Hong Kong restaurant reviews

The airy bar eases you into the evening you as soon as you set foot in the door. It has higher ceilings than we thought possible in Soho, creating easily the best design flow in the area. The combination of high-back booths and tables set around a U-shaped bar that encloses the open kitchen gives diners plenty of choice between a semi-private meal or a more raucous, dine-at-the-bar experience. We have seen plenty of new places open on the faddish organic premise, but the organic and locally grown focus is as much about flavour as it is about doing the right thing by your liver. The ‘Marketa Fresca’ ($60), or roasted vegetables, reminds you what vegetables are really supposed to taste like: earthy and packed with natural goodness. This reminds me of what my pop used to pull from the garden. The pepper tasted of pepper, and carrots tasted sweet, naturally. Their mozzarella is hand-pulled and made twice daily on the premises ($60). All that is needed is a drizzle of olive oil and a good grind of salt. Do not pass on this. As for mains, two to note: the ‘roasted pork faro’ and the ‘chicken Francese’ (both $180). The pork shoulder, lathered in pan-gravy, melted under the threat of a fork. This dish deserves a badge of honour for comfort eating. The chicken Francese is an inside joke for the boys behind this operation who are from Brooklyn and New Jersey. It was a dish revived from memories of badly catered weddings. The well-balanced lemon-butter coating dressed the lightly-batt

When you think of going out for Peking duck, you labour at the thought of how you’re going to round up enough people to consume a whole bird. After all, this famous dish isn’t exactly small and then you have to order more food to go with the main course. Before you know it, the dinner turns into an elaborate affair fit for more than just a couple of folks. Pinot Duck, however, turns this Chinese dining tradition on its head. Here, you don’t have to lay into a whole bird. Instead, you can enjoy a range of dishes that use the Peking duck as the focus. Situated on the ground floor of Stanley Plaza, the bare concrete wall interior – reminiscent of Beijing-style courtyards – are broken up by a few pinewood panels that mix the modern with the traditional. Which is exactly what’s served on the menu. There’s also a wine list focusing on – you’ve guessed it – pinot red and whites. We dive in and try the classic Peking duck crêpe ($68) and steamed Chinese bun ($68). The crêpe is thin and porous, soaking in the hoisin sauce and the duck fat, while the bun is perfectly fluffy and adheres to the texture of the meat. We don’t find the duck itself anything phenomenal but it’s tender, juicy and works well with all the ingredients. Next up we plump for the brioche ($88), where roasted duck is served with charred pineapple drizzled with a pinot balsamic reduction. We’re pleasantly surprised by this dish as we love the fresh pineapple flavours that work with the bird. The brioche also absorbs

Le Blanc is a dining experience. First, it’s a private kitchen that dishes up sturdy French food over nine courses, or more. Second, it does so within decadent, authentic, lavishly furnished surroundings. Third, it’s BYO alcohol, and so works out to be amazing value for money (around $290 per person for many, many courses). The interior most closely resembles grandma’s house, the homely-kitchen to your left, a huge flower display in front of you, and books, vases, and nick-nacks all around. Indeed, it has a lovely mellow, fresh feel to it, with light wood walls, a clapped-out piano in the corner, and mismatched chairs for every diner. Every table is cluttered with fine crockery, vintage tablecloths and, most importantly, pots of pencils. Dim sum style, you tick what you want from each section of the menu. Follow the warm bread basket – three kinds to choose from: rosemary focaccia, onion, sesame, baguette – with made to order, juicy, garlic butter snails and fluffy, creamy mashed potato ($39), or the excellent plate of unfussy smoked salmon and rich goose liver pate with unsalted butter ($39). However, the fresh mussels served in light white wine liquor with parsley, were unexceptional ($70). Cleanse your palette with lemon and lime sorbet served in a shot glass ($10), before enjoying the oven-baked duck leg, roasted with herbs and duck fat, salt, pepper for two hours, the meat falling away from the bone in soft, textured shreds shrouded in crispy skin, and served with a s

