It feels strange to be writing about coffee at all in Hong Kong, which is best known for milk tea: a drink made of brewed black tea, evaporated or condensed milk and sugar, and often served iced.
Coffee has traditionally entered the equation at the cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style cafés), where milk tea is also served with black coffee as “coffee milk tea”, or yuenyeung. The name means “mandarin ducks”, who typically swim around in pairs, and is meant to symbolise couples who stay together for life. (I personally prefer the two divorced from each other, but it’s worth a try, along with traditional toast with kaya coconut jam, or a pineapple bun.)
Milk tea’s popularity to this day probably goes some way to explaining why gourmet-coffee culture in Hong Kong is relatively young for a global city, though recent years have seen an expanding number of Australian-style latte bars.