It is about that time… Which is anytime is a good time for coffee. Wherever you go, there will be coffee in some form or another, available.
Coffee seems to have revolutionized the way we live. it has been around since longer than I can remember. And I got “involved” with coffee longer than I can remember. It was not just black coffee, or coffee with sugar or plain white coffee. It’s not became it is available in fancy styles and described with exotic names. It was not for its anti-oxidant good health(?) properties. I just like coffee.
On one of my many visits to cafes, shopping malls and public events recently, we, meaning my wife, Jeannie, and I; recently visited Central Market or as it is more commonly known in Kuala Lumpur as “Pasar Seni”. Pasar Seni is Malay for art market. So, you’ve guessed it. You can get almost anything artsy here. No fancy art galleries. Just local artists displaying their works, mainly for sale. Two of the most common types of art available here are batik and paintings on canvas. You can also get on a smaller scale; local handicraft.
Central Market has evolved from just being an tourist attraction for arts and souvenirs. With its recent renovations and new look in an old era “facade”; it now has a fairly large convenient store / supermarket, a couple of food courts (or is it two food courts in one?) and several new restaurants.
On the day of our visit, there was a bazaar going on in the main foyer(?) or hall. Lots of booths showcasing all their products. Definitely a ladies’ attraction as most of these booths catered to the likes of ladies.
While walking along the lanes there was a booth that caught my attention from a distance. It looked like it had some coffee products. I made a “bee” line towards it. As I got nearer to the booth, I noticed it had signs (I took it was the brand) “KOOPI” in strategic spots of the booth.
“Would you like to try our coffee?”, this bright, young lady asked, as she offered me a small cup of coffee. “Don’t mind if I do”, I replied. A possible write- up? Maybe, I thought to myself. When I tried their version of “Ipoh White Coffee”, I quite liked it. The young lady was Kate Poon. She served me the sample of what I presumed was their best seller. I asked Kate to let me have another shot of this coffee sample. By this time, Jeannie had caught up with me after making her rounds to all the booths and shops in the building.
Kate was manning the booth with her mother. She told us the story of her entry into the foray of the coffee business. Coffee beverages and restaurants are highly competitive. There is no resting on one’s laurels in this business. Kate told us of how she is part of the 4th generation of the family coffee restaurant / kopitiam / coffee shop, business which has its heritage dating back since its establishment in 1937. I could see the twinkle in her eye when she talked passionately about KOOPI.
I liked the little samplings of the different coffees she had on offer. However, I wanted to see if I would enjoy sipping these coffees while I went about my daily grind of my work schedule. So, I purchased one of each of the coffees she had on sale to take home.
The first coffee drink I had was The KOOPI black, or “kopi-O kosong” (no sugar and milk). This drink came in a soft plastic pack with a screw-on / unscrew cap. I found this soft “bottle” quite unusual. I kept this drink in the fridge so I had it when it was nice and cold. I guess you can pour the contents into a cup and microwave it if you prefer this drink hot.
I invited Jeannie to try this coffee. She found it quite strong. I thought the drink was o.k.. This variant of coffee is offered especially for those who like their coffee without the clothes on (meaning the coffee – no sugar, no milk; not that you have to drink this coffee in the buff 😉) According to Kate, these beans are locally sourced. For the average coffee drinker, they will not be able to tell the difference between one kopi-o from another.
For the pros, they would talk about the different types of beans, the roasting process, roasting temperatures, length of roasting times, etc.
I prefer to enjoy the coffee as it is, take it for face value without getting too technical about preparations. I would talk about the aroma, the taste, how it pleases my senses, etc. It is like driving a car, I won’t be too caught up with the number of turns each wheel does in a minute or over a given distance. I would concern myself more with the ride, comfort and some of the additional benefits like automated air-conditioning. Sometimes, I think these “coffee experts” like to think themselves as they are the ones that make coffee what coffee is today, so when they talk confusingly or mumbo-jumbo and you have no idea what they are talking about; they must be experts.
The next day, I chose the KOOPI “Ipoh White Coffee”. I refer to it as “KOOPI Ipoh White Coffee” because “Ipoh White Coffee” is not exclusive to the KOOPI brand. Therefore, you can’t just say you want to buy “Ipoh White Coffee” because there are many local brands that offer “Ipoh White Coffee”.
Their white coffee also came in a soft plastic pack with a screw-on / unscrew cap. This I would think, is their signature drink, appealing to the masses. I had this coffee straight from the fridge, the way I like it – ice cold, not just chilled. It was nice, Jeannie liked it, too. This was the first sample that Kate gave me to try and I immediately took to it. Now, that I had more of it to drink, I reaffirm that this would be a best seller. It has a very nice blend of its coffee with milk, where the milk is not over-powering in taste. I recall that this was a comment I first made when I initially tried the sample. The drink is not too sweet, too. I think that this drink seems to have got it right where the emphasis is on the coffee taste, with the sugar and milk lending the right mix to the blend.
Last of the coffees but not the least was their white coffee “kaw” (or strong). It came bottled, in a fairly common shaped bottle, like the ones used by more and more cafes for their signature or more premium coffees they usually have on sale. This white coffee kaw or locally referred to as “kopi peng kaw”, was definitely in my “perfect, I like” category. This coffee, like the other two; came straight from the fridge, the way I like it – ice cold, not just chilled. Glass bottled; the coffee was “extra cold”. It was smooth, delicious, a thirst quencher, and would go well with any meal you had.
Jeannie found the drink just a tad bit strong, not too strong; just a tad bit strong only.
The packing, as you can see from the pictures below; meant “premium”. The white coffee “kaw” or kopi peng “kaw” as it would more commonly be referred to as, comes in a nice, comfortably shaped, “take me anywhere” bottle, with a very colourful brand label on the front, and the nutrition facts (white lettering with black background) on the other side. Then it has a black tape with “Ipoh White Coffee” in English and Chinese characters in gold lettering, running from the front of the bottle, right across the top of its cover, to the other side of the bottle. This is like a seal, sort of a nice touch to its finishing.
Kate has a lot going for her brand, “KOOPI”. She’s bright, she’s energetic, does not seem too overly ambitious, and seems to be enjoying the “ride” of being a part of a potentially super successful coffee brand. Who knows, she could be the next very successful “Kate Spades” of the business world. Don’t forget me, Kate; when you get to the very top 😉😁
NOTES: The packet drinks are not officially launched yet as they are still testing the markets. The bottled drinks are available at
1. a booth right outside Jaya Grocer at Starling Mall, Damansara Uptown, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
2. Sun Yin Loong Restaurant (their family restaurant), Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
