CUHK may be just starting on brewing its own coffee culture, but you'd be surprised by the number of coffee brands on campus, some of them quite well-known around the world. The student canteen at Benjamin Franklin Centre has been unceremoniously selling illy coffee, the Italian brand synonymous with technical innovations in the coffee industry.

Caveat Casual Drinker! The brew here is the strongest on campus. Its pristine version (with neither milk nor sugar) may be too strong for a brain just wakened, or a stomach neglectfully empty. It may be robust to your palate and bitter to your tongue-tip. But if you are seasoned or persistent enough, you will be rewarded by its complexity and lingering aftertaste. To go softer, you may opt for its cappuccino variety with a pleasantly smoky and chocolaty flavour.

The coffee bar, a favourite among international students, is part of the student marketplace full of animated conversations and lively commotions. Decibels are high, and so is the caffeine level.