Ministry of Coffee at SohoKL, Solaris Mont Kiara

Malaysia’s Cabinet of Caffeine welcomes another new portfolio, electing Ministry of Coffee to govern with grace in Solaris Mont Kiara. Owned by Penang boys Michael and Mark, this two-level cafe could help revive the once-thriving complex of SohoKL; it’s comfortably cavernous, with a distinctive-looking decor and an obliging service team.

Brunch

Eggs

Business begins 9am daily with a brunch menu that runs through 3pm, featuring an embarrassment of organic eggs, partnered with organic baby spinach, melted cheese and toasted focaccia (RM18.80 nett) …

Tortillas

… or with tortillas wrapped around barbecued organic chicken (RM21.80) …

Muffins

… and with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce in English muffins (RM22.80). The kitchen insists on free-range poultry and lower-pesticide veggies in an effort to make these meals more wholesome than the norm.

Burgers

Eggs emerge even in the Sunny Fish Burger (RM21.80), sandwiched in ciabatta bread with grilled barramundi, sauteed mushrooms and arugula.

Soup

Cream of roasted potato soup with quail eggs (RM16.80). Several of these recipes could do with fine-tuning (runnier yolks for the eggs), but they’re OK overall.

Sandwiches

Quite like the sandwiches (available starting 3pm), particularly this one with avocados, house-made hash, roasted vegetables, mesclun mix, tomatoes and cheddar cheese in wholemeal bread.

Peanut butter alert! Banana sandwich with beef bacon and peanut butter (RM14.80).

Pancakes

Beetroot pancakes with maple syrup (RM14.80), another fun entry on the wide-ranging menu.

House-made Yogurt

More bananas, this time with house-made yogurt and walnuts (RM8.80).

Serious about Coffee

The coffee? They have the equipment and the expertise to take it seriously here.

Ministry of Coffee depends on Doi Chaang single-estate organic Arabica coffee, shade-grown, hand-picked and sun-dried, with profits shared fairly with thousands of indigenous Akha farmers in mountainous, ecologically sustainable Thai plantations.