Philtre Coffee at Damansara Uptown: Snapshot

Plank by plank, piece by piece, Philtre Coffee has been painstakingly put together, with wall furnishings built with recycled wood, tables made of wrought iron salvaged from a scrap metal heap in Ipoh, and even an espresso machine found abandoned in a Batu Pahat junkyard.

Cafe specialty

The cafe’s specialities include its own-baked croissants, both the regular sort and a charcoal-black version, served with New Zealand’s Kapiti ice cream (lemongrass ginger is one possible flavour), ideally paired with a basic latte (with beans roasted by Melbourne’s Cottle Coffee). Vocabulary note: Philtre is a drink intended to arouse love and desire.