As soon as you walk into the glamorous dining room at Jardin de Jade your expectations for the food skyrocket. The grand double-height ceilings and neo-Vegas-esque décor serve to remind you of the fame of this restaurant’s sister eatery in Shanghai and Macau. The menu is a beautiful photo album of the restaurant’s specialities. Regional Chinese with an emphasis on Shanghainese cuisine was featured in every section, from the cold starters to dessert. To try their much-talked about Jardin de Jade smoked duck, you will need to order it in advance, which sadly we only learned at the table. Instead, we started off with two cold Shanghainese dishes: smoked blue fish ($58) and bean curd roll ($42) sometimes called mocked duck. The smoked fish was beautiful: dry, tender and full of bones, which you are supposed to eat. The seasoning penetrated the flesh all the way through and the taste lingered until the next course. The beancurd roll with sliced mushrooms was fried in too much oil, a theme that reoccurred throughout the meal. Beautiful food photography can sway one’s judgement, and we picked a glossy photo of bok choy braised in chicken stock and “abalone” mushrooms ($68). These aren’t the abalone mushrooms that we know and love but another variety of thick stemmed mushrooms that have been prepared to give the appearance of abalone slices. The mushroom slices were first fried then braised with rich chicken stock, which gave a heavenly sweet and meat-like experience. The bok cho

We certainly love Japanese food in Hong Kong. There’s a joint on most corners that caters to lovers of cuisine from the Land of the Rising Sun, so it’s never hard to locate some grilled meat or fresh sushi to sate those carnivorous cravings. But, for vegetarians, it’s not so easy. Japan eats a staggering 10 percent of the world’s fish – something that’s exemplified in its exported cuisine – leaving strict vegetarians with a decidedly limited choice. That’s why Isoya – a clean, calm and friendly vegetarian Japanese restaurant, is something of a revelation. It’s run hands-on by a couple who are also behind Ishiyama in Causeway Bay. When we ask them about the concept, they claim Isoya is the only veggie Japanese in the ‘universe’. Maybe that’s an exaggeration but it’s certainly unusual in our city. Isoya currently offers a fixed price lunch of a main and three sides ($98), or a 10-course dinner set ($300), which features different dishes daily including a daily keiseki (chef’s special), and that’s what we want to try. We start with a cold tofu dish, served with seaweed. Isoya’s soya milk is flown in from Kyoto daily and the quality of the milk is evident in the rich, smooth bean curd. This is followed by a thick slice of lightly cooked radish in clear vegetable broth – a simple and healthy start. The third platter we are given is the sushi – and, surprisingly, we don’t miss the fish one bit thanks to the cucumber seaweed rolls, bean curd rolls and tamago (Japanese omelette). W

After remaining a fusion-cuisine desert for the longest time, Hong Kong has seen a spate of recent openings offering contemporary and innovative interpretations of Chinese and Asian food. Ho Lee Fook, helmed by Sydney-based, Taiwanese-born chef Jowett Yu, who cut his teeth at the famed Tetsuya, is the latest to launch, serving up quirky Chinese cuisine with pan-Asian and European influences. Ho Lee Fook boasts a cavernous space featuring an open kitchen on the ground level and a basement dining-cum-bar area, with moody lighting, slate grey walls and ebony furniture lending a clubby feel, together with grungier touches such as calligraphy calling to mind the work of the revered King of Kowloon as well as street scene illustrations by Jonathan Jay Lee. Despite not being extensive, the menu, with its unorthodox combinations, is intriguing. We begin with Mom’s ‘mostly cabbage, a little bit of pork’ dumplings with sacha soy dressing ($88). The paper-thin wrap contains a nice, crunchy combination of chopped cabbage and pork, as well as a hint of tang from the dressing and a tinge of spice from the chopped chilli. It’s hearty but not filling. We move onto the ‘raw’ selection and try the hamachi, cucumber, lemon jam, horseradish and puffed buckwheat ($168), presented like an ‘ahi poke’. All the ingredients come together to provide an interesting combination of tastes and textures. We then try the shredded chicken salad with lettuce heart, cucumber, Sichuan pepper and strange flav

It’s been a long two years since Beef & Liberty and Pizza Express opened on Wing Fung Street. These were the big openings in the area but it’s Star and Sun Streets that have the edgy and original dining concepts occupying the streets. Grasping the spotlight and turning it back on Wing Fung Street is Black Sheep Group’s latest venture, Le Garçon Saigon. The kitchens come helmed by the former sous chef of Ho Lee Fook, Bao La, and unlike most Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong, there isn’t a bowl of pho in sight.  The décor is pleasantly airy, with ceiling fans and wicker chairs which are all reminiscent of French colonial styling. The restaurant’s concept focuses on Saigon-style grilled items. The menu is catergorised like a grillhouse and divided into appetisers, entrees and sides.  We start off with a bánh xèo ($128) with a twist. Dotted with chorizo, prawn and loaded with bean sprouts, we love the light fragrance of coconut milk in the crêpe and it proves a satisfying dish when eaten with the lettuce, herbs and nuoc mam sauce. For mains we order a grilled half  yellow chicken ($168). The main dish arrives with a plate of rice paper and condiments such as basil, alongside pickles and a thick sweet peanut sauce. Sufficiently charred, and marinated with not a little spice, the chicken arrives bone in. This makes the whole exercise of eating the dish cumbersome, since we either have to debone the meat before wrapping it or bite around the obstruction. It’s an obvious issue an

