According to Han Huaizong, Taiwanese coffee guru and author of the two-volume Boutique Coffee School, Starbucks, with its reinvention of the Italian varieties of cappuccino and café latte, and the opening of chain outlets, led the so-called Second Wave in world coffee consumption that started in the late 1960s.

Today, not only in the US but also in many new and developing economies, the brand fosters a glamourized vision of the lifestyle of successful urbanites.

However, the global brand takes a backseat when it comes to CUHK. Situated in one corner of the spacious and bustling dining hall of S.H. Ho College, it provides a demure alternative to the fast-tempo mainstream dining experience. For anyone who cares to stay behind to chat or read after some barbecued pork or combo of meat and veggie in gravy, its coffees can bring a welcome change in a fast-paced world.

The coffee is well-balanced, easy to like and very affordable too. Drinkers should take note of the company's pronounced ethical sourcing policy in compliance with the Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices.