Whenever we want a great cup of coffee, Publika Mall and Plaza Damas are our destinations of choice. These are high concentration areas for cafes and one of our recent favourite hangout there is Coffee 5 Cups.
Coffee 5 Cups is a few month old coffee outlet managed by husband-and-wife team Jo Hann and Kayo. Jo Hann mans the kitchen while Kayo who hails from Hokkaido, Japan, is the dedicated barista.
Both Jo Hann and Kayo have a passion for coffee, food and social work. At Coffee 5 Cups, their procurement system practices fair-trade principles and their organic coffee beans are sourced directly from the hilly communities of Bali, Indonesia.
On a hot day, the iced cappuccino is the perfect drink here. The bitterness of the espresso comes through but the drink is smooth overall, without the cloying sweetness that too many iced coffees have. I like how Kayo incorporated ice cubes made from cream and coffee into my cappuccino. It stays thick and creamy even after the ice cubes melt.
The regular coffee menu has a good variety of hot and iced drinks, and the daily special board adds even more options. On our recent visit, our order of hot cappuccino (RM8.50) was smooth and full-bodied but it was served way too hot.
We all tried some Hokkaido croquettes (RM7.50) with Japanese tonkatsu sauce. These are truly my new favourite croquettes! The combination of the melted cheese, creamy potatoes and minced beef was so delicious!
The beef potato pie (RM7.50) was served piping hot. The potato layer was velvety and creamy, containing minced beef for a unique texture. It was so hearty, warming and comforting and we savoured every last bite.
One of our favourites was the chicken teriyaki open sandwich (RM10.90) with slices of grilled teriyaki chicken, cucumber slices and melted cheese on toasted sunflower seed bread. The chicken was beautifully tender and moist, and went really well with the teriyaki sauce and toasted bread.
We loved the pan-seared salmon and cream sauce (RM18.40) for its classic combination of salmon, shimeji mushroom and parsley. This pasta with creamy sauce had a hint of chilli and was full of flavour.
The banana date cake (RM8.50) we tried was slightly dry and didn’t have much banana flavour in it.
We did not have any luck with desserts at Coffee 5 Cups. The Hokkaido soufflé cheese cake (RM9.90) was dry and not too fluffy.
Coffee 5 Cups is definitely a place to go the next time a caffeine craving hits. We like the fact that they roast their own beans, take brewing seriously and offer that extra something, whether it’s their vegan eats or authentic Japanese meals.
Coffee 5 Cups
Address: No B-0-17, Plaza Damas 3, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-6206-5451
Opening hours: Tue – Fri 11am – 7pm, Sat – Sun 11am – 9pm (closed on Mondays)
GPS Coordinates: 3.16325, 101.65786
Pork-free
