The day has come and gone by so quickly, that I’m left in wonder. Is the day and time moving really fast, or are we moving really slow? That is the question. Or are the days shorter now than it was 20 years ago?
I figure if it was, it would probably be a few seconds shorter. The other answer, more likely the logical one (as Spock of tv and movie series Star Trek would have said); is that we cramp too many activities in our daily schedule. Armed with an armament of sophisticated mobile phones, tablets, laptop computers, electronic tracking devices (many of which we pay a premium monthly subscription fee for use of the various apps and software that we have been convinced [unknowingly] to be of high importance to us, and is the only way to go, “moving forward” {sounds sophisticatedly business like}), we feel that we have more time on our hands. And we do.
However, we now do not know what to do with ourselves during this free time. We also may not want to be seen as not doing anything or being lazy. We may ever feel some guilt that we have free time, some free time, that is; time that we earned by paying for the likes of subscriptions, etc. So, we pile more things to do to our schedule. Back again, we are busier than bees. Then, we probably become highly work stressed, efficient people.
Easier said than done, we should be less work stressed and more work fun. My wife, Jeannie and I met my cousin Chris, and his wife, Evelina, at Backyard for coffee. One thing led to another and the next thing was we accompanied them to IPC, popularly known as Ikano Power Centre, where they had a couple of things to do.
On our way out, we stopped at a traditional Chinese tea shop for a drink. I did not order a drink for myself as I am not a tea person. After they finished their drink, while we were walking to our car, we passed by HWC Coffee.
I noticed the “HWC Coffee” brand (1) had quite a few outlets in P.J. and Subang Jaya (2). However, I never ventured to try their coffees. Until now. Since I did not have a drink while the others were yum cha-“ing” (3) their tea; I decided to get a HWC coffee.
I ordered Lemon coffee. Lemon coffee? What’s that? This I had to try. On the menu, it states that this drink is only served cold. This was going to be interesting.
The drink came in a sealed plastic cup; the same type of cup that New Apollos restaurant near my house serves their iced coffees in. It looked like an iced americano with some whitish, yellowish liquid stuff at the bottom of the drink. This I assumed to be the lemon in the drink. It was.
Lemon coffee. Notice the whitish, yellowish liquid stuff towards the bottom of the drink?
I let Jeannie have a sip of the drink. She immediately did not like the drink, saying that the lemon made the coffee more acidic than it already was.
I took a sip. My first sip was the lemon. Then, I pulled the straw up higher so that I could taste the coffee. Then, I stirred the drink so that the lemon could mix with the coffee.
First impressions: This is an acquired taste. Definitely not for the traditionalist coffee drinkers.
I liked the lemon. It was as how lemon should be. The coffee tasted ordinary on its own, in the medium weak-to-strong range. When the lemon was mixed thoroughly with the coffee, the drink tasted just about ok. Definitely an acquired taste, that you need to let it grow on you. The best time to have this coffee is when you come into the building out of the sweltering sun, your throat parched.
Stop by at a HWC Coffee cafe, try their lemon coffee, and let us know what you think of this drink. Nice?
I will have a go at this Lemon Coffee drink again when it is a very hot afternoon and I come across a HWC Coffee cafe in the future.
NOTES: 1. The name HWC Coffee ( Hei Wo) is derived from chernozem or black soil that plays a central role in high-quality bean cultivation. In 2017, HWC Coffee set up a coffee plantation in Panama, that offered full-fledged services from coffee beans cultivation to coffee roasting. hwccoffee.com.my 2. P.J. or Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya are cities in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. 3. Yum Cha has Cantonese origins. In Cantonese, drinking is “yum” , and tea is “cha”. It was amongst people chatting in Cantonese where the practice of yum cha flourished. During the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911), people would stop by small houses to catch-up with each other and drink tea. joyfulhouse.com.au
It’s Saturday, a day when we are supposed to rest…or is it Sunday. Maybe, for some, Saturday is to continue what started on late Friday evening, towards night. It is the time where many have been tuned in to the fact that they have to “de-stress” from the week’s work that was. In the 1970s & ’80s, it was known as “let your hair down”, even for those with little or no hair.
So, Friday evening, heading on towards night; you probably will see “the happening places” in the cities full. “Full” may not be too efficient a word; more like squished, cramped and bursting at its seams, because everybody who thinks they are somebody or want to be “somebody”; wants to be see in these happening places. It is so jam-packed that de-stressers / customers / guests / patrons (whatever they choose to go by as), are willing to stand all night long, sometimes at the passages, hallways (even next to the toilets), right out on to the streets / curbs / sidewalks. And believe it or not, there is no stress there at all. Maybe, when they get the bill, they may get a wee bit stressed.
Topics of conversation will range from almost anything: what happened at the office, to food, to more of whatever happened at the office, to sports and dressing / clothes, cars, fashion, to more of what happened, is happening and / or suspect is going to happen at the office. Sounds familiar?
