Coffee, Please

Preppy coffee places are popping up in the cities at an alarming rate these days. Curious coffee aficionados will pop by to check it out, whether to add the said place onto their approved list of good coffee places to go.

I'm no expert when it comes to coffee and occasionally, I wouldn't mind a cup of Hainanese kopi (coffee) at the local kopitiam (coffee shop), especially when it cost only a fraction of your espresso based cuppa.

LewisGene Espresso

Address: Lot 2-1(first floor), Jalan Solaris 3, Solaris Mont Kiara, KL

Facebook page: here

A few of my friends are fans of this place and out of curiousity (and postponement of SCKLM that weekend), I joined a friend for brunch.

Cosy.

We were pretty early, I suppose, given that it was a Saturday. I asked for a menu from the waitress who was taking our orders and she told me to look at the board.

The food menu board was right above my head and somehow it irked me that I had to stand up and get out of my seat, stand back to study the menu, place my order with her before sitting back down. 

So, do study the menu first before being seated at your table, yeah? :P

We both selected a breakfast platter each for RM16.90 (or was it RM15.90, I don't remember) with a choice of tea. For coffee, you would have to order a cuppa on its own. Prices range from RM5.50 for espresso, cappuccino (RM9.90), latte (RM8.90), macchiato (RM6.90), long black (RM6.90), etc.

The platter was decent for the price, except that I'm not fond of the red corral leaves/salad. We were also made to share the chilli sauce from the same saucer plate - I would have preferred if we each had our own or served in a larger saucer place to be shared. (Or just leave a bottle on the table, maybe?)

I didn't try their coffee but I was told that it is pretty good. 

Other reviews/more pictures:
Eat Drink KL
A Malaysian Coffee Blog
Coteus: Coffee, Tea and Us

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Coffee Elements

Address: Level 2 (above Pappa Rich), All Seasons Place, Lebuhraya Thean Teik, Bandar Baru Air Itam, Penang
Facebook page: here

Stepping into this cafe felt like stepping into an artist's spacious studio. Simple white furniture on cement floor, decorations are kept at a minimum.

The walls are decorated with sketches which will keep patrons amused and entertained, and perhaps a topic for conversation for a first (college) date. :D

One of the drawings on the wall. The quote on the blackboard changes from time to time.
[Picture taken from Coffee Elements' Facebook page.]

Free flow of water and baguette slices are available, so you're free to grab as many as you want for your bowl of soup, or cuppa.

Joanne ordered the only soup they had available on that day and it was wild mushroom soup. Generous portion for RM8.50 but we could taste more potato than mushroom. We mentioned this to the manager who informed us he would notify the chef. Hopefully no one else has the same problem like we did. :)

I ordered the Smoky Salmon Bagel (RM10.00) as pictures of it on their Facebook page had caught my eye since day 1. 

I am usually wary of ordering bagels as they tend to be rather hard and chewy. (I recall having one at San Francisco Coffee 10 years ago!)

To my surprise, the bagel was soft and fluffy. I urged Joanne to have a bite to affirm my revelation. 

Bagels are priced as follows: 

Cream Cheese (RM4.50), Heavenly Egg (RM7.00), Beefy Salami (RM9.50), Egg in Ham (RM9.0) and Turkey Ham (RM8.50).

I ordered a latte (RM7.00) with an extra shot of espresso and boy, it was definitely a kick to my taste buds. 

They have recently opened up a kiosk in Gurney Paragon with a different yet similar concept of decor but this time, paper cup art.

I thought they were pretty mugs at first!)

Other reviews/pictures:

Missy CYY

Creamy Dreamy

Ken Hunts Food
Makanation

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Coffee Lane

Address: 10-B, King Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Facebook page: here

Website: here

You must think I'm obsessed with coffee but honestly, we still had a bit of time before they dropped me off at the airport to catch my return flight to KL.

So we found ourselves at a cafe, curious cats that we are.

I was hoping to have something else besides coffee but I ended up with coffee, anyway. :)

I loved the green walls which spiced up the colonial feel of the place. Marble tables with wooden chairs, of I love Penang kopitiams! They hold a special place in my heart (despite not knowing the names of these places) as my mother is from Penang. I remember bits and pieces of memories of hanging out with my grandfather (her dad) when I was little.

 Oops, sorry. I digressed.

Joanne ordered the nutmeg juice and I had the coffee with ice cream. Leong had black coffee or something, I don't remember. My drink tasted like coffee flavoured ice-cream, which was lovely, except that I wished it came with a proper stainless steel spoon instead of a plastic one. :D

The owner of this place has all sorts of equipments and gadgets. You should speak to him about their advantages and disadvantages for getting the best out of your coffee beans. Dripped or syphon or ... er, some other way, perhaps? He even has some on sale!

We were too stuffed from lunch to try any of the food here but we observed that some locals were always popping in to buy some of the cake in the display cabinet. Hmmm.

Other reviews/more photos:
A Glance For Foodies
ilovehaagendazs.com
life...

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Top Brew Coffee Bar

Address: C-0-7, Plaza Damas 3, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Desa Sri Hartamas, KL.
Facebook page: here
Website: here

the menu is on the left as you enter the cafe.

There are a few eateries in Plaza Damas 3, should you want a change of the usual scene at Hartamas Shopping Centre. Sadly, most of them are tucked away from the main road and Top Brew Coffee Bar is one of them.

News is that the owners and baristas are JH Yee and Evon Tan, Yee being awarded the 2012 Malaysia Barista Champion and Evon with the 2011 Battle of the Barista Champion award.

I had high hopes, and so did my friend. :)

Perfect coffee art.

I think I ordered the Cappuccino (RM9.00) and I wasn't expecting such a pretty picture. :) I stared hard at my cup, and felt a bit puzzled with the portion. It felt like a latte, size and taste wise, as it had less foam.

Like I mentioned before, I'm no expert and perhaps I need to change my mindset that cappuccinos come in slightly bigger cups? But I was disappointed. Taste wise, it lacked a bit of oomph (the taste of espresso was hidden, maybe too much milk?).

My friend loves coffee but he is hopeless with providing an opinion. I asked him how his Americano and all he could do was shrug and say, "Like that lah."

The place can feel a bit cramped and I'm not sure why but the decor gave me the vibes of being a college hangout for the young and hip. Probably because the baristas are very young looking. :)

Other reviews/more photos:
The nomadGourmand
Eat Drink KL
My Story

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Other possibly related posts:

Coffee Ritual, Section 14, Petaling Jaya - closed!
Ristretto, Mont Kiara - closed!
Kedai Kopi Hai Peng, Cukai Kemaman, Terengganu (and another post)
The Departure Lounge, Solaris Mont Kiara, KL (and another post)
Wheat Field Bakery, Bukit Damansara, KL
Coffee Stain, Publika, KL
Antipodean Cafe, Bangsar, KL
LOKL, Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, KL