This could be a welcome trend: Caffeine-centric cafes like Knock Knock & Espresso Bar that blossom in condominiums & serviced residences.
First up, folks who knock on the entrance of Bangsar South's Pantai Panorama apartments might be pleased to find friendly Okinawan native Megumi Matsuda within, welcoming guests to her new business with homemade cakes & fresh coffee.
Carrot cupcakes baked in the morning, available for the eating before noon. The cafe's operating hours are strange (see below), but that's when Megumi, who lives in Pantai Panorama, believes this condo's residents are most susceptible to the call of coffee.
Whether it's a nice, hot latte that you're lusting after ...
... or an even hotter chocolate that you crave, Knock Knock won't leave you hanging.
Gonna make you sweat though: Pantai Panorama is plagued by slopes; visitors must park in Block 5, a nearly 10-minute walk downhill-uphill from the cafe in Block 2.
Meanwhile, on another side of town, where some customers end up parking illegally on a slope, there's Espresso Bar, a diminutive den with air-conditioned & alfresco seating at Subang Soho (near Empire Shopping Gallery, within a five-minute driving distance).
It's a pleasantly amiable place too; simple snacks are available, but they're probably not really the reason that Espresso Bar's fans like this place.
The latte's OK, but maybe a little too scalding-hot & one-dimensional in milkiness.
Knock Knock,
2-G-2, Pantai Panorama Condominium, Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur.
Near the ground-floor elevator of Block 2, several steps away from the pool.
Tell the guards during visitor registration that you're heading to the cafe.
Mon-Thurs, 7am-11am, 5pm-9pm; Fri, 7am-1230pm; Sat, 6pm-11pm; Sun, 9am-5pm
Espresso Bar,
One Soho, SS19, Subang Jaya.
Daily, 7am-2am
The Oct.-Dec. inaugural edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews & information for 100 pretty nice eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets.
This link expires Dec. 31, 2013; see blog entries after that date for new link.
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