True that this is not for everybody. The rest of the stressed people, those who are either less “with it” or not “with it” or without(?) may go to places where stars light up when bucks come in, cafes, teafes (tea version of cafes), mamak (1) (some call themselves “bistros”. You are sure to get some of the best local food in town). Let’s not forget the kopitiams (2) and the upmarket term “restoran” (Bahasa Malaysia for restaurant). Back in the good ol’ days, they were known as “coffee shops” or “Kedai Kopi” in Malaysia. Calling them restaurants or “restoran” is keeping abreast with the times.
Kopi peng or coffee ice, literally translated from Bahasa Malaysia to English.
Some of the best coffee drinks can be found at these local restaurants. They don’t have fanciful names so they don’t cost an arm and a leg; though they are millimetering their way towards that direction.
Some of these coffee shops or restaurants are giving the big boys (the ones with the moolah to splash on advertising) a run for their money. They have real air-conditioners as permanent fixtures. It is getting rarer to hear, “Anneh, (5) on the fan”, or “bos, buka kipas” (6) (not literally buka-ing the kipas as the direct English translation is “open fan”).
The best local iced coffee or “kopi peng” or “kopi Ais” (7) is served by the New Apollos restaurant in USJ 4, Subang Jaya. This is after surveying a few of the local restaurants in the area. It could change when I add on more restaurants to the list.
The “kopi Peng” at New Apollos does not have that over-powering taste found in many of the local iced-coffees. Not too sweet, too; for those watching their sugar intake. I prefer mine to be “kau” (strong).
New Apollos’ “Kopi Peng”.The best local iced coffee in USJ Subang Jaya.
New Nanking restaurant’s iced coffee. Above average. In the background is their hot coffee “kecil” (small in Bahasa Malaysia). If you don’t state that you want a big glass hot coffee, it comes in this standard cup (and saucer).
I am going to send the car for a wash ‘n vacuum now. Then I will go for a coffee fix. Stumbled across a little cafe in town called, “Benson Brew”. By little, I mean “little”. Sort of charming like the little cafe I experienced in Perugia, Italy.
Let us know what your thoughts are. We’d love to hear your experiences from around the world since there are readers from over 90 countries tuning in to this blog.
Anytime is a good time for a coffee.
NOTES: 1. Mamak means a person of Tamil Muslim origin or descent living in Malaysia or Singapore. 2. Kopitiam is a coffee house serving traditional Malay and Chinese fare. 3. Restoran is Bahasa Malaysia language for restaurant in English. 4. Kedai kopi is Bahasa Malaysia for coffee shop in English. 5. Anneh means elder brother in Tamil. 6. Buka Kipas means “Switch the fan on” in Bahasa Malaysia. 7. Kopi Peng: Kopi peng [pronounced ‘ko-peeh peh-eng’]. Iced coffee with condensed milk. ‘Peng‘ means iced in Chinese. Kopi Ais is iced coffee in Bahasa Malaysia.
Looks like it’s healing nicely. According to Soon, the tattooist artist and specialist. According to newly tattooed (past tense for getting a tattoo done), person, Laura.
Must be the quiet at Jings, with the soft piano music. This time it’s more lounge / very light jazz music. Nice. I am here for an Americano.
Served by Aini, now the Americano is next to me. Hope to complete the article that I want published, by tomorrow.
As I write, new ideas of what I may write, next keep springing up. Have to get cracking and write faster. Faster-lah!
With my trusted, Bellroy sling. Most important, the Fold – getting work done on it is a cinch. Notice the iced-Americano?
Being a connoisseur of coffees (here I am talking about myself)… Ok This may raise an eyebrow or two (the left brow higher than the right…meaning questioning)… or three(for the unique people); but I am fairly cool about coffee. The 3-in-1s at least. Not those percolated, drip dry.. or is it dry drip, perforated, ventilated, filtered, boil the beans, until the vapor(?) evaporates from the beans onto a glass vestibule. I mean its a long process.
How did I become a connoisseur of 3-in-1s? Companies / coffee brands have been sending me their products to try out and evaluate, give my views and feedback. These include their 2-in-1s and plain “kopi-o kosong” coffee sachets. “Kopi-o kosong” is usually local Chinese coffee in thin porous sachets which you drop in hot water, not boiling water. Boiling water burns the coffee.
I think we have become a culture of coffee drinkers. I dare say that some of us have become sophisticated in the art of “consuming” coffee. To be “with it” and sound as though you are “in the loop” of the coffee culture, you will have to know some of these “basic” coffees. If you toss some of these types of “coffee” names in the air; you will sound knowledgeable. These names do not include “kopi-o peng”, “kopi tarik”, and “kopi cham”, to name a few.
15 Different Types Of Coffee Drinks Explained (1)
If you’ve always been too shy to ask your barista the difference between a flat white and a latte, then this article is for you.
With over a dozen different types of coffee drinks on the menu at Merlo stores, it can be confusing trying to decide which one to go for.
This isn’t just a problem for new coffee drinkers, as many hardcore addicts often stick to what they know.
