BE WARNED! This is a very long post.

Since I will be around this area to attend Kitchen Boot Camp Class at The Cooking House @ Desa Sri Hartamas for this few Sats, I decided to try out at least 1 recommended nearby cafe that makes good coffee.

Last week, I made my 1st visit to Le Passion Coffee Bar at Sri Hartamas Shopping Centre.

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This week, KF Chan joined me and we therefore met at Providore @ Solaris Mont Kiara (just directly opposite Cold Storage) as recommended by MW Liu at Chan’s blog.

From what we know beforehand is they use Genovese coffee beans from Australia, which they imported. The other info is this cafe has appeared in the The Star before. This place is run by 2 brothers, James and Luke.This week their 100kg batch has just arrived. So it is the right time to check Providore out with Chan.

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My first impression of Providore is the renovation is very nice. There are not many tables though inside, around 6-7 tables only. Even then, I find the  the space is compact enough and create a good atmosphere for small parties.

I believe it is because these guys love to have more intimate relationship with their customers and most of those that went into the cafe are regular customers. Also, I see that Luke is doing the cooking behind the kitchen.

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On the left of the premise, you will notice there are shelfs at the left, which is stocked with mainly Italian products like coffee beans, spaghetti, chocolates, & etc. There is also a sweets stand beside the corner.

Now let’s go back to the main topic, we are more there for the coffee solely. Due to the mystery in the pricing equation, both the espresso and cappuccino costs the same price at RM8. So Chan and I decided to order only 1 cup of both to try out between us.

Most of the time, cappuccino is more expensive than espresso but here, it is the same. Quite strange, right? Milk contributes a higher percentage of costs than a shot of espresso.

Probably we can do some Maths. The Genovese coffee beans comes in a 1kg packaging and is retailing at RM95. Farmhouse milk is selling RM6.50 at Cold Storage, which is the milk I regularly uses at home too.

Consider 1 shot of espresso equals 7 gram of coffee and ratio of milk:coffee in a standard cappuccino is 5:1.

RM95/(1,000g/7 ) = RM95/142 shots = RM0.70 (cost of espresso)

RM6.50/(1,000ml/(5ozx30ml)) = RM6.50/6.6 = RM0.98 (cost of milk)

From the calculations (conservative amount) above, we don’t understand why both the espresso and cappuccino is priced the same. Maybe the brothers have their marketing reasons but I don’t get the point.

So is the coffee any good? Chan and I agree that is above average but could be better. My ratings on the espresso:

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• Crema : 4/5 (Very thick brown, quitely expected as the coffee bean is fresh)
• Aroma: 2/5 (Light)
• Acidity: 3/5 (Low acidity)
• Body: 2/5 (Decent)
• Sweetneess: 2/5 (There is a hint of chocolate)
• Balance: 4/5 (For me, it is a more balanced cup than Segafredo’s)
• After taste: 1/5 (Disappears quickly)

The number one reason the ratings given by me are not bad is solely due to the number one factor, freshness. Why? Both of us noticed that the barista rinsed the portafilter with cold water before making our order and then left it on the top of the cup warmer after the order.

A good barista understands that the portafilter have  to be kept warmed all the times and to be ready for the next shot. The general rule is coffee has to be brewed just below the boiling mark.

So by not locking the portafilter to the grouphead, the brewing head is not generating enough heat to extract the best from even freshest beans. It is the same logic why we have to pre-heat the oven before baking/roasting anything in it.

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Also, the cappuccino that was served to us was way too hot for our liking. As the base espresso is not hot enough, the milk is steamed pass the sweet spot of 65-70 degree Celcius. Milk that is over-heated loses the natural sweetness and body, which gives the body and mouthfeel to a well-prepared cappuccino.

All the blah, blah is just my 2 cents opinion. You might not agree to me though.

You could still visit this place for food as it looks deliciously yummy but the price is not for the budget-conscious. And do note that the kitchen closes from 3pm-6pm.

Providore
13A Jalan Solaris 5,
Solaris Mont’ Kiara, KL

After Providore, Chan and I went to the next destination, Departure Lounge, just a block behind. This cafe is one that I also plan to check out after my girlfriend mentioned to me. She read from a magazine when she was getting a hair cut some time before that the barista here can do latte art.

The interior of this place is simple and there is a shelf that has plenty of travel books for your reading pleasure. It is a comfortable and relaxing place to enjoy your cup of coffee.

We forgot to take out our cameras to capture the cappuccino I ordered. It is the first free pour rosetta that I have seen so far in Malaysia that is consistent and hope my latte art can also achieve this level very soon.

Chan also ordered a cookie but his favourite cookie made with Macadamia nuts is sold out before our arrival. This is one of the place that Chan frequently patronized. The coffee bean that is used here is Illy. Decent but not great. Problem with all the big boys of Italian brand, the coffee is just not fresh enough and comes in a big tin.

If you want a comfy and nice place for a coffee break, this is one of the place I will recommend to you definitely. When you are there, friendly ask for Lau to make your cappuccino and he will be more than willing to pour a lovely latte art on top.

Departure Lounge (map)
10, Jalan Solaris 4
Solaris Mont’ Kiara, KL
Tel: 03-6203 0362
Open: 0800-2200 (Mon-Sat)
1000-1700 (Sun & PHs)