Since opening to the public at the end of last month, Tai Kwun has been hailed as a major success for Hong Kong’s art and culture community. But aside from the exhibitions, film screenings and theatre performances hosted within its historic walls, the former Central Police Station compound has also given us something else: a score of hip and sophisticated restaurants, among which stands Old Bailey.The latest restaurant by JIA Group (also responsible for the likes of Rhoda, Duddell’s and Tai Kwun's jail-cell watering hole, Behind Bars, among others), Old Bailey boasts the kind of bright and airy roominess and stunning skyscraper views elusive to many space-starved, ground-level eateries in Soho. The 3,000sq ft space is a polished, contemporary take on mid-century modern, punctuated in the right places with tasteful pieces of furniture inspired by the Ming Dynasty. In the bar and lounge area, guests can enjoy speciality brews and cakes by Teakha throughout the day, while the main dining room serves as the backdrop for Old Bailey’s Jiangnan menu.Dishes are based on traditional recipes, such as the homemade handkerchief pasta ($148), which is inspired by a rustic village dish. More like thin, floury pancakes, this ‘pasta’ is pan-fried until chewy, golden and blistered, and coarsely chopped and served with seasonal greens – brilliantly crisp, jade-green bok choy on the night that we visit. It’s surprisingly satisfying for something so simple. Another winner is the tea smoked pigeo

It’s been a busy few months for local restaurant group Global Link. After bringing Tokyo’s three-Michelin-starred Sushi Saito to our shores in March, the F&B team recently launched the first overseas outpost of Yakiniku Jumbo – a grilled meats institute with more than 30 years of history in Tokyo. Located in a prime spot close to the Central–Mid-Levels escalator, the Hong Kong venue is simple and sophisticated, dressed in blacks and natural woods in an understated manner. In this comfortable space, which seats about 50, guests can enjoy some of the finest grades of wagyu, sourced from all across Japan. The meat is flown in daily from Jumbo’s Tokyo store, chilled and never frozen, to ensure minimal changes to flavour, freshness and texture. During the early stages of its opening, Yakiniku Jumbo only offers omakase for dinner ($1,280). On the night of our visit, this nine-courser begins with a beef yukke. Made with raw meat from the inner thigh and dressed in tare, it’s a simple but thoroughly satisfying way to start the meal. We also try the wagyu nigiri, featuring a slice seared ever-so-slightly so that the fat melts into the rice below. Another highlight is the sextet of grilled wagyu rare cuts. They’re all hand-sliced by Jumbo’s experienced chefs, who ensure that every piece that makes it to the grill boasts just the right amount of marbling without being too fatty or sinewy. Every cut boasts its own distinct texture and flavour profile. The kalbi is rich while the zabuto

With some 150 Starbucks branches in Hong Kong, how do you make yet another outlet stand out? The Seattle behemoth’s newest location in Lee Gardens – the corporation’s first flagship store in Hong Kong – has landed with a considerable amount of hype, with advance PR stressing that this isn’t Starbucks as you know it. Yes, the poster boy for homogenised caffeine consumption is now offering craft beer, cocktails and gourmet snacks. This is a supposed brave new world – Starbucks doesn’t just want you there for your morning coffee, you should be there for your after-work drink too. To that end, as well as all the usual caffeinated options there are three craft beers on tap, a handful of wines and one cocktail. This new sales tactic seems to be working as getting a seat is a Herculean task despite the 5,500sq ft size of the space, which looks like just about every other Starbucks except for some ludicrously large brewing equipment. Keen to try the new brevvies, we start with the Caramel Macchiato Cream Ale ($78 for a three-quarter pint). It’s a decent whistle-wetter – the nuttiness of the coffee coming through on the back end and balancing well with some subtle caramel notes. A purist would argue there isn’t much depth to the flavour but it’s decent enough if you’re just looking for something refreshing. With a dark ale of any kind, however, shallowness in flavour is no good, and so it goes with the Mocha Brown Ale (also $78). Chocolate and coffee are a partnership made in beer hea