But that doesn’t need to be the case.
From affogato to short macchiato, long black to ristretto, this article will help explain all the different types of coffee drinks available.
List of Coffee Drinks
1. Espresso
Also known as a short black, an espresso is a single shot of coffee. No extra hot water is added, resulting in an intense and flavoursome drink.
An espresso shot, which forms the basis of many of the other drinks to follow, is produced by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee beans.
2. Doppio
A Doppio is a double shot of espresso with no added hot water or milk. This results in 60 ml of coffee. Doppio means ‘double’ in Italian.
3. Ristretto
A ristretto, which means ‘restricted’ in Italian, is a shot of espresso coffee but extracted with half the amount of water. This results in a delicious, concentrated shot. A ristretto is typically enjoyed straight but it can also be combined with milk.
4. Long Black
A long black is made by pouring a double-shot of espresso over hot water. Unlike an Americano which is made by adding hot water to the espresso shot, a long black retains the crema and is less voluminous, therefore more strongly flavoured.
5. Short Macchiato
A short macchiato is served in a small glass consisting of a single espresso shot then filled with creamy steamed milk and finished with a small layer of foam.
6. Long Macchiato
A long macchiato is similar to a short macchiato, except that it contains a double shot (around 60ml) of coffee.
7. Mezzo Mezzo (Piccolo)
A mezzo mezzo (also known as a piccolo) is a single espresso shot in a small latte glass, which is then filled with steamed milk.
8. Cappuccino
Recognised by the froth on top, a cappuccino is one part espresso shot, one part textured milk and one part froth on top with a dusting of chocolate to finish.
At Merlo locations, a cappuccino in a 8oz cup contains one shot of espresso, in a 12oz cup 1.5 shots and in a 16oz cup two shots. This is the same for a latte, flat white and mocha.
9. Latte
A latte is a coffee espresso shot filled with steamed milk and with a layer of foamed milk crema.
10. Flat White
A flat white is very similar to a latte, with un-textured milk (no air incorporated when being steamed) resulting in espresso and steamed milk with little or no froth.
11. Mocha
A latte with the added sweetness of chocolate. A mocha can be prepared by adding chocolate to the espresso shot before adding the textured milk, or adding the chocolate to the cold milk before frothing.
12. Affogato
Combine a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a double shot of hot espresso and you have an affogato. Great for a post-lunch or dinner treat.
13. Batch Brew
A batch brew is a coffee made in an automated pour over machine, like a Moccamaster. These machines use a filter and brew much larger quantities of coffee than devices like the AeroPress, V60 or Chemex.
14. Cold Drip
Cold drip coffee is similar to coffee brewed in a pour-over device, except that the process uses cold water and takes much longer.
15. Cold Brew
Our Cold Brew coffee can is produced by submerging our premium Zambia coffee beans in cold water for an extended period of time. This results in a smooth and refreshing brew with 180mg of caffeine – similar to a double-shot espresso.
16. Decaf
Not on the original list of the types of coffee; Decaffeinated or “Decaf” coffee is just regular coffee that has gone through a decaffeination process, and is as close as possible in taste and aroma to a regular brew.
Whilst there is typically a very small amount of residual caffeine left once the decaffeination process has finished, it is usually a negligible amount and allows people to enjoy a delicious cup without the stimulant effect!
The highly sophisticated coffee machines that are sold in big retail stores for personal and home use, offer short courses on how to make “proper” coffee using their very complicating machines. These machines don’t come cheap, too.
When I say, “culture of coffee drinkers”, it takes aim at my machine is better than yours (most of the time😉). Guess what? It is also more expensive than yours, too!
The idea of owning and learning how to use one of these expensive machines is not for the masses. It requires patience and a flair to come up with the special coffee concoction, at the right temperature and mix (if you want to add on milk, sugar or other flavouring influencers).
Till then, I am back to drink-tasting 3-in-1 coffees. Which one of the three that I am asked to try should I try first? All are not off the supermarket shelf yet, well at least; not the mainstream supermarkets. I’m inclined to try the “Arabica Brown Rice Coffee” first as the packing is simple, the colours aren’t too strong – its simplicity tends to lend a touch of class. What’s supposed to make this unique is that it is with Organic Soy Milk. I may try “Pak Babah’s Latte Macchiato” next for the very reason of local name with Italian sounding coffee?
NOTES: 1. Merlo – Thanks, Merlo for the explanation of the different types of coffee. All sounding very Italian.
Have you been in a situation where you had a good time with family or friends? As the day comes to a close, everyone says their goodbyes and bid “fair thee well” (got meh?), the very common statement that springs out from someone or more than one person, we must “ketchup again, soon”.
Most times than none, the “ketchup again”, rarely ever takes place soon enough.
I was on WhatsApp with Sharon and she said we, that is she, Lorraine, Jeannie and I; should meet up since it was over a month since we last met. She was responding to my article I wrote on Jings Specialty Coffee, a nice café in our new neighborhood. She wanted to go there.
I said, “It’s a holiday tomorrow and Jeannie will be at home. Let’s meet tomorrow morning.” She straight away jumped on the idea with a quick “OK”.
“Tomorrow” came. The main event of the morning was my 11km walk. I covered 15,000 steps – my daily exercise – brisk walking.
Sharon and Loraine were at our doorstep (actually Sharon first. Loraine was parking her car in her usual spot whenever she visits us. ) at 2pm on the dot. She suggested we do lunch. However, Jeannie and I had our lunch at noon.
They said they wanted something hawkerish (hawker like) food. And they were looking forward to coffee at Jings.
We suggested New Apollos (definitely not a re-branding exercise by NASA).
New Apollos restaurant – “coffee shop” as they were called back in the days when identification was more simplified. “Restaurant” gives you an image where people are dressed in “chefs'” outfits including the puffed up crooked hat. In ‘restaurants” such as New Apollos, the cooks are usually dressed in t-shirts, shorts and slippers. Their food tastes just as good, if not better than those in their fancy outfits.
It took us quite sometime to get to New Apollos from our house. The four of us: Loraine, Sharon, Jeannie and I had to pile into Loraine’s 2-door, 2+2, sports car first. Then, the long drive of about 2 minutes. Good thing there was ample parking at that time, as the lunch crowd had left.
Jeannie gave them a “tour de Apollos” of the hawker stalls that were still open (their “chefs” were still there).
Sharon and Loraine settled for the “house specialty” – rice, transformed into flattened noodles, fried in a dark source together with some (a little) green vegetables (specially chosen by the vegetable farmer. It can be considered as “organic” as they were grown from the ground) tougey (bean sprouts), kerang (a.k.a. cockle or edible shellfish), a dash of vinegar and some other condiments. What makes this the house specialty is a couple of duck (yes,the quack, quack type) eggs were cooked in this meal. It may sound simple. However, the chef knows precisely how many “klang-klangs” (the sound made when the chef turns over the food in the wok with the stainless steel Chinese Wok turner “spatula” with wooden handle) he has to make before adding (throwing) in each of the condiments. The result: Char Kuey Teow (not sure if it is the “famous” Penang, Ipoh, Klang or Seremban). This meal was served with a little Chili, in a separate section of the dark-green food plate.
We were supposed to have coffee at Jings. Since these two ladies were having their lunch here, I suggested Kopi Peng as a drink while waiting for them to consume their lunch. The three ladies had the same drink. “Kopi Peng” is a combination of languages for “Iced Coffee” with sugar and milk. “Kopi” is a Malay word for coffee; and “peng” is a Chinese dialect (Hokkien) word for cold. Couldn’t get more complicating than this.
After the char kuey teow and kopi pengs; we were quite full and were not really keen on going for specialty coffee.
“Do you eat durians?”, Loraine asked Jeannie and I. Both of us said we do.
Evidently, a truck full of the thorny fruit had caught her eye, their eyes (including Sharon’s). For the benefit of some readers, these are not “duran” (That was a very popular singing group in the 1980s – “Duran Duran”). It is spelt as “d-u-r-i-a-n“.
One would be hard pressed to miss it. It was right in front of the restaurant, parked by the roadside, along the kerb (sidewalk, if you are American).
Durian “Musang King” (Malay way of referring to it) or “Musang King” Durian is one of the top variants of this thorny fruits.
Smiles as we began to take in the aroma that exuded from this fruit.
More smiles.
We were all smiles. Could it have been due to the intoxication of the aroma from this “King of fruit”? Or was it because we were about to enjoy the deliciousness of the various variants of this fruit? Answer: Both.
Loraine giving instructions on how one is suppose to eat the fruit: “First, you have to pluck a seed with the fruit around it, from one of the pods of the fruit. This has to be done gently so as not to drop the fruit as it is expensive.”
Then you eat.
Seriously, this is good stuff!
This durian seller had set up a canopy tent by the side of his lorry (truck). He put out a couple of tables with chairs so that his customers can “dine” with some form of comfort. He provided thin plastic gloves for us to pick the fruit up so that our hands won’t have the lingering smell. This seemed like a novel idea at first. He also provided bottles of water for us to drink.
This is it! Here goes everything!One for the camera.
The evidence is in the pudding….durian.
“Wait, wait; before you start eating this variant, you have to dance the jig. Let me show you how”, said Sharon.
Sharon said, “It goes like this: You put your right foot out…”
The Fredericks sisters were…are a riot. Loraine started giving instructions on the fine art (proper way) of eating durian. For the love of life, I thought we just pluck the fruit out of the pod, put it in our mouth and eat.
Sharon showed us how to dance the jig just before eating one of the variants. Again, I thought just pluck the fruit from its pod and eat.
“To heck with the dance, I’m eating straight away. Gloves off!”
This is how we share the king of fruit.
All contract deals should be decided over eating of durian!
Split it down the middle.
