The good folks behind hipster joints The Plain and The Bravery seem determined to slake our thirst for their Genovese cuppas – they’ve only just gone ahead to open up their third café along the chintzy HongKong Street. There are your requisite bare designer light bulbs, cement-washed walls and friendly service, but the mood at RONIN (whose name is Japanese for ‘master-less samurai’) is considerably darker; matte black finishes lend it a snazzy, mysterious air.
Then there are its smooth-as-always lattes ($4.20) and new bites like the dirty ronin sandwich ($15), a substantial loaf holding up spicy chorizo, soft-boiled egg and romaine lettuce in a miso mayo dressing, and the Savoury French toast ($14) with braised green apples, bacon, hazelnut butter and syrup.
