The Optimist Coffee at Ampang: Restaurant Review

The cup is always full, never half-empty, at The Optimist Coffee, serving flat whites, roasted hazelnut lattes & pandan lamingtons with plenty of smiles outside the Ampang Park LRT station’s street-level entrance starting this week, 7am-7pm.

Plenty of Smiles and Confidence

Even the kiosk’s customers seem more cheerful than expected, buoyed perhaps by their confidence in the coffee here.

Rich and Robust Coffee

The flat white (RM7.90) & iced roasted hazelnut latte (RM9.90) might be served in disposable containers, but they taste as indispensable as what we’d find in many cafes. Rich & robust, perking up commuters & city workers since December 2014. Quote-of-the-day stickers on the coffee cups may vary from customer to customer.

Sizeable Selection

Quite a sizeable selection for a rather small space – everything from espressos (RM5.90) to hot chocolates (RM7.90) to mochas, vanilla lattes & salted caramel lattes (RM8.90 for hot) for the steady stream of patrons.

Take Away Snacks

Customers can also take away snacks – the pandan lamingtons are completely satisfying, well-balanced in taste & texture, well-priced for RM3 each. Brownies, pastries & sandwiches might be available, if they’re not already sold out in the afternoon.

Only a five-minute walk from the office where we worked last year; it’s too late for us to enjoy the caffeine here regularly, but we’re hopeful The Optimist Coffee – which seems to be an independently run business – will open more outposts eventually.