Perk Up With Tuanjiehu's Newbie SOE Coffee's Creatively Strong Brews

Beijing’s ever-rising wave of high-end coffee joints has infiltrated one of the capital's quieter side streets, courtesy of new café SOE Coffee. The once sleepy, oh so lao Beijing Yaojiayuan avenue, near Tuanjiehu Park and Hujialou subway station, used to have nary a Western business in sight, being instead lined with noodle joints and dusty mom-and-pop stores. However, in the past few months a small, trendy coworking space has moved in, and it includes a café that can go toe-to-toe with its more hyped Sanlitun rivals a few blocks north.

If that claim makes you skeptical, just check out SOE Coffee's handful of highly creative brews. Better still: the presentation and well-trained staff ensure their offerings are fun and unique, without the uppity airs and complicated menus that can put more casual customers off.

Those strengths are encompassed in SOE's hops coffee. As our barista Kristin Jun readied our order of bottled cold brew, she explained that it “has hops and honey that are very aromatic." The cold brew is served in a cute little glass bottle stuck inside a cup of chilled water, and Jun told us we should wait a few moments to let it cool before pouring it. It comes with a cup of espresso on the side, which was so rich and earthy with notes of dark chocolate. Our barista was right about the cold brew – its honeycomb aroma and hops give it a nice and easy bittersweet quality unlike any we'd tried in Beijing.

Now brace yourself for the bad news: the hops coffee costs RMB 88. But it is flavorful and distinctive enough to merit the price as an occasional novelty. It is made with Geisha ES-W-9 beans from Finca La Esmeralda of Panama, which are mixed with two cups of espresso (yes, this will blast the sleep from your eyes in no time), and won the China Barista Championship 2017 champion title.

Thankfully, the other brews on offer are more affordable while maintaining quality. A double espresso, for instance, is RMB 23 for a blend or RMB 28 for single origin; Americanos cost RMB 28 for a blend or RMB 33 for a single origin; filtered single origin coffees range from RMB 38-98 (yes really); while single origin cappuccinos are RMB 35; and single origin lattes are RMB 38. SOE's signature section also includes some more keenly priced interesting concoctions, such as the fragrant osmanthus latte, or the "coffee latte with popping candy," that is sure to give your inner child a much-needed sugar fix (both RMB 38).

The decor, meanwhile, is tastefully chic and minimalist, with a smoothly subdued ambiance that should suit its coworking space clientele just fine. SOE hits the sweet spot between casual and upscale, and bodes well for Beijing's cafe scene in 2018, leading us to hope that this year has as much momentum as last year's steady stream of openings. Judging by our visit to this Tuanjiehu adjacent joint, the new year is already off to a fine start for caffeine fiends.

SOE Coffee
Daily, 9am-10pm. 23 Yaijianyuan Road, Chaoyang District (one block north of Hujialou subway station exit B)
白家庄东里23号people square联合办公社1楼

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Photos: Kyle Mullin