The core of Hong Kong is the financial district we call Central, and the core of Central is owned by the company simply named “Hong Kong Land”.
Hong Kong Land was founded in 1889 as a partnership between the Jardine Matheson group and Sir Paul Chater. Its assets include Exchange Square, Jardine House, Chater House, Alexandra House, the Prince’s Building, the Mandarin Oriental hotel and the various other towers that comprise the Landmark complex.
These buildings are connected to each other by a rabbit warren of above and underground walkways; navigating these pathways without coming up for air can be a source of local pride, or a means of endless confusion.
For those who work in the towers or nearby, there are a number of options for a simple breakfast, lunch or coffee break. These options do not require reservations, do not require departing a climate controlled environment, and do not necessarily require breaking the bank (although luxury is certainly achievable).
As someone who brings breakfast into work every day and has a simple desk lunch a few days a week, I have come to know the unique attributes and foibles of these venues to a fairly significant degree.
For just coffee itself and to feel like a hip banker – ever increasing prices inclusive – Fuel Espresso in the basement of Landmark next to Gucci stands out. The food options are limited; though the egg salad sandwich is a good call for breakfast, and for snacks, the carrot cake is certainly among the best in Hong Kong, with moist cake and rich cream cheese icing, just as it should be. The other cakes and pastries, though limited in selection, also tend to be of high quality.
The yummy carrot cake at Fuel Espresso
For actual food, Urban Bakery Works on the third floor of Landmark has the best selection, including scones, muffins, croissants and pies (the savoury kind) and even eggs and sausage in the morning. All of the bakery items, plus sandwiches, cooked foods and salads, are available at lunch.
The greasy yet creative duck confit sandwich on ciabatta bread is exceptional, and the coffee at Urban is acceptable if not outstanding. Urban is also relaxingly quiet in the morning with little waiting required, but a hectic mess at lunch with a somewhat difficult to navigate traffic flow that usually deters my patronage during the peak hours.
Across from Urban is the Landmark branch of Pret a Manger, an English fast food franchise, despite the deceiving name. From my unscientific sample, opinions of Pret vary widely from unpublishable to fondness. What I can say is that the Landmark branch is particularly well cared for, with the attentive general manager, Mr. Hardeep Maan, appearing to run a tight ship.
Pret remains one of the few options for healthier food at a lower price point within the Hong Kong Land properties. For breakfast, the Greek yogurt with honey and granola or blueberry and muesli are good options, and for lunch there is a wide selection of soups and sandwiches, as I am sure most readers in Hong Kong would know. The coffee is on par with or better than Urban and at a lower price, although there are fewer options in terms of size and product.
On the more luxurious side, there is L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon – Le Salon de Thé – the sandwich, coffee and pastry outlet of celebrity chef Joel Robuchon (see header photo). For breakfast on the go, there are high quality pastries and a few sandwiches, the best of which is the ham and egg, with a medium cooked coddled egg distinguishing it from egg sandwiches at any of the other venues mentioned here.
For a takeaway lunch, the baguette sandwiches excel, the steak and avocado and chicken and avocado in particular. The baguettes are crispy enough to make gums bleed, which I have in fact witnessed personally, though thankfully not experienced.
Sadly, the ham and gruyère cheese sandwich, which had previously been my favourite, lost some lustre when, for reasons that I cannot explain, the prior three thick pieces of ham morphed into four limp slices. Though the staff ensured me that the quantity was unchanged, this was nonetheless an unwelcome, if not catastrophic, development. Thankfully, the excellent coffee remains unaltered.
Starbucks and its many outlets will go unmentioned but for this one reference, and the relatively new Brew or Drip in Chater House has some good coffee, if a questionable name. There is also Simply Life in the Landmark basement and Classified in Exchange Square, and of course the Mandarin Cake Shop, which deserves a column of its own.
However, before concluding, I must mention the amazing staff at Cova Café in the Princes Building. The core team of Canny, Ken and Tim have been working the busy breakfast shift for over 10 years. The line always moves fast, orders are always executed correctly, and even new haircuts are noticed.
Coffee from Cova
The food and coffee are just as reliable. Try the corned beef or tuna bun, or maybe even a cakey donut for breakfast and the savoury tortes or sandwiches at lunch. The ham and cheese torte in particular is very good, and do ask for it to be heated.
I tried to crack the mystery of the barista longevity at this particular Cova outlet, but Canny would only tell me that it’s a great job because Hong Kong is great. Whether or not everyone agrees with that statement, it’s certainly a pleasure to have so much coffee available within such close proximity.
Thank you Hong Kong Land; the cold never bothered me anyway.
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