Don’t drop it, not even the smallest piece of this precious fruit.
You eat first. Let me know how it tastes like.Jeannie says, “Here goes!”
“Mmmm”, said Jeannie. “How? How?” asked Loraine; wanting to know how this variant of durian tasted like.
It’s so good! Let’s have another!“Salute”(pronounced as “sa loot”. Italian for “cheers!”)Angelic:Four very happy and satisfied faces + the durian.
We had so much fun that afternoon. We ate, joked and laughed. And ate again. The things Sharon did in school. She was the “Minnie the Minx” of her time. And Loraine, being the elder sister, always got in trouble for not teaching Sharon better. Sharon the angel. Loraine the guardian angel.
Jeannie and I look forward to our next “ketchup” / catch up session.
The word aeon, also spelled eon (in American and Australian English), originally meant “life”, “vital force” or “being”, “generation” or “a period of time”, though it tended to be translated as “age” in the sense of “ages”, “forever”, “timeless” or “for eternity”.
The term “aeon” in its more common usage is for any long, indefinite period. Eg.: It was aeons ago when I last holidayed in Europe.
Ok end of English lesson.
When Jeannie (my wife), Laura and I go to Sunway Pyramid, we usually stop by at Aeon’s bakery “La Boheme” at Level LL2 to have some pastries and coffee. Their pastries are usually good. Their coffee, with the clothes off (meaning: no milk, no sugar. What were you thinking?😏), is consistently horrible. Their pastries were usually pretty tasty.
Jeannie and Laura will make a “beeline” (1) to the supermarket. AEON usually carry a good range of products. However, their pricing is premium, meaning it is slightly more expensive than most other supermarkets.
When I have my coffee and pastry, I will usually whip out (2) my Fold 3 and try to get some work done. The Fold 3 is my Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 (which I think tends to be a mouthful). And I don’t “whip out” my Fold 3 in the true meaning of the phrase. I carefully take out..😅. This “whipping out” happens often when suddenly, I get inspired there and there to write down or type or tap in a word, phrase or even an article. Many times than not, I can pen down a full article without notes or scraps of notes.
“Suddenly“…life has new meaning to me. There’s beauty up above and all around….and things we never notice of…Ooh-ooh… The magic of Billy Ocean. Awesome singer.
The fabulous singer, Billy Ocean was introduced to me by the late Swithin Monteiro, when he gave me a new, unopened cassette – a Billy Ocean album. This was in 1986. I had met Swithin in his office and was giving him a ride home after that. I think I had a Lionel Ritchie’s cassette (back in those days, it was cassettes for in-car music besides the radio) playing. Swithin took out from his bag a cassette and said, “Alan, have you heard Billy Ocean?” I said, “no”. “You should listen to him. This is a new release, ‘Love Zone'” and he gave me this cassette.
Swithin was a journalist for “The Star” newspaper at that time and an authority on the latest music trends, the authority on the music scene. He had a prominent weekly column in the newspaper, covering new artiste and album releases. His views, comments and opinions were highly respected in the music industry, both local and internationally.
So, why AEON? Aeon store and supermarket have shuttered. After over 25 years or so. We were surprised. The notice seemed to have come up that they were closing down just about a month before the actual closure. Now, we have to look for another brightly lit place, with reasonably priced pastries and coffee (hopefully better than what AEON used to pour out). Brightly lit so that I can sit down just in case suddenly…
At the little sort of square, for dining. The last of the “tables & chairs” area before the curtains came down on the place at Sunway Pyramid.
NOTE: 1. Meaning of “beeline”: A beeline is the swiftest, most direct route between two points. For instance, if you are shopping at the mall on a weekend afternoon and you see an empty parking space, you … 2. Meaning of “whip out”: To take or pull out (something) fast or suddenly. whip. pull. pluck. snatch.
Jeannie and I have watched many Hallmark movies over the last 1 year or so as it sort of gave us a sense of being closer to our daughter, Laura: who was studying in the U.S.
Most of the cafes depicted in those movies were small, able to accommodate 15 – 20 people at any one time businesses. People usually had coffee to go, on their way to work; or on their way home after work. The baristas, waitresses and waiters usually knew all their customers by name. And so did the customers, they knew each other, too.
Apparently, Decatur, Illinois, is not that small a town as it is made out to be.
Laura and her college mate Pete; were going to grab coffee and do some work there. She asked if Jeannie and I would like to tag along.
Apart from the usual very commercial, run-of-the-mill “Pak HaiLam”, “OldTown”, “NewTown”, “Railway line” and “Setarbak” (1) which we are usually accustom to, we popped in at “Coffee Connection”.
Coffee Connection was not quite as what we (more like I) would have expected, which was a small set-up with some old fashion charm. Old fashion charm includes lots of wood with some leather thrown in here and there for some good measure. The setting / atmosphere was modern, with a sit-in arrangement for about 35 people.
Definitely a place where one could get some serious work done. There was a good age group mix of people when we were there. Some of whom were like us, were there working on their computers and other devices.
