Sand but no beach: Coffee on the Sand  is a cute little drinks stand in Yau Ma Tei that comes from the folks behind I Love Istanbul in Mong Kok. On offer? Authentic Turkish coffee, boiled and brewed in sand.

On the menu: First up, there’s the traditional dibek coffee (black coffee, $35) which can be had with a touch of milk and brown sugar (our recommendation). There are also Turkish milk teas ($25), fig or rose jams and, of course, Turkish delights on offer. 

Jeng: Where else can you find Turkish coffee in Hong Kong? Even at the owner’s first restaurant, they don’t brew the java like they do at Coffee on the Sand.

Not-so-jeng: Sand coffee does take quite some time to brew… be prepared to wait.

Great for: A long break, a drink to warm up the body. 

FYI: The main difference between Turkish coffee and Turkish sand coffee is in the brewing: sand coffee uses the same unfiltered coffee, except it’s simmered in a pot that is heated by a bed of sand. Owner Guner Buran assures us that this is the grandfather-style of coffee-making.

This writeup was based on an independent tasting. The Loop doesn’t guarantee/sell restaurant review coverage. See our editorial policy here.