Malaysia's Cabinet of Caffeine welcomes another new portfolio, electing Ministry of Coffee to govern with grace in Solaris Mont Kiara.
Owned by Penang boys Michael & Mark, this two-level cafe could help revive the once-thriving complex of SohoKL; it's comfortably cavernous, with a distinctive-looking decor & an obliging service team.
Business begins 9am daily with a brunch menu that runs through 3pm, featuring an embarrassment of organic eggs, partnered with organic baby spinach, melted cheese & toasted focaccia (RM18.80 nett) ...
... or with tortillas wrapped around barbecued organic chicken (RM21.80) ...
... & with smoked salmon & hollandaise sauce in English muffins (RM22.80). The kitchen insists on free-range poultry & lower-pesticide veggies in an effort to make these meals more wholesome than the norm.
Eggs emerge even in the Sunny Fish Burger (RM21.80), sandwiched in ciabatta bread with grilled barramundi, sauteed mushrooms & arugula.
Cream of roasted potato soup with quail eggs (RM16.80). Several of these recipes could do with fine-tuning (runnier yolks for the eggs), but they're OK overall.
Quite like the sandwiches (available starting 3pm), particularly this one with avocados, house-made hash, roasted vegetables, mesclun mix, tomatoes & cheddar cheese in wholemeal bread.
Peanut butter alert! Banana sandwich with beef bacon & peanut butter (RM14.80).
Beetroot pancakes with maple syrup (RM14.80), another fun entry on the wide-ranging menu.
More bananas, this time with house-made yogurt & walnuts (RM8.80).
The coffee? They have the equipment & the expertise to take it seriously here.
Ministry of Coffee depends on Doi Chaang single-estate organic Arabica coffee, shade-grown, hand-picked & sun-dried, with profits shared fairly with thousands of indigenous Akha farmers in mountainous, ecologically sustainable Thai plantations.
All in all, a place with potential, one to watch in the months ahead.
Ministry of Coffee Soho KL
J-G-09, Soho KL, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
At the back of the block on the street level, behind the main road
Daily, 9am-11pm. Tel: 03-6211-5531
This restaurant is available for bookings under TABLEAPP, which enables customers to make instant reservations at Malaysia's top restaurants, while saving time and money in the process. Reserve your table at this restaurant by clicking here.
The Oct.-Dec. edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews of 100 eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013 (link expires Dec. 31, 2013; see blog entries after that date for new link).
Fascinating place, Sean! I love the exposed brick, food presentations and your descriptions are fantastic. I love the name of the place, too!
ReplyDeleteLinda: thanks! yeah, this place has quite a few things going for it! =)
Deleteyummies~ love it
ReplyDeleteMr Lonely: happy to hear that!
DeleteOooooo....slurpsssss!!!! And nice name...like a church! LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteSuituapui: heheh, i didn't think of the church connection, but you're right! :D
DeleteWe just visited two cafes last weekend, more to go! :D
ReplyDeleteCK: ya, i think it's very possible to visit two completely different cafes every weekend now! :D
DeleteWhoa, I thought that our government actually did open a coffeehouse for a moment there. =D
ReplyDeleteI love this kind of breakfast... a little bit of everything. *slurps and drools*
Waverly: heheh, thankfully this isn't a government institution! and ya, i like the variety on the menu here :D
DeleteA breakfast place with good coffee! Looks very promising!
ReplyDeleteP/S - I like the bright orange of the organic egg yolk! :D
Huai Bin: yeah, i hope they fulfill their potential here! :D and you're right, the hue of the yolk is really attractive =)
Deletecoffee place again! i had so much coffee that I think my migraine after coffee symptom is back again. lol but this place looks nice.
ReplyDeleteJean: ya, you could visit this place and try their tea! =)
DeleteSeems like a very good place for a weekend breakfast!
ReplyDeleteKen: it could be a good bet for folks in this neighborhood! =)
DeleteMore breakfast/coffee/brunch places to visit! I can't catch up! :)
ReplyDeleteRebecca: heheh, you're right, there are so many opening now, it's really like cendawan tumbuh selepas hujan! :D
DeleteLooks like a really cheerful place judging from the colorful decor.
ReplyDeleteBaby Sumo: ya, i think it could be a happy place during daytime especially! and the colorful ornaments definitely help :D
DeleteSolaris eh.. OK will check it out when I am there next. will definitely give the cakes a go:)
ReplyDeleteCiki: ya, this could be the best current reason to return to solaris mont kiara! =)
DeleteLove the deco too, 9am-3pm late brunch that would be great to dine in later.
ReplyDeleteCquek: yeah, i like it when places keep serving stuff even after official lunch hours, heh :D
Deletewent there over the weekend! Awesome find because its so convenient for the mont kiara folks and coffee is quite decent and i like that they use doichang coffee bean. Helps that one of the owner are kinda cute too .. :-)
ReplyDeleteAugustDiners: ya, i think it's a nice alternative to heading to publika. i'd like to try their cold-brew coffee perhaps another time. heheh, i think i might know which owner you're talking about :D
DeleteThis will be an awesome place to stay in after a heavy night out.
ReplyDelete-Global Venue Mix
Tune Pilots: that's an interesting thought =)
DeleteI am sure they are no politics within this ministry !
ReplyDeleteWong: heheh, i hope you're correct! :D
DeleteYeah to a new brunch place which quite near me! Hopefully this place not yet discovered by many :P
ReplyDeleteChoi Yen: oh ya, it's quite spacious, with a ground floor and a mezzanine level and also outdoor seating, so even if it's crowded, there should be enough tables for everyone :D
DeleteGood choice for beans! Looking forward to checking them out.
ReplyDeleteBTW...organic chicken?
Missyblurkit: oh, for the chickens, there seem to be pics of the cafe owners visiting an organic farm where the poultry is raised. I'm not sure what the official certification is, but it's safe to say free-range ... maybe not strictly organic, but the menu feels confident enough to say it. Heh =)
DeleteThanks for the review Sean, there are actually 5 owners ( Pak Soo, Soo Fun, Mark, Jren and Mike and we are all from Penang.
ReplyDeleteJediwoody: thanks for the clarification! best wishes to all of you for this new enterprise =)
Delete