The Starbucks in Duddell Street Hong Kong is the only “localized” Starbucks in the country.
Heck, we don’t get local kopitiam setting in Malaysia’s Starbucks but Hong Kong has their very own ‘Bing Sutt’ Starbucks!
BELOW: Spot me!
The front portion of the cafe is typical Starbucks style with low sofas and tables plus chairs.
Move further into the body of the cafe and you will discover the most characteristic Starbucks ever which pays homage to the 1950s Hong Kong arts and culture; from the decor, the paintwork to the furniture used.
Front of the cafe:
Towards the back:
Tiled floors, hanging signboards, the windows, the clock, toys, retro posters and the birdcages; it certainly paid homage to the era of the old; specifically of a traditional Hong Kong café.
This ingenious concept of incorporating the local culture is a Starbucks collaboration with Douglas Young’s unique concept store GOD (Goods of Desire).
I first got to know of GOD from Singapore, where their butt-shaped mooncakes was all the rage at one point.
No doubt GOD is a brand that isn’t afraid of pushing boundaries.
I bet old coffeeshops (bing sutt) doesn’t come with WIFI and power points. But hey, this is 2015!
I’m glad for WIFI, though Starbucks limits every receipt to only 30 minutes of online access.
As for washrooms, the toilets at Starbucks are clean with toilet paper provided. You would have to request for the key at the cashier counter and return the key once you’re done.
Moving on, allow me to show you some of the food available.
The bing sutt Starbucks is all about nostalgia for the old Hong Kong.
Just this outlet alone (I went to about 5 – 6 Starbucks while exploring Hong Kong and dropped in in every one of them to check out their merchandise) offers some cha chan teng favourites in their menu; namely the popular ubiquitous “polo bao”, egg tarts and red bean claypot pudding.
We didn’t manage to try any since we were stuffed from our trip to Capital Cafe for their truffle scrambled eggs.
Personally I would like to try the egg tarts, the rustic bun and the pudding.
Drinks were standard Starbucks fare, with some Christmas specials. Nope, no local drinks.
Over the duration of my trip I tried the Hazelnut Toffee Latte, the Gingerbread Latte, a Soy Matcha Latte and a Hojicha Latte.
I ordered them all with less sugar and enjoyed all four beverages.
You can opt for the current coffee blend or the “special Christmas” blend. Frankly I hardly consume any Starbucks beverages in KL so it is futile for me to try to compare, but I did notice that they sure Meiji brand of fresh milk in the making of the drinks.
Speaking of Christmas, the present food selection includes some nice Christmas-sy creations.
As well as other food that are different from Malaysia.
For those of you who are avid collectors, the Starbucks merchandise are pretty. Here’s some that are on sale currently.
I love this sleek black one.
And the Christmas mugs. So pretty!
Another observation; this Starbucks Concept store has the largest range of merchandise compared to those that I’ve visited around the city.
** Do note that I didn’t visit all outlets in Hong Kong, but the comparison is based on the 5 -6 outlets that I’ve visited.
I gave in and bought these.
It has some buildings of Hong Kong embossed on it. Nice right?
I saw a similar designed one for Kuala Lumpur at the Starbucks at Citta Mall yesterday. So if you looking for a localized one (that is about Malaysia) you can buy this at Citta Mall Starbucks!
BELOW: One for the go – at Hong Kong Airport. Thank you Hong Kong for everything!
Oh, I must mention about these historically renowned staircase and gas lamps outside on Duddell.
They’ve become something of a tourist and wedding photo spot, as is the Starbucks Bing Sutt itself.
These lamps you see are the only gas lighted lamps from the olden days and they still work!
How to find Starbucks Duddell Street:
1. MTR: Central – Exit D1.
2. Come out from the Exit D1, turn to your left and walk against traffic.
3. You will past Harvey Nichols (if you are on the left side of the road). Walk on til you reach a sort of dead end junction. At this spot, look to your right for a small alley OPPOSITE the road you are on.
If you see the Shanghai Tang signage as below, you are at the right place. Starbucks Duddell Street is just up ahead (where the stairs are).
Starbucks in 1960’s Hong Kong Bing Sutt Style:
Shop M2, Mezzanine Floor, Baskerville House, 13 Duddell Street, Central.
