bloody good coffee in hong kong

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if you asked me last week, does hong kong need another coffee place – my answer is i don’t really care. but after stumbling upon oscar’s expresso bar, i can tell you THIS IS  where bloody good coffee is served.

while i was living in australia, one of the things i enjoyed most are the moms and pops’ coffee places. each is unique and each is outstanding in its own way. oscar’s expresso bar is a star in its own right. everything that is made here is made out of love. the latte i had was whipped to perfection.

my bloody good latte

seriously, i went to the gym right after  the latte and i was as high as a kite. the coffee is really potent. i got so excited as well because oscar’s serves anzac biscuits. i haven’t seen them in hong kong. oh i miss them so much. they are my favorite australian cookies.

in australia, we call biscuits, bickies. i want my anzac bickie now.

i had the chance to chit chat a little with my new friend the barista – nelson canon and he tells me that the owners, an australian couple who loves going around to source their own coffee as the owner’s brother is the world barista champion.

i have always been curious about how businesses in hk make money despite the high rents and apparently this couple has been bringing coffee for years to the local australian community in hong kong for years due to the lack of good coffee.

for me, i can’t tell you what good coffee really is but i can tell you what bad coffee taste like. pacific coffee has the worst coffee, the worst staff, the worst qc and their decor reminds me of my grandmother’s living room.

my new friend nelson canon.

i enjoyed my chat with nelson tremendously. he has been living in hk for 17 years and was originally from the philippines.

i asked him – what do you of the new leader – aquino jr?

i was expecting him to say – the country is shit, the country is corrupt.

he said – philippines has gotten better and it will continue to become better.

i said to him – i have wondered about your people. they always look so happy  to be here although they hold possibly the most unappreciated jobs in hk.

what he said to me, touched me deeply – ” we are blessed to be here because we are providing for our families. it is an honor to be able to do that and us filipinos are brought up with a lot of hope, not hope for the things we know but hope for the things we don’t see”.

i know many rich and powerful people. i don’t know that many happy people, you know.

every time i get disheartened, i hope to remind myself of nelson’s story.

visit oscar’s – they are at 85 wellington street, tucked quietly under the central escalator.