With the birth of independent cafes booming in Kuala Lumpur, one can only foresee a group of coffee-enthusiasts seeking out the best coffee around town. But while that may seem a little tough since a lot of online research is required, there’s a way to do it without draining your smartphone battery dry. With the help of Joachim Leong, founder of CafeHop KL, former lawyer and avid coffee drinker, we’ve devised a useful guide for coffee lovers to explore some of the best gems around town!
1. Before you head out, log onto CafeHop KL‘s official website and look out for cafes around the vicinity or an area of cafes you would like to visit. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, visit all the 28 cafes they have listed on their physical map – and plan a caffeine-filled day!
2. If 28 cafes seem impossible, work your way around all of them in various sessions! Pick an area that you’re planning to explore and work around that little area first. Cafe Hop KL map divides the Klang Valley into 4 different areas – The KL Hop, The LDP Hop, The Duta Hop and The Taman Melawati Hop.
3. Once you’ve planned your route, step into a cafe and start indulging in a hot cuppa. Joachim suggest having your first cup of coffee without any sugar to really enjoy the natural flavors of the coffee. Coffee itself has a natural sweetness from the roasting and the preparation process and additional sugars take away that natural flavour. Not only do you save on calories, you can indulge a little more on the cafe’s cakes and pastries!
4. A lot of people have the misconception the cafe-hopping requires you sit down and have a cup of coffee in each stop – but you don’t have to. Just relax and try one of their specials, indulge in some food, or just enjoy the ambience!
5. When you’re sitting to really enjoy a cup, be open to pairing it with some food! Joachim recommends a rich cheesecake with a humble black coffee. “The flavours will play off each other,” he says.
6. Some cafes serve purely pour-over/hand-brewed coffee. In other words, they do not use espresso machines. Each cup is carefully prepared for you and these coffees are great on it’s own without milk or sugar. If you really love your coffee, the experience will be worth while.
7. There’s a good number of cafes that serve coffee that roast locally-grown coffee. Support the store and the coffee-growers and buy some beans back to brew at home, or bring it to work to earn brownie points among your colleagues!
8. If there’s one thing that makes coffee-drinking fun, it’s latte art! Latte art is not only sign of skill and hours of practice by the barista, but also a well-pulled shot and well-foamed milk to get the right colours and textures just to a gorgeous cup of coffee.
9. Did you know that we grow coffee here in Malaysia? Try a cup of coffee made of Liberica beans – a special type of coffee that can only be found in our region. It may surprise you with flavours of our local fruits!
10. If you’re hoping to have some “me” time, try going there during quiet hours like 11 am- 12 noon, 2-3pm, and dinner time. Joachim also shared a little secret – “Have a chat with the barista and you might get a freebie if the barista is feeling generous”. How can you say no to a free anything, right?
11. If you’re fine with being a busy cafe, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Joachim suggests that visiting a cafe during busier times could mean making new friends from sharing a table. After all, you never know who you’re going to meet!
CafeHop KL is a mapping project that maps out independent cafes around Kuala Lumpur. The physical CafeHop KL map will be available in CafeHop KL’s partner cafes from 21st September onwards.
