The Place

The name gives it away, but La Station is designed to resemble a subway station in the swankier parts of Paris.  Located just off Queens Road East, finding La Station was initially confusing; firstly it’s around the corner from QRE and its neon sign out front has an arrow pointing away from its entrance.

Once inside, I found a relatively large coffee joint that was dominated by a front counter that held the espresso making equipment, as well as a small area dedicated to some healthy looking foods.  The interior is curved like a subway station of yonder years and the light fittings all scream railway.

One of the few coffee joints in Hong Kong that open at a decent time, La Station opens daily from 7:30 am, which works well in expat heavy Wanchai.  I loved the serious look to the baristas on hand, all wearing aprons that provided a very professional look.

The Equipment

A huge three group head La Marzocco FB80, in fire engine red and side by side Anfim Ciamano grinders.

The Beans

Beans sourced from Brazil, Colombia and Ethiopia and La Station uses a local roastery.  There is a house blend and an Ethiopian single origin on offer for you takeaway pleasure.

The Package

I ordered a house blend latte to begin with, which arrived in a short glass and had a combo heart and rosetta for the latte-art.  The house blend is a combination of beans from Brazil, Colombia and Ethiopia and had a very earthy flavour with a medium body and medium acidity.  The initial taste was of caramel and had a slightly burnt but pleasant undertone.  Interestingly, there were layers to the coffee, with a slightly fruity aftertaste that came from the Ethiopian beans.

My second cup was a takeaway single origin from Ethiopia, which should have had a stronger punch but interestingly was incredibly well balanced.  It was much sweeter than the house blend, with a very fruity taste with medium acidity and a surprisingly light body.  Whereas the house blend started with a nutty caramel taste and faded to a fruity aftertaste, the single origin stayed true from beginning to end.

I really liked the coffee from La Station, mainly because I was not really expecting to find a great coffee there.  The team of baristas were very interested in the coffee and I overheard them critiquing themselves as they were making the various coffees from the reasonably busy cafe.

Next time I need an early morning coffee, I’ll be straight back.

The Rating

The Details

Where: 248 Queen’s Rd East, Wanchai (but it’s around the corner)
Web: https://www.facebook.com/LaStationCoffee/
Cost: Very Reasonable
Visit: Good for an early start (open from 7:30)