Lai Po Heen at Mandarin Oriental Welcomes Chef Thomas Fong from Doha
April 24th, 2024
One KL backstreet is now the unlikely home of two cafes worth sniffing out for coffee hounds; let’s start with Aku, a soothing sanctuary for stressed-out souls.
This hidden hideout’s not exactly a hipster hangout: Aku exudes Chinatown charm, reflected by its blast-from-the-past furnishings. This isn’t a cafe that could have existed in the 1980s, but its historical inspirations lie in plain sight. Rocking horses rule.
Aku’s in its soft-opening phase, so the menu’s limited; we’re fans of the cafe’s signature cake, meant to pair perfectly with coffee. A buttery treat with walnuts and chocolate chips. RM5.90 only.
Love how the coffee’s served here. Looks deceive: it’s siphon coffee, not our grandfather’s kopi. Hand-picked Sumatran Gold Top Mandheling (RM12), robustly nuanced.
Hainan toasts, cucumber sandwiches, chocolate brownies and yogurt cheesecakes, for enjoying with ice-drip coffee, Earl Grey tea and orange-ginger-mint juice.
Aku Cafe doubles as an art gallery; later this week, it’ll screen a Tsai Ming-liang movie, with the Malaysian-born director potentially present, if current plans work out.
Update: Here are the film screening times. Colorless on Sept. 7, 6pm, Love is Everywhere on Sept. 14, 6pm, Hole on Sept. 21, 6pm, & Face on Sept. 28, 6pm. Admission is free, call the cafe for more details.
Aku Cafe is owned by the folks who also operate Old China Cafe (only a one-minute walk away) as well as Central Market’s Precious Old China.
Aku Cafe opens 11am-8pm, except Mondays. Wonderfully serene on a Wednesday evening.
Aku Cafe & Gallery,
8, 1st Floor, Jalan Panggung, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2857-6887