Tea really is good for the soul!

There is everything to love about Pacific Coffee.  Hong Kong is not renowned for it's cafe culture, and it is taking quite some time for it to permeate, but it's slowly getting there and momentum is building. There are, of course, many Starbucks dotted around the place but I've never been their biggest fan (over priced, terrible chocolate and far from the best coffee). Pacific Coffee is the local chain and these coffee shops are a completely different experience.

The coffee shops vary in size and location. Some are in Malls and others are as you would find in the UK, they're dark with lost of brown and red (both colours look excellent with Christmas decoration or with the Chinese New Year decorations that have gone up in the last week) and the atmosphere is very different. Many people go to Pacific Coffee to study (I've become one of them) and you can walk into one and be hard pushed to find a seat, not because there are lots of people chatting or reading the paper, but because the majority of the tables are covered in paper, in notes and text books. With everyone with a like mind, the quiet and chilled music and the low level of chat it's almost like a library, but with food and drink on tap - even if you do have to pay for it!

And the food and drink isn't half bad. They have good panini's, the bacon and onion quiche is a winner (and doesn't break the bank) and they have the odd cake/tart - the lack of selection of the latter is a benefit when you spend a lot of time there! Their coffee isn't bad - they do a decent enough espresso and the long black is better than the Starbucks equivalent and they also have a decent selection of tea (it is Hong Kong after all) and I hear that their English Breakfast Tea is rather good (and their Earl Gray passes the test too!) In fairness I've yet to have a cup of tea that surpasses that of the Simply Life cafe's, but they are few and far between and definitely not a place of study!

Not only is their tea good, but they company has feel good quotes dotted around all over the place: the quote of the day, the cup holders and even he tea bag tags have quotes on them. It brightens every day:

Sadly there will be no 52 Books Challenge post this week as my brother is here for the weekend (first physical family sighting for 9 months!) I am still reading though and aim to have both #3 and #4 for next week!!