Café Hopping Report | Recent Guangzhou Cafés, Each with Their Own Signature Color

.jpg Huifang Store

Shop 105, Huifang Mall, 75 Tianhe East Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou

A brand new .jpg Coffee has landed behind Taikoo Hui, to be precise, right next to Super Wenheyou, and downstairs is my long-time favorite Wu's Tea Restaurant.

.jpg actually has seats now, a big pleasant surprise. There's a row of bench seats against the wall that look like an extension of a cave. I have to give credit to the integrated spatial design.

When I visited, three bean options were available: Starry Sky, Xiao Fang, and Baileys. I ordered a latte & flat white, both with Baileys, which had a prominent fermented barrel flavor.

[Iced Latte] The boozy aroma wafts out and is instantly addictive;

[Flat White] Coffee and milk in harmony, with a mellow wine-like taste.

11 Xincheng South Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 104

WHOOPEE! COFFEE

Shop 103, Rose Building, Suihua Xincun, 209 Jiangnan Avenue Middle, Haizhu District, Guangzhou

This red little shop beneath Suihua Xincun. Its red is deeper than brick red and richer than bright red, almost like the red of the Palace Museum.

A happy space created by the quirky Mia, with a wooden box outside that can be moved around freely, and a large communal table indoors where strangers soon get acquainted face to face. In the corner are Disney cars, a Mickey steamboat, emoji fruits, and a Showa-era shop model. The menu includes black coffee, white coffee, and non-coffee drinks, with special blends on a separate menu.

[Summer Shockwave] Pineapple-flavored bubble gum, with a strong espresso kick. Freshly squeezed pineapple juice simmered with figs and red wine, with pomegranate seeds at the bottom.

Farmer Coffee

642-2 Jiefang North Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

A dark green street-front shop located in Fuqian Building, near the Memorial Hall / Gongyuanqian metro stations.

[Dirty] Beautiful ink-like layers spread out. The coffee gradually 'contaminates' the milk, smooth and pure, with the unique fruity acidity of Sidamo, its aroma even surpassing Yirgacheffe.

Square Coffee

Shop 205-1, 2nd Floor, Kingold International, 62 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou

A newly opened red coffee brand with a big M on the second floor of Kingold International, visible from the ground square. It started as a mobile coffee cube on the square; the M plus ["] represents the unit of building area m², and the name Square means both square (area) and a cube.

[Depth Charge] Espresso with soda water. I ordered it with the recommended bean, a Brazil SOE, light roast, sweet and clean.

[Coconut Grove] A coconut-flavored specialty coffee, a Colombia and Guatemala blend. I regret not following the barista's suggestion on the beans, haha. It probably has some apple and plum notes, quite special. This bean would be better in a milk coffee.

Bow·Coffee

41 Taixing Zhijie, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

A right-angle corner under Yangji Village buildings; the shop is finished with cement, metal, and red bricks. The white espresso machine on the counter, Dragon Ball figurines, and a LEGO Stormtrooper helmet strike my interests.

[Latte] Pronounced nutty flavor, a blend of El Salvador x Honduras x Colombia, with an unforgettable rich taste.

[MOJITO] Strong mint, slightly weak lemon. A coffee that substitutes for a cocktail, also using El Salvador beans, pure and refreshing.

Muxi Coffee Workshop (Luoxi Branch)

Shop 14, Building 30, Jixiang South Street, Luoxi New Town, Panyu District, Guangzhou

Lucky to have come across Muxi, a street shop with a warehouse-style decor. The coffee people have put their thoughts into every detail of the shop, and you can tell at a glance it's a place for coffee. The wafting aroma of roasting even draws neighborhood aunties in.

First I ordered [Pour-over Coffee], with intertwined flavors of Costa Rica DOTA, its body carrying dark chocolate notes. Because of small-scale cultivation, it's a micro-lot, delivering excellent quality.

Y.X.L coffee shop

Shop 79, Building 5, Jixiang North Street, Luoxi New Town, Panyu District, Guangzhou

[Dirty] A quick taste shows the barista's skills are solid. A big sip, milk and coffee instantly fuse, clean and rich.

[Latte] Uses a four-bean blend, the body carrying caramel and fruity notes. The iced latte particularly enhances the flavor, especially the sweetness.

Content created by the youth team

Photography & text: J Jun