Visiting Bangsar's new Kopi XOXO isn't for everyone. Parking can be a lost cause. Service may seem distracted & disinterested. And you might need to wait two to three hours (!!!) for the menu's main attraction: The Gorpis, currently considered the Klang Valley's tastiest pisang goreng cheese.
Kopi XOXO has a nice vibe, but that's not necessarily the reason it's a crowd magnet. Sightings of beloved local actors & singers are rampant at this celebrity-run cafe - an incentive for some customers to linger over Bubur XOXO (RM14.90; congee made tasty with peanuts, ikan bilis, salted egg, kangkung & more) & Teh Misai Kucing. Skip the kopi - not Kopi XOXO's forte.
Another explanation for why Kopi XOXO is often packed: Everyone's waiting for their order of The Gorpis' goreng pisang cheese. A bit of background: The Gorpis is a group of entrepreneurs whose four-month-old business selling cheese-topped banana fritters has become a humongous hit; their main base is a simple roadside stand in Kota Damansara for takeaways. Kopi XOXO is the first cafe where The Gorpis is available; it probably won't be the last.
Here's The Gorpis in action at Kota Damansara, operating 1:30pm-6pm (except Mondays & Fridays). The wait here is long too, stretching to two hours on weekends, but the cost is lower - RM7 for eight pieces in Kota Damansara versus RM8 at Bangsar.
The wait may seem insanely long, but we're sure The Gorpis would be happy to make these fritters faster if only it could - the folks insist the bananas are fried to order in not-too-large batches & ultimately take more time to complete than plain fritters. They're clearly a hard-working bunch, braving both rain & shine in their labour.
Ripe bananas coated in crisp batter, blanketed in a blizzard of grated cheese. The Gorpis features four flavours: Original Cheese (our favourite, for its clear-cut sweet & savoury balance), Cheese & White Choc, Cheese & Choc, plus Cheese & Strawberry. The best thing about them might be their crunch, which endures long after the fritters have turned cold. Caveat: they might not be served piping-hot in the first place, though they likely will be at least a little warm. Worth the wait? Debatable.
Kopi XOXO & The Gorpis
3 Jalan Riong, Off Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
Turn left on the lane before the Petronas station. Open 1230pm-930pm, except Mondays
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