There were a couple of others who seem to want to resonate with the original form of writing, no not chisel and stone; but pen and paper.
Aside from work or college assignments; people were there just to chill (pun intended) with outside temperatures at -6deg C. The coffee and beverage menu offering was wide and have met most peoples’ requests. You can order from a nice selection of cakes and cookies to go with the beverages. Laura and Pete ordered their usual as they are regular customers there.
Jeannie and I ordered their house signature coffee. There was a choice of 4 house specials. The barista explained the 4 variants and suggested a couple of choices to us . Jeannie had the more traditional mocha coffee. Tasted as good as it looked.
I had a peppermint coffee variant. Smooth. As you take a sip of this coffee, the peppermint reaches your senses first, relaxing you as you take in the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, which then perks you up. Then, you take the next sip…and the next…and the next.
We busied ourselves with our own work and things, sitting inside a comfortable place, nice atmosphere with Christmas songs softly playing through small speakers in the background. The city of Decatur stares at us through the cafe’s wide glass frontal, shivering in its very windy -6deg C temperature.
Coffee Connection is the closest we re going to get to a Hallmarks movie type café. So far. This café is worth visiting again. Now, to zoom into the Christmas festivities here..🎄🎅
NOTES: 1. Mainly popular “kopitiams” (mainly refers to Chinese coffee shops) brands in Malaysia. Setarbak Kopi is based in Kelantan, an eastern state in Peninsular Malaysia.
The budget has been announced. There are some “ooos” and “aaahhhs”… carrots behind tall glass panels. Oh yes, that is where the hippity hopping comes into play…and here, we’ve been thinking about dance music of the 1960s and frogs. And I remember seeing a picture of this announcer…the scene… the floods of late 2021. It was a few days after the heavy rain. People were still on rooftops and stranded without food.
The picture was of the announcer in a large wide motorized raft / boat, standing at the front end of the raft / boat and pointing…”the flood, the flood…look at all those people stranded and suffering! It is a pity we did not bring any relief or supplies because we do not have space on this vessel. What with all you 10 or 15 media people with cameras and equipment crowding out the space.”
Back to the budget…what was that again? People are generally excited about the coming budget due to the hype that builds up leading to the day. This year, the hype was intensified by daily bombardment of news in almost every nook and corner that one would be hard-pressed to escape it for even an hour.
Budget 2023 is better known as an election budget. Up to 80% discount as the sale of big stores would advertise. Thousands of items to choose from – 107 inch televisions, flying cars, furniture, electrical items and the list go on. People rush to these stores hoping to grab that mega tv or super-luxurious, expensive leather furniture sets hoping to get 80%. They search and search for these items hoping to get them with the 80% discount or close to it.
“Up to” 80%. You will find the 80% discount on items such as a $1.50 wall plug, a plastic vase costing less than $5… The big ticket-priced items have a 5% or 10% discount only.
So, election budget… carrots behind glass panels.
While the greenback is strengthening against the local currency, and the central bank is raising interest rates to curb further consumer spending; the consumer is enticed to spend more.
Where does the average man go from here? Reduce spending. It only makes sense. (Haha, get it?) Will this affect the country’s coffers? Yes, for a short while… in the transition period of being a spending nation to one that saves. Otherwise, our financial position will head south.
Speaking of south, we have our southern neighbor as an example to emulate. It may be too drastic to do an about turn and head north to be debt free. Who came up with these “head south” and “head north” idioms.
I am all for working with the finance minister, central bank governor and all those that have an interest in helping re-build the nation’s wealth and people. It may look like a tough balancing act to follow, walking on a tight rope. Just make sure the balancing pole of ideas keep growing longer and evens out on both ends.
Purely coffee shop talk with just a couple of sips of coffee, today, so far.😉
Coffee, coffee everywhere. Many people enjoy a coffee or two…or more (yes, me😉) a day. You noticed I said “a coffee”. Does not work for tea. It does not sound quite nice if you say, “Many people enjoy a tea…”; but if you say “a cuppa”, people know you are talking about tea and not coffee.
When I talk passionately about coffee, it is not because I must have it or my day will be ruined. It’s just that it works well with me.
There are so many coffee establishments both big and small, everywhere. And, more keep opening. I welcome all, especially the startups; as many are creative with their “coffrings” (coffee offerings).
Themed outings seem to be the fad these days, at least that’s what I thought.
Then, I remembered rather vaguely, the preparations that were put into my wedding with Jeannie, 26 years ago. It started off with “we’ll do this” and “we’ll do that”… lot of excitement with lots of planning as ours was of two cultures coming together. Seemed so complex. Then, somewhere along the way, some smart alec suggested a wedding planner. All those around us seemed excited that we did have a wedding planner…initially…all with the exception of me, perhaps.
Here, was this stranger, fussing and telling (commanding?) us what we had to do and not to do. I could not recognise the original idea we had for our wedding. And, he kept tossing this word, “package” around with a loud cash register ringing almost every second he opened his mouth or flapped his hands in all directions. I thought I was getting married. Instead, I felt like I was a “prop” in a themed event; and I was paying for it! We decided he had to go as he was stressing me out.
