"Coffee shops in China are not only places where people hang out but where they can taste really good coffee.

"I'm surprised many people can now tell the difference between good and bad coffee."

Tang Tianchao, another barista with more than 10 years' experience, said kopi luwak, or civet coffee, from Indonesia is considered the rarest and the most expensive coffee in the world.

It's made from coffee beans that have been ingested by the Asian palm civet.

"The civets select the best coffee beans to eat as they love the fleshy pulp," Tang said.

"After it passes through the cat's digestive tract, the beans are evacuated and harvested.

He said it's rather like a natural filtering process of best coffee beans. "The harvested beans are then cleaned and roasted - and the end product tastes very good."

A cup of civet coffee can cost up to 200 yuan.