A new hot spot - Mano (by invitation)

I have been longing to visit this new cafe. The first thing that caught my attention was their food. Being a fan of Petit Café in Admiralty, I found the salad and pastry offered by Mano no less appealing. However, in my first visit, which was a cupping event, the targets were coffee and barista – both were indeed exceptional.  

Mano offered us seven types of coffee beans to taste, including two CoE (El Salvador and Guatemala), two direct trade coffee (Nicaragua Finca La Picona and Costarica Finca Verde Alto), and three African coffee (Kenya Tegu, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Dama [Washed] and Ethiopia Yirgacheffee Aricha Natural). The beans for Mano are home roasted, and are sent to the cafe every week.

The cupping night was more like a casual sharing session than a formal cupping class. Water temperature was not monitored, cupping roast was not used, and the participants walked around the table and smelled the coffee’s aroma. In terms of aroma, we sort of shared the view that the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe was the best of the night, because of its distinctive floral notes. That batch of Ethiopia Yirgacheffe was among the best I have tasted. 

When it came to the taste, we were rather divided over the three African beans. It was one of the toughest moments for me to pick my favourite coffee as they were all splendid. The cherry and winey flavour of Ethiopia Aricha was overwhelming, while the lingering and creamy body of Kenya was unforgettable. I was amazed at the quality and the superb roast of the coffee beans. The roasters of Mano certainly know their trade well. That is why I only buy beans from trusted coffee roasters. 

After the cupping session, the handsome looking Korean barista showcased his handdrip skill to us. It was a clean cup and its complex acidity was amply released after cooling down. 

I consumed more caffeine than I need that night, but I still wanted more of their coffee. To come back and try their milk-based coffee and pastry is imperative. Needless to say, this will become one of my coffee bean suppliers : ).

Mano

G/F, The L. Place, 

139 Queens Road,Central 

Food: wwwwwww1/2w
Service:wwwwwww
Environment: wwwwwww