The airy bar eases you into the evening you as soon as you set foot in the door. It has higher ceilings than we thought possible in Soho, creating easily the best design flow in the area. The combination of high-back booths and tables set around a U-shaped bar that encloses the open kitchen gives diners plenty of choice between a semi-private meal or a more raucous, dine-at-the-bar experience. We have seen plenty of new places open on the faddish organic premise, but the organic and locally grown focus is as much about flavour as it is about doing the right thing by your liver. The ‘Marketa Fresca’ ($60), or roasted vegetables, reminds you what vegetables are really supposed to taste like: earthy and packed with natural goodness. This reminds me of what my pop used to pull from the garden. The pepper tasted of pepper, and carrots tasted sweet, naturally. Their mozzarella is hand-pulled and made twice daily on the premises ($60). All that is needed is a drizzle of olive oil and a good grind of salt. Do not pass on this. As for mains, two to note: the ‘roasted pork faro’ and the ‘chicken Francese’ (both $180). The pork shoulder, lathered in pan-gravy, melted under the threat of a fork. This dish deserves a badge of honour for comfort eating. The chicken Francese is an inside joke for the boys behind this operation who are from Brooklyn and New Jersey. It was a dish revived from memories of badly catered weddings. The well-balanced lemon-butter coating dressed the lightly-batt

Le Blanc is a dining experience. First, it’s a private kitchen that dishes up sturdy French food over nine courses, or more. Second, it does so within decadent, authentic, lavishly furnished surroundings. Third, it’s BYO alcohol, and so works out to be amazing value for money (around $290 per person for many, many courses). The interior most closely resembles grandma’s house, the homely-kitchen to your left, a huge flower display in front of you, and books, vases, and nick-nacks all around. Indeed, it has a lovely mellow, fresh feel to it, with light wood walls, a clapped-out piano in the corner, and mismatched chairs for every diner. Every table is cluttered with fine crockery, vintage tablecloths and, most importantly, pots of pencils. Dim sum style, you tick what you want from each section of the menu. Follow the warm bread basket – three kinds to choose from: rosemary focaccia, onion, sesame, baguette – with made to order, juicy, garlic butter snails and fluffy, creamy mashed potato ($39), or the excellent plate of unfussy smoked salmon and rich goose liver pate with unsalted butter ($39). However, the fresh mussels served in light white wine liquor with parsley, were unexceptional ($70). Cleanse your palette with lemon and lime sorbet served in a shot glass ($10), before enjoying the oven-baked duck leg, roasted with herbs and duck fat, salt, pepper for two hours, the meat falling away from the bone in soft, textured shreds shrouded in crispy skin, and served with a s

We certainly love Japanese food in Hong Kong. There’s a joint on most corners that caters to lovers of cuisine from the Land of the Rising Sun, so it’s never hard to locate some grilled meat or fresh sushi to sate those carnivorous cravings. But, for vegetarians, it’s not so easy. Japan eats a staggering 10 percent of the world’s fish – something that’s exemplified in its exported cuisine – leaving strict vegetarians with a decidedly limited choice. That’s why Isoya – a clean, calm and friendly vegetarian Japanese restaurant, is something of a revelation. It’s run hands-on by a couple who are also behind Ishiyama in Causeway Bay. When we ask them about the concept, they claim Isoya is the only veggie Japanese in the ‘universe’. Maybe that’s an exaggeration but it’s certainly unusual in our city. Isoya currently offers a fixed price lunch of a main and three sides ($98), or a 10-course dinner set ($300), which features different dishes daily including a daily keiseki (chef’s special), and that’s what we want to try. We start with a cold tofu dish, served with seaweed. Isoya’s soya milk is flown in from Kyoto daily and the quality of the milk is evident in the rich, smooth bean curd. This is followed by a thick slice of lightly cooked radish in clear vegetable broth – a simple and healthy start. The third platter we are given is the sushi – and, surprisingly, we don’t miss the fish one bit thanks to the cucumber seaweed rolls, bean curd rolls and tamago (Japanese omelette). W

