks

Espresso coffee bars? Seoul’s in love – the city’s baristas explain why

South Korean coffee drinkers are moving away from Americanos as espressos become trendy. There’s been a rash of espresso bars opening that offer the small, strong coffee shots and variations on them.

How Jay Chou’s mum is about to make US$54 million off her son

The ‘King of Asian Pop’ named his Yeh Hui-Mei album and credits her for childhood piano lessons – now she’s making bank thanks to his bestselling Modong coffee brand

Starbucks’ China rival Luckin Coffee opens 10,000th shop

Luckin Coffee opened 1,137 stores in the first quarter, beating Starbucks, which opened 153 and trails the domestic chain by more than 3,700 locations.

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Patrons wait in line at a Luckin Coffee store in Beijing Daxing International Airport in 2019. Photo: Getty Images

Where to find Tokyo’s best old-world cafes as speciality coffee scene thrives

Kissaten, or old-world speciality cafes in Japan, are experiencing something of a renaissance in Tokyo. Here are some of the best in which to explore this side of the city’s coffee culture.

At Mia Mia, a “kissaten” speciality coffee shop in Japan’s capital Tokyo founded by Vaughan Allison (left, standing), guests are encouraged to talk to the stranger next to them. Photo: Yurika Kono

Starbucks launches ‘Oleato’, mixing coffee with olive oil

Construction-site cafe becomes popular with young South Koreans

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Coffee
From bean to cup, we look at all aspects of the global coffee industry, taking in crops, stocks, cafes and more.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
highlights from
100 Top Tables 2024 Restaurant Directory
100 Top Tables 2024 Restaurant Directory
Quinary’s Texture menu. Photo: Handout

Your 100 Top Tables Hong Kong weekend drinks guide, for November 15-24

Nocino’s vibrant new location is situated on Wai Yip Street in Kwun Tong. Photo: Courtesy of Nocino

100 Top Tables weekend food guide: where to eat from November 15-17

The Thai Beef Salad cocktail by The Savory Project in Hong Kong features savory profiles from beef, peanut and chilli as well as coconut, kaffir lime and rum. Photo: The Savory Project

Drink in Focus: The Savory Project’s Thai Beef Salad cocktail

Dish in focus: Is LPM’s gateau au fromage frais the “best cheesecake in town”? Photo: Handout

Dish in Focus: LPM’s gateau au fromage frais

The Repulse Bay Wine Rally will take place this weekend in Hong Kong. Photos: Handout

Your Hong Kong weekend food guide: the best places to eat from November 8-10

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