Advertisement
Advertisement
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

Always Joy’s Nagoya-style stuffed chicken wing offers rich umami flavours with a crisp finish. Photo: Handout

Dish in Focus: Nagoya-style stuffed chicken wings at Always Joy

Even the most delicious meals, such as this one at La Terrace at Louise, can occasionally be marred by rude or entitled guests, Hong Kong’s F&B professionals share. Photo: Nicholas Wong Sixteen Photography

Word on the StrEAT: the F&B scene’s pet peeves about customers

Cherry Lady Punch, created by Sora from Rosewood Phnom Penh, will be on offer at Terrible Baby in Hong Kong for one night only. Photo: Handout

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for June 25-27

LPM’s menu for Father’s Day. Photo: Handout

Your Hong Kong food guide for Father’s Day weekend, June 19-21

More from 100 top tables
Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
As well as coffee, Ditto is becoming known for its matcha cloud with coconut water. Photo: Instagram/@girl.blushy
Food and Drinks

5 new cafes to try in Hong Kong in July 2026

Enjoy a matcha drink in a Sai Ying Pun cafe, relax in a space steeped in Hong Kong nostalgia, grab a coffee on the go in Central and more.

China-Africa relations

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

videocam
Food and Drinks

1 in 5 coffees sold in Europe contains pesticides: report

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.

videocam
16
Illustration: Brian Wang
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.

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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

A coffee from Tai Ping, a new coffee shop on Sheung Wan’s Tai Ping Shan Street that doubles as a florist. It is one of five new cafes opening in May 2026 that offer something exciting for caffeine fans. Photo: Instagram/taiping.hk
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.

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.

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.

The Tropical Spicy Brew at Friday After Class in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout
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.

A Chinese café has been selling a unique coffee blend which features eggs brewed in child urine, selling over a hundred cups a day at weekends. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote
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.

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.

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.

Customers wait for their coffee outside a coffee shop in Bangkok, Thailand on Wednesday. Photo: AP
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.

Luckin Coffee’s store network spans more than 300 cities across mainland China. Photo: Handout
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.

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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

Singapore’s vibrant and rich cafe culture has made it one of the world’s most liveable cities for tech workers. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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.

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.

Dishes at Jija by Vicky Lau focus on Yunnan’s robust flavours and famed produce. Photo: courtesy Jija by Vicky Lau
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.

Grinding you own coffee can give you a better tasting brew, but which grinder should you use? Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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.

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.

An insect museum in China has introduced a unique coffee brew made from cockroach powder and dried yellow mealworms. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/RedNote
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.

A Pizza Hut store in Jinan, Shandong province. Photo: Handout
Donald Trump

Trump cuts tariffs on beef, coffee and other foods, in inflation U-turn

The move marks a sharp reversal from the US president, who has insisted that his import duties are not fuelling higher grocery prices.

Food and Drinks

From chains to viral cafes, Shanghai is a city that loves coffee a latte

Artisanal brews, lattes in naan cups, experimental flavours – Shanghai’s coffee culture makes the city a must-explore for caffeine lovers.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement