% Arabica (Hong Kong International Airport) — Restaurant in Hong Kong

I tried to order a coffee in Cantonese — the local language of Hong Kong — but the staff responded in Mandarin, which I don’t understand. I then switched to English, expecting that at an international airport, basic English communication would be standard. Still, the staff couldn’t understand me, and eventually the manager had to step in to complete the order.

This isn’t just inconvenient — it’s baffling. Why would you hire frontline staff who can’t speak either the local language or an international one like English, especially in a global transit hub? Airports are meant to be accessible and welcoming to travelers from all over the world. This experience was the opposite.

Please reconsider your hiring standards. Communication matters — especially in a...

Arabica Cafe known for its logo that looks like a percentage sign is a Japanese coffee chain that started in Kyoto. They now have multiple branches all over Hong Kong. I see it almost as often as I do Starbucks now.

Their coffee is premium. They pay particular attention to the way their coffee is roasted, ground and brewed thus giving an overall better sipping experience. Well I sip my coffee. Prices are on the high side. This time, I had the Kyoto latte which I found quite creamy and not as sweet as the Spanish latte.

This branch at the airport is larger than it looks. It has a sitting area which overlooks the skybridge and is a nice place to have a cup of your...

Regarding %Arabica at the airport, the coffee is good—except for the initial opening period when it was overly acidic.

My concern is the constant queue and waiting time, which isn’t due to a lack of staff but rather poor management. There are usually 4 to 6 people behind the counter, plus additional staff in the back, yet the ordering and processing system is slow and inefficient. I’ve seen coffee shops in Europe where just two baristas can serve 20 to 30 customers in five minutes.

As for the food display, let’s just say it would be quite optimistic to expect anyone to order something given how the food...