Coming back to coffee. I wanted a change of scenery and to possibly try out new coffees. I ogled up for cafes and found what looked interesting – Gardenage by Craftman in Kota Kemuning. It is a cafe decorated by plants around it and within the cafe.
Entrance to Gardenage, with fellow swimmer parent, Richard Kok.
Getting to Gardenage (more catchy than its full name) can be a bit tricky, even for Google Maps. Once you get in the area (there is a “Gardenage” signage at the road entrance, pointing towards the direction of Gardenage. Then, it is easy as there are two or three rows of shop-lots, on their own. It is housed in a couple of shop-lots. Now, I know why they call it the “secret cafe”.
A head’s up: Best to make reservations. On the day we went, we did not make reservations and had to wait half an hour to get a table. Looking at the menu, this was more a restaurant than a cafe. Fancy food on the menu, commanding premium prices.
I had mash potatoes and coffee, Richard and Jeannie both had a pasta dish each. We had a chicken centre dish, too.
Coffee on the menu – not much of a choice. On the subject of the menu, you have to scan a QR code to view the menu on your phone. To me, that is a bit of a loss on the personal touch. Richard Kok, a fellow swimmer parent; laughed when I complained that the process of having the menu on your phone instead of a physical one, had it’s meaning lost, when a waitress had to come take down our orders. I think it would have been easier if there were checkboxes against the items on the menu. In that way, it would have saved us time of waiting for a waitress to show up and take the order.
💡An idea sparked in Jeannie’s mind – “We can transform our house like this.And I went, “No, we can’t”.
Ended with cake and coffee.
The food was generally good.
There was a continuous flow of customers streaming in, which proved the food was good. It did give us the feeling that they kind of hinted we overstayed our welcome, that we could not really take our time, “chilling out”. We were there for about an hour and a half only.
Gardenage is also a nursery where you can purchase plants, pots and garden items. It is worth checking out if you are in the area and want something different in your garden.
A few days later, we were on a hunt for a new joint for our fix. To say we needed a fix perhaps is stretching it a bit too far. I am on coffee throughout the day. Leaving my workstation which is “live-streaming coffee” throughout the day, to go to another place for coffee is more for a change of scenery and try something new with coffee in it.
Tiennielicious (a tongue twister name) in USJ 4/1, in which I stumbled upon by accident is a fairly new start-up. It was one evening, after 5pm, that we, Jeannie and I; wanted to “ronda” (“ronda” a Malay word, sounds better than the English equivalent “galavant”) for coffee. I thought we’d go to Foliage Coffee, a first for us.
My royal crown, hovering over my head, not budening me with its weight. 😁 It moves in tandem with my movements.😉
Jeannie was very at home, here.
The light decor with plants around, gives it a bright ambience, comfortable, sort of sitting in your porch at home, sipping your coffee, while reading a magazine (“What’s that?”, the millennials may ask. It is a book, with lots of pictures, many colourful and stories or articles to entertain our minds and senses).
I had the pineapple ice-coffee, while Jeannie had lychee ice-coffee. Their Lotus Biscoff brownie was simply out-of-this-world!
We arrived at Tiennielicious Cafe at just after 6pm, that Friday evening. We were kind of excited to have found a cafe that was so close to home, our own neighbourhood cafe. They had their range of coffees and cake. We decided we’d try their specials – I had their pineapple ice-coffee and Jeannie had their lychee ice-coffee. This was a sort of a fizzy coffee with fruit blended in it. Not sure if I have described it right but it was nice. The pineapple version does change in taste a bit when the drink gets warmer.
Their Lotus Biscoff brownies are worth talking about. It was totally yummy. From what we were told, it was homemade. In fact, all their cakes are. The waitress did not rush but spent time explaining when the cafe started, all the items on the menu and what their business philosophy was about. Though it was nearing closing time for the cafe, their customers were still at ease and relaxed. This cafe is on top of 7-11 in USJ 4/1. Worth going to for coffee and cake, especially if you are in the neighbourhood.
Foliage Coffee – the saga of having coffee amongst the lush, green surroundings of plants. It all started when an article of Theresa de Silva popped up on one of my social media sites. She was talking about coffee and plants and this “Foliage Coffee” she was a part of. She posted several pictures of this what seemed like a unique decor-ed cafe (at least to me). Jeannie loves plants. So, it was settled. This was where we would go next.
I phoned Theresa, telling her that we’d be at her cafe at 7.00pm for dinner. She told me the cafe operates till 7.00pm daily. It was then that I realised that many of these one or two store, personalised cafes have their business operating till 7.00pm to cater for those who just ended their day’s work and want a coffee to unwind and escape the daily going home traffic jams. This was when I searched for other cafes and found Tiennielicious (it is a mouthful to pronounce) and Gardenage.
