The Place

Graham Street in Central is home to one of Hong Kong’s famous wet markets, seemingly a dying breed of space in burgeoning Hong Kong.  While there’s a sad loss of such iconic areas, Graham Street is also home to NOC Coffee and Roaster.  While the place is called NOC, or Not Only Coffee, I’d have to say that the little coffee joint in Graham Street does one of the finest in Hong Kong.

Looking very much the utilitarian and semi industrial space, there is not a lot to distract from its primary purpose of making great coffee.  An intriguing looking steel door is recessed into the back of the space, which made me wonder what was kept behind.  There’s a lot of coffee equipment strewn throughout the space, with spare grinders hidden behind a stack of books with titles like ‘Coffee Obsession’ and ‘The Coffee Roaster’s Companion’

There’s a surprising amount of space available for sitting in the air conditioning on a hot day to enjoy your brew, funky music certainly helps.  If you’re happy to sit in the heat of HK, then there’s a little porch area where you can watch the madness of Graham Street while you enjoy you hit of caffeine.

The Equipment

A two group head La Marzocco Classic Linea PB espresso machine and a white Mahlkonig EK42 grinder.  I also spied a Victoria Arduino Mythos One coffee grinder.

The Beans

A house blend that consisted of Colombia and Brazilian beans

The Package

The first thing you notice when your latte is placed in front of you is the intricate and complicated latte-art.  These guys sure know how to wield a milk jug to great effect.  The sweet caramel aroma was really nice and held the promise of a fantastic coffee.  My first sip was earthy and full bodied, the medium acidity ensuring a really well balanced coffee.  I loved the sweet and earthy after taste that had a chocolate feel on the palate.

Each coffee was individually prepared with care and attention, the milk perfectly prepared and just the right temperature.  Served in short glasses, it was amazing to see the latte-art so well done, usually only seen in larger cups with more room to play.  There was a super level of consistency with each of the coffees we tried, the takeaway tasting exactly the same.

Our coffees at NOC were very memorable for all the right reasons, a very yummy and delicious coffee.

The Rating

The Details

Where: 34 Graham Street, Central
Web: https://www.facebook.com/notonlycoffee/
Cost: Not Bad for Central
Visit: Go out of your way to get some