The Mixing Bowl

The Place

Sheung Wan is one of the thriving coffee hubs in Hong Kong and uber cool Gough Street is home to a couple of baristas worth watching. Midway up a steep set of steps of Shin Hing Street is The Mixing Bowl, a cafe that is dedicated to the art of baking, which has a very nice side business of trying to achieve the perfect coffee.

It would be easy to miss, but when looking for a great cup of coffee, you have to stop in and take a moment to appreciate the dedication to the art of the brew. Specialising in pour-over coffee, barista Cecilla is also adept at milk base coffee beverages. That Cecilla knows her coffee is irrefutable, she’s one of the few Judges of the Hong Kong barista championships.

The Equipment

A compact Nuova Simonelli Appia ii espresso machine.

The Beans

Sourced mainly from Ethopia and Kenya and roasted locally in Hong Kong. The pour over beans are single origin and are exclusively from Ceremony Coffee Toasters in Maryland USA.

The Package

It’s hard to believe that the Mixing Bowl’s barista is relatively new to the game, displaying a deft touch. Each coffee is made individually with the love and attention of someone truly immersed in her chosen profession. Every latte I’ve had has been well constructed and beautifully presented; most importantly the coffee is always expertly extracted and never harsh. However, while well balanced, I’d love to see a little more flavour from the beans, which are slightly nutty.

Where Cecilla excels is with pour over coffee, which is a completely different art than pulling through an automated espresso machine. Our coffees were incredibly well balanced, with a fruity flavour that was super smooth and jacked with caffeine. We left the Mixing Bowl practically wired!

The Mixing Bowl is a little off the beaten track but is well worth making a detour.