Felix Wong Kim-fei gets tired of being asked to name the best coffee in the world. 'It's like asking someone to name the most beautiful woman in the world. There is no correct answer. It's a matter of personal taste, and developing good taste goes beyond shallow understanding,' says the director of the two-year-old Cafe Corridor.
Vincent Cheng Man-fai, training specialist for the Lavazza Training Centre, which opened in December, says Hongkongers are at least three years behind people in Japan, Korea and Taiwan when it comes to their level of coffee appreciation. He says customers at places such as Starbucks focus more on 'the big sofas, the free Wi-fi internet and the music playing in the background than the actual coffee itself'.
The situation is improving, Wong says. 'In the past year alone, I've found many more serious coffee lovers out there who look at coffee the way sommeliers look at wine.' These aficionados examine the colour, aroma, temperature and balance of flavours before tasting. Well-versed in coffee-speak, they know, for instance, the difference between arabica and robusta coffee beans.
Some coffee connoisseurs are so particular about the freshness of their roasted beans that they order their supply online from local firm Lion Rock Coffee, which was established in 2007. The company website posts a live countdown to the next roasting, which happens at least weekly. Once roasted, the coffee beans are shipped immediately, and Lion Rock recommends they be consumed within 14 days of receipt.
Despite these promising changes, most Hong Kong coffee shops are still prone to mistakes, says Cheng. 'The most common offence is that it is too hot. Coffee should be made with water between 60 and 65 degrees Celsius, but many shops are killing the flavour with water temperatures of 90 degrees.'
As for iced coffee, he says 'it's like adding ice cubes to beer. Coffee is traditionally drunk hot, even in summer in Italy.'