Unar Coffee Company / Zai Fe - Hong Kong

I love coffee. I'll even go to great lengths to say I cannot live without it. That's not to say I can't function without my morning cup, nor will I suffer from terrible incurable headaches if I forego my daily dose of caffeine. But I love the taste, the idea, the culture and the social aspect of coffee. A cup of black coffee can always calm me down. And "why don't we get coffee?" is the secret code for my instant friendship.


Unar Coffee Company

Unar started out as a tiny hole-in-the-wall (literally) in Tai Hang. The only seating area is the bench outside the shop. You see Unar when you see people standing around sipping coffee and exchanging conversations in the sun. A few months ago, Unar opened a Shop 2 in Star Ferry Pier (Tsim Sha Tsui side). This second outlet has definitely inherited the feel of the Unar in Tai Hang. Take-away coffee, a bench, hipster vibe... except that the main colour of Shop 2 is white, as opposed to black of Shop 1.

One of the best storefronts I have seen

Iced Regular Coffee ($35) - forgot how this tasted, but I clearly remember I enjoyed it, along with the spectacular skyline of HK Island. If you're adventurous, Unar serves interesting options such as Iced Cucumber Caffe Latte and Hot Ginger Caffe Latte. So next time you're in Star Ferry Pier in TST... don't run for ferry, enjoy Unar coffee!

Unar Coffee Company - Shop 2
Shop KP41
1/F, Star Ferry Pier,
Salisbury Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong

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Zai Fe 齋啡

I've always liked my coffee black. When I found out an indie coffee shop, named after my favourite beverage, was opening near my home, I couldn't contain my excitement. Zai Fe is a tiny espresso bar tucked away on a quiet street in Quarry Bay. It's a small space, but the shop is oozing coolness (if not pretentiousness). I wasn't surprised at all to learn that the brains behind Zai Fe is an artist, a fashion guru and a coffee producer. There seems to be lots of principles and philosophy behind the brand. Principles and philosophy that I support. And you'll be seeing me at Zai Fe again and again, munching on artisan baked goods and enjoying the friendly service.

Zai Fe ($21) - according to the menu, the shop's "standard shot is everyone else's add an extra". This means that there are two shots in my tiny cup of coffee, but it's funny considering I found my cup to be slightly weak for my liking... next time I'm getting the triple-shot Long Black.

Probably my first time seeing Vegware packaging. All items here are served in 100% renewable or recycled materials.

Double Chocolate Muffin ($28?) - the muffin was wrapped nicely in parchment paper and came in an environmental-friendly paper bag (paradoxical, if the goal is to save the earth then why not skip the cool packaging?)... the price may be a bit steep for a muffin but this is not a conventional muffin! This is a moist chocolate cake in a muffin form. I was going to have a bite then I ate the whole thing...! The baked goods at Zai Fe are freshly baked by local artisan bakers every day. It's surely great to support local, but it's even better when local is awesome.

Zai Fe 齋啡
22-28 Finnie Street
Quarry Bay
Hong Kong

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