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TOPIC

Coffee

Coffee
From bean to cup, we look at all aspects of the global coffee industry, taking in crops, stocks, cafes and more.
highlights from
100 Top Tables 2025 Restaurant Directory
100 Top Tables 2025 Restaurant Directory
Mashed green bean tart and chilled kale juice, representing the green “wood” element of traditional Chinese medicine, at Man Ho Chinese Restaurant in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

How traditional Chinese medicine found its way onto fine-dining and bar menus

A charcoal grilled steak at Carna. Photo: Gary Jones

How 3 Hong Kong chefs reimagine classic beef dishes

The blue crab rigatoni at the limited-time Wan Chai pop-up, Marrow. Photo: Handout

Your Hong Kong weekend food guide for July 17-19

Don Pedro’s beef empanada uses 100 per cent Aberdeen Angus beef, herbs and spices. Photos: Jocelyn Tam

Dish in focus: Beef empanada at Don Pedro

Shenzhen, as seen from MO Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Shenzhen. Photo: Handout

Inside Shenzhen’s evolving culinary scene

More from 100 top tables
Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Orchard’s newest drinks showcase eau de vie fruit spirits in a variety of forms. Photo: Handout
Food and Drinks

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for July 9-11

67 on Hollywood offers a taste of members-only wines, Orchard’s latest libations let fruit spirits shine, and Coffeelin in Fortress Hill unveils a new cocktail menu.

China consumption

After hooking China on coffee, Starbucks ramps up consumer strategy

Food and Drinks

5 new cafes to try in Hong Kong in July 2026

China-Africa relations

Coffee, chillies and cashews: a new recipe to rewrite China-Africa trade

Blanket relationship with all African nations is viewed as a precedent for partners like the EU.

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In Africa, some agricultural products, including coffee beans, that meet baseline requirements on pest risks, processing and safety are eligible for export to China, eliminating the need for country-by-country trade deals. Photo: Shutterstock
Food and Drinks

1 in 5 coffees sold in Europe contains pesticides: report

The report also warned that the ‘standard reassurance’ given by companies – that residues are destroyed by roasting – is not always true.

US-China relations

How Chinese drink chains are testing the limits of soft power

New tea and coffee brands from China are winning customers across America, but their broader influence remains unclear.

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Food and Drinks

5 new cafes and coffee shops to try in Hong Kong in June 2026

From Blue Bottle Coffee’s new branch and Sang Roastery’s airport outpost to a newcomer in Sham Shui Po, here are 5 cafes to stay cool at.

Blue Bottle Coffee’s Kyoto-style espresso is exclusively available at its new branch at Cityplaza in Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong. It is one of five new cafes opening in June 2026 where caffeine fans can go to escape the heat. Photo: Blue Bottle Coffee
Food and Drinks

Unsung Eats: 5 best places to eat and drink in Taipei

Fresh takes on Taiwan’s famed fried chicken and breakfast, to tea cocktails and artisanal coffee, here are our Taipei foodie picks.

Food and Drinks

5 new cafes and coffee shops to try in Hong Kong in May 2026

From new branches of established coffee brands to newcomers offering comfort and even flowers, these 5 new Hong Kong cafes are worth a visit.

Food and Drinks

5 new cafes and coffee shops to try in Hong Kong in April 2026

From fruit-flavoured brews to vinyl background music and HK$30 lattes, here are 5 new coffee shops worth a visit in Hong Kong in April.

Online shop NovemberSix Bakery has launched its first cafe space, Yelo Cake Coffee, serving coffee in addition to its signature cakes. Photo: Instagram/yelocakecoffee.hk
China’s private sector

Chinese coffee brands need more than low prices to compete globally: analysts

Luckin, Lucky Cup, Cotti and Nowwa are expanding quickly overseas, but analysts warn success depends on consumer experience and quality.

A Luckin Coffee outlet in Manhattan, New York. Photo: Getty Images/AFP
Food and Drinks

Drink in Focus: Tropical Spicy Brew at Friday After Class

Friday After Class, one of the latest additions to buzzing Peel Street, is launching a new cocktail menu that features fruity, tropical creations that evoke summer holidays.

Trending in China

China café sells coffee made with eggs brewed in child urine; considered a delicacy

Maker of bizarre caffeine brew says it prevents sleepiness in spring and heatstroke in summer; experts say it is toxic and of no benefit at all.

Singapore

How Southeast Asia’s coffee chains are brewing cross-border success

Home-grown brands such as Zus Coffee are betting on cultural fluency, halal positioning and digital tools to make further inroads.

A Kenangan Coffee outlet at a shopping centre in eastern Singapore. The Indonesian chain has opened about 10 outlets in the city state. Photo: Kenangan Coffee
Food and Drinks

5 new cafes and coffee shops to try in Hong Kong in March 2026

Whether you’re a fan of rich brewed coffee, delicate tea cocktails or matcha drinks, these five new outlets have something for you.

A drink is poured at Chas by the Time, new multi-level cafe, restaurant and retail space in Sheung Wan dedicated to tea. Photo: Instagram/@chas_bythetime
Thailand

Why Thailand is cutting back the sugar in coffee and tea

With Thais averaging 21 teaspoons of sugar a day – triple WHO limits – officials urge cafes to cut syrup to lower diabetes and obesity risks.

China’s private sector

Luckin’s 30,000th store milestone adds buzz to China’s brewing coffee battle

Xiamen-headquartered chain pushes to integrate supply network worldwide and accelerate growth in markets from Asia to the US.

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Food and Drinks

6 new Hong Kong coffee shops to welcome the Lunar New Year in February 2026

From a Korean-style cafe to a Japanese toast joint and new branches of cult favourites, there’s a lot to excite coffee lovers this month.

A hot cacao at Brisa in Causeway Bay. The chocolate-forward coffee shop is one of the exciting new openings in Hong Kong this month, as well as new branches of old favourites EN Coffee and By the O. Photo: Instagram/brisahk
Food and Drinks

Why are Korean-style cafes proving so popular in Hong Kong?

With immersive themes and Instagram-worthy interiors, Korean-style cafes offer comfortable ‘third places’ for Hong Kong’s busy populace.

Technology

Singapore, Beijing land in top 10 of Savills’ Matcha Index of global tech cities

Even with its premium-priced matcha drinks, Singapore ranks among the world’s most ‘liveable’ cities for tech workers.

Food and Drinks

5 new Hong Kong coffee shops from which to start the new year in January 2026

A handful of new spots are worth a visit this month, from a pet-friendly place to Hong Kong’s only ice drip speciality coffee shop.

Mason Pocket, one of several new coffee shops in Hong Kong to visit in January, offers plenty of natural sunlight and an array of pastries that are baked in-house. Photo: Instagram/kwanheiting
Food and Drinks

Coffee isn’t just a drink. How to use the beans as a seasoning

Beyond brews, coffee beans can be used to season sweet and savoury foods and even alcohol. Here’s how to use them in ganache, gravy and more.

Coffee is most often consumed as a drink, but coffee beans also work great as a seasoning. Here is how to use them to flavour everything from vodka to ice cream to red-eye gravy. Photo: Shutterstock
New Openings

Hong Kong’s hottest new openings, from a quiet coffee shop to Yunnan cuisine

Jija by Vicky Lau brings Yunnan province flavours to Tsim Sha Tsui, minimalist cafe Moonary serves espresso-based drinks and matcha lattes, and Carmela offers a Mediterranean touch.

Food and Drinks

Mouthing Off | Want the best coffee in the morning? Improve your brew from the grounds up

Using the right grinder can make for more full-bodied coffee with a richer smell and more intense taste, experts say – but they’re not cheap.

Food and Drinks

Seaside and sunshine: Sai Kung offers fertile grounds for independent cafes

Sai Kung’s sleepy seaside vibe has made it a popular spot for independently run cafes serving up good coffee and a dose of community.

Arm Coffee in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, serves a delicious brunch. Photo: Handout
Food and Drinks

5 new Hong Kong coffee shops to snuggle down at in December 2025

From a soothing space with books and cake to a Korean-style cafe and new branches of popular hang-outs, these cafes offer coffee and comfort.

Book & Pillow is a multifaceted lifestyle store and cafe in Kai Tak. Photo: Instagram/@cafe.hopping
Trending in China

Cockroach coffee: China museum assures drinkers that US$6 insect brew is safe

Bug-themed venue in capital city offers visitors range of caffeine boosts laced with yellow mealworms, digestive juices of carnivorous plant.

Yum China

KFC, Pizza Hut operator Yum China pushes rapid expansion into lower-tier cities

The initiative is expected to increase the fast-food operator’s total number of mainland China stores to 30,000 by 2030.

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