Forget Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte: These are the top autumn drinks in Hong Kong
How does a Sweet Potato Latte from Tom N Toms Coffee or a William Pear Oat Milk Latte from Pacific Coffee sound?
It may be a little early for thick, woolly sweaters, but it’s never too early for a nice, warm beverage. Luckily, many cafes in Hong Kong support our love for seasonal drinks. This autumn, we’re spoiled for choice, with more than just pumpkin spice lattes on the menu. Here are five autumnal drinks that we thought were worth a try.
Pret a Manger – Pumpkin Pie Latte
Of course, when it comes to autumnal drinks, it’s hard to top a cup of pumpkin spice latte. But we thought a pumpkin PIE latte might. The sound of Pret a Manger’s new seasonal beverage sure got us excited but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to its name. When you bring the cup up to your mouth, your senses will get a nice, strong hit of cinnamon. However, we found the coffee too overpowering and struggled to detect the pumpkin pie flavour. You might want to ask for an extra pump of pumpkin spice syrup if you order this one.
Price: HK$38
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Tom N Toms Coffee – Sweet Potato Latte
Any drink flavoured with something that’s harvested automatically becomes autumnal in our books, so we had to include Tom N Toms’ sweet potato latte on the list. You can pick up a strong scent of roasted sweet potato, but the flavour is very subtle. This drink gives you all the comfort of a cup of warm milk, and is the perfect thing to help you wind down after a long day.
Price: HK$35
Elephant Grounds – Teakha’s Masala Chai Latte
Underneath an Insta-worthy foam design, this chai latte contains a whole lot of cinnamon spice and everything nice. Be warned though, because this drink packs a punch. Even for fans of a spicy beverage, we advise you to refrain from stirring your drink. Once you reach the bottom of the cup, you’ll see why – a huge pile of cinnamon spice. Undoubtedly, that is what makes this drink so flavourful, but trust us; all that extra spice is best left undisturbed at the bottom.
Price: HK$55
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Pacific Coffee – Williams Pear Wheat Germ Oat Milk Latte
Pacific Coffee has a great selection of drinks for autumn. They’ve dressed up a simple cup of joe with some toasted wheat germ, which gives the latte a delicious roasted flavour. The addition of Williams pear sweetens the coffee nicely, too. While we wanted to find drinks that could warm you as the weather cools, we did enjoy the iced version of this drink, which had some interesting “pearls” at the bottom which were made from jellified barley.
Price: HK$38
Uji-En – Hojicha Latte
If coffee isn’t your thing, we suggest you grab a cup of hojicha from Uji-En. This rich, creamy tea latte has a strong taste of roasted green tea, which is essentially what hojicha is. For those who haven’t tried hojicha before, expect a deep, earthy flavour, similar to matcha. Be sure to give your drink a swirl every now and again to maximise the flavour in each sip.
Price: HK$38