I've been looking for decent coffee in Hong Kong for a while (and yes, have been following the relevant coffee thread on Geoexpat), and since it's been a couple of weeks since my recent fix in Ho Chi Minh City, I decided to venture out and continue on my quest.
After hearing some pretty good things about the Ethiopian coffee at Kafa (it's now become a bit of a chain, which outlets in Wan Chai, Central and Olympian City), I decided to go give it a try. I hear that coffee is a big part of Ethiopian culture, and they have coffee ceremonies that appear similar in formality to Japanese tea ceremonies. (I'm not claiming to be an expert - that's about all I know!)
Kafa on Wyndham Street is situated conveniently in the commercial building behind Marks and Spencer in Central, in what seems to be extra space in the lift lobby. Not exactly the most pleasant of places in which to sit. Seating-wise, I'd much prefer Starbucks (coffee preference is another matter).
I order an "Ethiopian blend", take-out because it seemed at that point that the seating area was full. (Although I found a table tucked in the rear of the shop, next to stacks of cardboard boxes.) My takeaway consisted of a cup of coffee (no duh), a packet of sugar and coffeemate. Yep. Coffeemate. Interesting addtion to a coffee from a 'specialist' coffee shop. Even so, I would have prefered two of them as my cup of coffee was larger than the standard 250ml.
The coffee itself was quite different to anything I'd had before. Quite acidic and with much thinner (physical feeling inside the mouth) than an espresso-based coffee. The texture was diluted, but the taste suggested otherwise. It actually reminded me a little of tropical fruits and later, Chinese herbal tea. So I suppose it had a raw freshness to it that I really didn't expect. The good thing about it is that it's not bitter in the least, unlike some coffees around town that claim to be 'strong' or worse still, 'full-bodied'. Not exactly a coffee for me, but I'm sure it has its fans.
They also offer a range of Italian style coffees (espresso, latte, cappuccino etc.) as well as lunches and snacks. Can't say I won't go again to try those out, but I think I'll give the Ethiopian a miss.
Kafa
8 Wyndham Street
Central
http://www.kafacafe.com