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■來自深圳、膺港式咖啡王美譽的朱元秀(右)表示，他沖泡的咖啡吸引很多香港人專程一試，並大讚於香港品嚐的咖啡也不及。 資料圖片
「港式咖啡」是指使用「絲襪」布袋、銻壺等港式用具沖泡而成的咖啡，比使用咖啡機調製出來的咖啡更具地道風味。早前由香港咖啡紅茶協會舉辦的「全港首屆港式咖啡大賽」，共有16名來自各大牌檔及茶餐廳的水吧師傅參加，當中包括兩位來自深圳的「過江龍」。參賽者先分3組進行初賽，優勝的5人晉身決賽同場比試，各人全程劃一使用大會安排的標準材料、器具，作純技術的比併。
經過連場龍爭虎鬥，冠軍由有逾10年經驗的水吧師傅、效力於深圳華橋城內一間港式茶餐廳的朱元秀奪得。朱表示，18歲已在茶餐廳水吧學師，現時每日沖泡數10杯咖啡，不少港人熟客更專程一試，更大讚於香港品嚐的咖啡也不及。他又說，沖泡咖啡秘訣在於滾水沖、細火焗，「撞啡」兩次即可，避免咖啡變酸，又不用遠距離「撞啡」，水煲跟布袋相距60至70公分為最佳距離。
靚咖啡不一定出自著名餐廳，便利店的一杯咖啡亦能達專業水平。分別得到亞軍及季軍的許艷梅及林儀，同樣來自OK便利店，更為水吧少有的女將。許艷梅入行6年，日沖逾百杯咖啡，沖泡技術全由公司培訓，邊學邊做得來。能泡出出色咖啡亦為她帶來一批熟客，有來自新加坡、美國的回頭客，更有不少人經常致電預訂咖啡。至於林儀，年資達15年，主要做街坊生意的她可日售300杯咖啡。
Shenzhen Contender Crowned King of H.K Style Coffee
Hong Kong style coffee refers to coffee brewed with Hong Kong style utensils including a "nylon stocking" pocket and a tin pot. Coffee made in this Hong Kong style has more a local flavor compared with coffee brewed with a coffee machine. The first Hong Kong Style Coffee Competition hosted by the Association of Coffee and Tea of Hong Kong attracted 16 bar tenders from various Hong Kong style kiosks and cafes to contend. Among them, two were from across the border in Shenzhen. The contenders were divided into 3 groups in the preliminary round and then the 5 winners from this round would compete with each other in the final. Throughout the competition, contenders had to use standard materials and utensils provided by the organizer, so it was a competition on purely brewing techniques.
After a series of keen competition, the first prize was awarded to Zhu Yuan-xiu who has been working as a bar tender for more than 10 years and is now working in a Hong Kong style cafe in Hua Qiao Cheng in Shenzhen. Zhu said that he started as a bar tender trainee at the age of 18 and he now makes several dozen cups of coffee every day. Some regular customers from Hong Kong went to Shenzhen specifically for his coffee and they thought that it tasted even better the coffee served in Hong Kong. According to him, the key of brewing Hong Kong style coffee is to add boiling water to the coffee and then cook it with low heat. The coffee has then to be poured through a pocket into a tin pot. Zhu said that it should be done only twice or else the coffee would turn sour. The distance between the pocket and the pot need not be too great and the optimum distance should be 60 to 70 cm, he added.
To taste a nice cup of coffee, it is not always necessary to visit a renowned restaurant. A cup of coffee served in a convenience store can also be of a professional level. The first runner-up, Hui Yim-mui, and second runner-up, Lam Yi are both employees of the Circle K convenience store. Being female bar tenders, they are among the minority in the profession. Hui joined the trade 6 years ago. She makes more than a hundred cups of coffee every day. She learned the techniques of coffee brewing solely from the training provided by the company as well as through on-the-job practice. Her skill in making good coffee has brought her a number of regular customers, some of them return from Singapore and USA. There are often phone calls which make orders of coffee in advance. Lam Yi has been in the business for 15 years. She serves mainly local residents in the neighbourhood and sells 300 cups of coffee a day. ■Translation by開明
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