It’s been a long two years since Beef & Liberty and Pizza Express opened on Wing Fung Street. These were the big openings in the area but it’s Star and Sun Streets that have the edgy and original dining concepts occupying the streets. Grasping the spotlight and turning it back on Wing Fung Street is Black Sheep Group’s latest venture, Le Garçon Saigon. The kitchens come helmed by the former sous chef of Ho Lee Fook, Bao La, and unlike most Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong, there isn’t a bowl of pho in sight.  The décor is pleasantly airy, with ceiling fans and wicker chairs which are all reminiscent of French colonial styling. The restaurant’s concept focuses on Saigon-style grilled items. The menu is catergorised like a grillhouse and divided into appetisers, entrees and sides.  We start off with a bánh xèo ($128) with a twist. Dotted with chorizo, prawn and loaded with bean sprouts, we love the light fragrance of coconut milk in the crêpe and it proves a satisfying dish when eaten with the lettuce, herbs and nuoc mam sauce. For mains we order a grilled half  yellow chicken ($168). The main dish arrives with a plate of rice paper and condiments such as basil, alongside pickles and a thick sweet peanut sauce. Sufficiently charred, and marinated with not a little spice, the chicken arrives bone in. This makes the whole exercise of eating the dish cumbersome, since we either have to debone the meat before wrapping it or bite around the obstruction. It’s an obvious issue an

Hong Kong has no shortage of Japanese restaurants, but in all the wide sea of sushi specialists and ramen joints, Sara stands out as the first – and currently only – place in town to specialise in Saga cuisine. Styled as a casual izakaya with 30-odd seats, the restaurant is a simple space decorated with traditional porcelain wares from the prefecture it celebrates. Most of the ingredients used here are also sourced directly from Saga, in western Kyushu, including chicken from the village of Mitsuse, Kinboshi Saga pork, Ariake seaweed, Otofuse oysters and, of course, the world-renowned Saga beef. On the night we visit, we start with a sweet and succulent whole squid ($498) caught in the port town of Yobuko and flown in as a seasonal special. The body, translucent and deliciously fresh, is served sashimi-style while the tentacles are taken into the kitchen to be turned into crisp, golden-brown pieces of tempura that still retain their sweetness after being deep-fried. Also in season that evening are Saga’s famed Kouju tomatoes ($98). Served chilled, these yield plenty of juice in every bite. They’re sweet enough to be eaten on their own but guests can also sprinkle crystals of sea salt to accentuate the flavours. Simple preparation lends itself equally well to the bulbs of garlic sourced from Egachan farm. Chargrilled with root and sprout still intact, the whole cloves are sweet and floral without the pungency of most other garlic varieties. Moving onto larger plates, we orde

Ashley Sutton has been a busy man. Dear Lilly marks the Australian designer’s fifth Hong Kong project – following the similarly fantastical J Boroski, Iron Fairies, Ophelia and Yojimbo – in less than two years. With a swooning, floral theme, this new venture promises modern western fare and carefully crafted cocktails – all served with an amazing view of Victoria Harbour from the IFC.Centred around a clear theme – romance – Sutton has effectively brought to life his adoration for the enchanting aspects of love. The result is a charmingly bonkers medley of bouquets, trinkets, perfume bottles, love letters and carved wood that deserves to be seen as it’s quite beautiful.We kick off with Dear Lilly’s take on the old fashioned, its Orient Express ($120) – single malt whisky, mandarin bitters, Aperol and Dubonnet. It’s a triumph, the later ingredient mellowing out the more acerbic elements, elevating this classic rather than miring it in citrus hell.Although very much as a cocktail bar, a large onus is put on the food at Dear Lilly – no pork scratching here (sadly). Instead, the menu is a tidy jaunt through contemporary western eats with special focus given to the Mediterranean. We opt for a short rib burger ($188) with cheddar cheese, spicy mayo and fries. The patty is cooked to perfection – succulent and tender, one of the best burgers we’ve had for a while.We round things off with an appropriately dessert-savvy drink by way of the Brothers Lumière ($120), which builds on a foun

Despite being housed in the relaxed locale of Ovolo Southside hotel, Komune is a restaurant that pays serious attention to detail. Take the fluid layout for example, which transitions seamlessly from loungey laid-back terrace to casual-chic dining room to intimate sequestered dining area. There’s nothing flippant about the playful vibe either. Everything is the result of meticulous planning, from the designed-for-Instagram wall mural all the way down to the beautiful, paint-splattered vessels that hold the bar’s signature Chinese Ink cocktail (a balanced mix of lychee, tangerine, lemongrass and rye whiskey; $108).The same thoroughness applies to the food. Chef Álvaro Ramos’ sharing plates are based on the bright and sunny flavours of South America but with Japanese, Korean and Chinese inflections carefully sprinkled throughout. Served on a citrus squeezer, the restaurant’s take on Peruvian tiradito ($68) features thick slabs of raw and buttery hamachi cloaked in deliciously tangy lime juice and leche de tigre. Fried corn kernels and avocado purée provide a welcoming textural contrast, even if there’s just a touch too much heat from the sliced jalapeños. Even better is the ‘LA style’ crab roll ($90) – a vibrant, zesty mix of crabmeat and mayo served in a buttered mini brioche that’s warm, toasted and soft as a pillow. This is the tastiest dish of the evening but, in terms of culinary skill, it’s the rainbow tacos ($88) that impress the most. Made with shredded red cabbage, avo

