NOC Coffee Co. (Tsim Sha Tsui East) — Restaurant in Kowloon

Some places whisper to you through the noise. NOC on Mody Road doesn’t shout, doesn’t pander, doesn’t sell you some pretentious third-wave narrative, it just delivers.

This became my daily temple of caffeine, morning and afternoon. Not out of convenience, but out of necessity. The kind of necessity that hits when your brain’s still catching up to your body, and only a damn good coffee will align the two. And NOC? They get it.

The lattes - smooth, velvety, topped with art that actually feels earned, not Instagram gimmickry. But more than the show, it was the consistency that hooked me. Shot after shot, cup after cup, no misfires. In a city that thrives on precision, NOC makes coffee like a tight jazz band, fluid, deliberate, always on beat.

I rolled in late one morning, half-hungover, half-starving, and ordered their vegetarian breakfast. I was expecting to settle - what I got was brilliance on a plate. Clean, fresh, and deeply satisfying without trying to be something it’s not.

And the staff, easygoing, friendly, sharp. They knew I’d be back before I did.

Some cafés are a passing crush. NOC? That was a full-blown affair. Twice a day....

This is a relatively new NOC coffee shop that was opened at Empire Centre along Mody Road earlier this year. Very good environs and a good new place for a cup of black in TST East.

They have a fair sized indoor seating area as well as a few seats outside. Quite popular still, they are usually rather full when I've passed by. Happy to report that their coffee seems to be just as good as what you will find at their other branches.

During our visit I enjoyed their mocha, a drink Noc does pretty well. The latte with an extra shot was just fine as well. They have some counter bites you can order and do a bit of a cooked food menu as well. Also tried their egg tart, which is more of a Portuguese egg tart variety with a heavy crust compared to our local Cantonese egg tart. Not as good as the popular bakehouse tarts but pretty good. Similarly, the small slice of Basque style cheesecake wasn't bad. This is sweet version, no saltiness however.

Overall, slow service but a pretty good job. This Noc really works...

Cafe with about 40 seats plus 8 seats outdoors, large spacious with full length windows as well as a lounge corner tucked away in the dark. People lining up outside on and off during noon to 1pm.

The vegetarian breakfast was large and filling. I saw others order other food items, equally large proportions. I heard the sourdough bread is good, but it didn't come with the veggie breakfast.

The flat white was less impressive. The espresso itself was good, but the milk was a bit thin and watery, even though I ordered the whole milk. I've had their coffee at the Wanchai branch, much better there. Also I wouldn't recommend the pour over here, many other cafes to choose from for better pour over, like Black...