The Place

It took us ages to find Open Door Cafe, which was much further along Connaught Road that we were really prepared for.  The busy road is not really the ideal place for a cafe but when we finally walked through its front door, the heavy traffic noise disappeared quite quickly.

Open Door Cafe had an interesting feel to it, less a funky cafe and more like a foyer to a high-rise, with tall ceilings and clusters of hanging lights that were partially exposed and ensconced in wire frames.  Right down the back was the serving counter, that was filled with coffee making paraphernalia.

The main area was a little sterile, with bench seating and plain tables that were both modern and bland at the same time.  A couple of redeeming elements helped enliven the decor: colourful and eclectic pieces of art adorned the walls, as did a coffee chart that outlined the myriad of coffee options and how they were prepared.

The Equipment

A glossy white Sanremo Verona RS two group head espresso machine and a couple of matching Sanremo grinders.  It was the first time I’d seen machines from the relatively new player in the espresso machine market.

The Beans

A blend of beans from Brazil, Ethiopia and Indonesia roasted locally in Hong Kong.

The Package

The first things I noticed about our coffees were the intricate patterns that were presented as latte art.  There was a blend of different styles, which detracted from the presentation of the lattes, they were just too busy.

A mild caramel aroma was present, which was quite pleasant.  The coffee held a mild body and mild acidity and a very subtle flavour, in fact it was hard to discern any really strong taste profiles at all.  The milk was prepared properly at the right temperature and there was a sweet undertone that was the predominant flavour.  It seemed as if there was just not enough of a coffee hit to satisfy this coffee blogger.  It was a well balanced blend that just wasn’t strong enough.

My takeaway latte was very much the same, the mild flavour was dominated by the sweetness that came from cooking and frothing the milk perfectly.  I did detect a slight earthy and nutty undertone with the takeaway, which was slightly nicer than our dine in lattes.

The Rating

The Details

Where: 120 Connought Road West, Sai Yin Pun
Web: https://www.facebook.com/opendoorcafehk
Cost: Moderately priced
Visit: If you like mild coffee