The brick-and-mortar incarnation of online deli Three Butchers, Feather & Bone started off as a gourmet grocer that peddled fresh meats and produce from Australia, Europe and America. The brand has since expanded with a sit-down restaurant in Happy Valley, which made a name for itself for its fuss-free food and cosy neighbourhood charm. Building on that success, Feather & Bone has opened a second restaurant, this time in uber cool Sai Ying Pun.Unlike the dim digs on Wong Nai Chung Road, this new outpost channels modern bistro vibes with full-length windows and reimagined black-and-white floor tiles. There’s also a retail section, which sells wines, fresh and packaged foods, as well as fancy kitchenware. We love the bright and open layout – our only complaint would be the takeaway coffee bar that sits awkwardly in the centre of the dining room.The food, like the space, is clean and simple with a menu comprising only a few pages on a wooden clipboard. Diners are encouraged to peruse the butcher’s counter, which boasts a fine selection of premium meats that can be cooked à la minute in the restaurant’s open kitchen. Hardcore carnivores should consider the butcher’s choice – an omakase-like selection of meats cooked to your preferred doneness. Everything impresses on the night of our visit, including the succulent, expertly seasoned chicken skewers and the tender lamb loin that’s flavourful without being overly gamey. Seared to a perfect medium-rare, the grain-fed ribeye is also

There are plenty of seafood restaurants in Lei Yue Mun, the small fishing village just off Yau Tong, but there are none quite like Sankason Suisan. Located on the Sam Ka Tsuen Ferry Pier (a short boat ride away from Sai Wan Ho for Islanders), the restaurant is peppered with all sorts of kitsch Japanese accents, including sake barrels, a taiko drum and a giant, backlit crab ornament right by the entrance.The restaurant specialises in hamayaki – a type of seaside barbecue dining popular with fisherpeople in Japan. Several tanks by the open kitchen display the day’s freshest wares (all market price), from jet-flown clams to fish caught by the shores of Lei Yue Mun itself. Raw preparations are available but this isn’t where the restaurant excels. The sushi we start with is definitely skippable, especially with its loose and poorly seasoned rice. We quickly move on to the grilled items, which can be prepared directly at your table or off by the kitchen for those who don’t want to smell like a barbecued bivalve come the end of the evening.We start with the giant yesso scallops ($98/each), which are served in jus and on-shell. The meat is sweet and thick, if just a touch overcooked in the centre. We prefer the smaller moon scallops ($148/four), which taste sea fresh with a slight creaminess. The succulent Venus clams ($98/two) are also worth ordering but the real stars of the show are the oysters from Iwate ($48/each). With shells the size of our hands, these oysters are wonderfully

Don’t be fooled by the name, the food is what steals the show at Kaffeine. The latest addition to Sheung Wan’s already heaving coffee scene, Kaffeine sits on Jervois Street, in a neighbourhood already well served by Cupping Room, Why 50, Coffeeholic and 18 Gram’s Coffee Roastery Lab, all of which are within a minute’s walk.Despite the local competition, Kaffeine is heaving when we arrive. It’s a small location but the café makes the most of it, the front window opening to provide additional spots to perch and people watch. The interior is simple: white and grey tones together with the wooden tabletops and shelving create an almost cosy lounge effect. With attentive and friendly staff on hand, it’s all very welcoming. The coffee menu is standard for the most part, though more interesting options include an iced Baileys mocha ($58) and affogato with homemade tiramisu ($58). Serious javaheads might recoil at such adulteration but we order the former and an americano to see how Kaffeine handles its, well, caffeine. Both results are satisfactory; nothing to write home about but a cut above the syrupy brews offered up at chain coffee shops. Where Kaffeine really shines is its food. The lunch menu runs from midday to 2.30pm daily and offers a variety of dishes from a simple vegetarian risotto ($88) through to an Australian wagyu beef burger ($148), all of which include a small mixed salad or a soup of the day. We opt for the former, with salad, and are impressed by the healthy y