It’s a nice setting inside the cafe, especially being air-conditioned. I like the wooden flooring touch to the decor. Nice ambience.
I had a burger and ice coffee. Jeannie had a fish (I think) dish and hot coffee.
Our first visit to Foliage Coffee was for lunch on Labour Day, a public holiday. Located in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur; it was pretty easy to get to with the use of Google Maps. Jeannie and I were impressed by it being a standalone building or sort of garden, lush with natural greens everywhere.
I told one of their employees that I would like to meet with Theresa. Their employee said that she was not coming in that day. I texted her that Jeannie and I were at her cafe and we liked it. The next thing we knew was that Theresa and her husband, Edwin; showed up to meet with us. It was a nice gesture of them.
I had a burger and ice coffee. Jeannie had a fish (I think) dish and hot coffee. When I looked around, I wondered how the meals were going to be prepared as there did not have a kitchen there. A while later, the waiter brought our meals from outside the building. I thought that they got our meals from a nextdoor restaurant. But hang on… they are on their own.
Edwin and his family, started a business called “Rent a Pot” around 40 years ago. It is a business where they provide leafy, green decor to offices and look after the maintenance of these plants. Their customers can opt to change different plants, if and when they want a “new look” in their offices. Edwin said their business is doing very well as their customers like this type of “exchange” arrangement.
Theresa said they thought of this idea of a cafe in the garden as they had the perfect setting and locale.
Jeannie went on a self-tour of the place. She found the outdoor toilet rather fascinating. It was greens, greens everywhere, plants and more plants, even in the toilet. When we were leaving, I took a quick self-tour myself. Then, I found that their kitchen was outside in the garden, tucked away amongst the plants. Nifty idea.
Our second visit to Foliage Coffee was the very next day. We had Richard Kok, our swimmer parent good friend; join us for lunch. Like (here I am using this word in its proper context) Jeannie, he has an interest in plants. As for me, y-e-e-ea-a-ah, sort of; to a certain extent.
Jeannie, Richard and myself, amongst the hanging ketupat (1) and the greens, dotted with yellow flowers. We went on the second day of Hari Raya.
“Cheers” with coffee.
We had to settle for lunch that did not need a cook’s on-the-order preparation as the cook was on Raya (2) break. Mine was a sort of sausage roll (I had two – one a jumbo(?) and 1 normal), Jeannie and Richard ordered a sandwich, each. We had some sort of tortilla (I think) chips.
Richard had “normal” coffee, i.e. latte; not a double-shot expresso like me. Haha. He has not acquired the “kaw-kaw” taste for coffee.
Richard like the idea of having coffee under this nice tree.
The double shot expresso was good. I enjoyed slowly sipping it. Though it got cold after a while, I still enjoyed it till the last drop.
This is the way to hold an expresso, with poise and finesse.. This is a double shot expresso, so the cup is slightly larger than a cup for a single shot. (I’m just guessing).
We knew we were going to be at Foliage Coffee for lunch. So did the mosquitoes. I was bitten several times by them. The portable battery operated insect repellents were not working. The main one, hanging in a tree nearby, was not working, too. Minor issue. Their other patrons did not seem to mind.
We enjoyed the atmosphere and ambience of Foliage Coffee, both indoors and in the garden. We like the very relaxed mood it provided. Mind you, it is very conducive to have small business meetings there.
There are many writers who blog about all the cafes around. Many of these articles are “static” sort of propped for photos and the right words and things to say. They have their target audience.
I attempt to write on my feel and those around me, their experience at the time we were there – an objective view. Going to the same place again, as we did at Foliage Coffee; gives us a new angle to look at things. At Foliage Coffee for instance, our second visit was having lunch and coffee in their garden – a different experience.
All three establishments: Gardenage by Craftman, Tiennielicious (yes! Got the spelling by memory, correct) and Foliage Coffee; have their own reach of customers (I prefer this word to “patron” – sounds more engaging). If you want to try different things with “coffee” as a pull factor; all three are definitely worth checking out.
Back to the story of our wedding preparations… In the end, we had a wonderful wedding, simple…the way we had originally planned. The Rolls Royce Silver Shadow that was to be used as our wedding car broke down a couple of days before the wedding. We ended up with a friend’s BMW 7 Series which was just as good.
NOTES:
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Gardenage by Craftman, 8, Jalan Anggerik Aranda A 31/A, Kota Kemuning, 40650 Shah Alam, Selangor
Tiennielicious Cafe, 20A, Jalan USJ 4/1, USJ 4, 47600 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Foliage Coffee, 9-1, Jalan Desa Utama, Taman Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur
Kupat ketupat, or tipat is a Javanese rice cake packed inside a diamond-shaped container of woven palm leaf pouch. Originating in Indonesia, it is also found in Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and southern Thailand. Wikipedia
Raya or Hari Raya Aidilfitri is celebrated by Muslims in Malaysia and all over the world to conclude the Ramadan Holy month. http://www.wonderfulmalaysia.com
