KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 — It’s a concerto of flavours and textures: refreshing and tangy, bubbly and caffeinated. The slice of dehydrated citrus perks up my glass of espresso draught, transforming it from mere coffee or nitro brew to something… different.
Something or some place different is as good a description as any to describe a visit to the Barista Guild Asia Café.
Located off Old Klang Road, within the green enclave of little-known Jalan Jugra, this is the very definition of a hidden gem.
Blink and you’d miss the tree-sheltered entrance to Barista Guild Asia. Enter, and be welcomed by a gravel-paved walkway and mature shrubbery.
Inside a couple of separate buildings — one part of a single storey-house, the other a glass-walled workshop — there is coffee brewing equipment galore.
The idea here seems to be: Escape from the city with lush greenery and plenty of coffee.
Blink and you’d miss the tree-sheltered entrance to Barista Guild Asia.
What is more astonishing is that the serene and soothing café is but a by-product; Barista Guild Asia is first and foremost a barista and coffee training academy.
Courses at Barista Guild Asia are designed for a wide variety of students — from curious coffee consumers to coffee professionals and café owners.
These programmes, ranging from Basic Latte Art and Cupping Protocols to Brewing Science and Corporate Training, offer something for everyone, from beginners to entrepreneurs looking to grow their business.
Barista Guild Asia was founded by Daniel Liew and David Leong, both Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) trainers.
Escape from the city with lush greenery and plenty of coffee.
Liew — also the Academic Director and a Licensed Q-Arabica Grader — is a beaming presence whenever he’s around; affable in the way most accomplished trainers are, yet still passionate about sharing his years of coffee knowledge.
Liew has assembled a cracking team at Barista Guild Asia: café owner Muhammad Zakir, roaster Choo Wei Pin, administrative maestro Chua Yi Lin and outlet manager Koh Wei Yang.
If these roles seem rather clear-cut, the distinction might be necessary because here at Barista Guild Asia, everyone is a trainer and barista. Which makes it extra special, knowing every cup that you enjoy at the café is made by a barista-trainer.
Which means more than flawless technique but also a sound knowledge of the beans and various beverages that one can conjure up from them.
The cheerful barista-trainers at Barista Guild Asia: Chua Yi Lin, Choo Wei Pin and Muhammad Zakir.
Noticing that I enjoyed my espressos, Liew told me he’d like to make me one using his favourite method.
Bizarre as it sounds, given that an espresso machine works by employing pressurised hot water, Liew told me he would first cool down his portafilter by keeping it in the fridge!
Now I am no barista, but that sounded decidedly odd. Here is where I learned to trust a true coffee professional.
By chilling the portafilter before dosing and extracting his espresso shots, Liew preserved more flavour compounds in the coffee. The cup I had was syrupy and sweet, with the acidity and floral notes heightened considerably.
It was simply delicious.
Rose latte (left). Outlet manager Koh Wei Yang getting customers more water (right).
On another visit, it was Chua who made me an espresso with the same technique. It has become a favoured approach to enjoy this beverage though it is by no means the only way to enjoy an espresso, or indeed, coffee.
There is the rose latte Choo made me once, when I told him I had no idea what I felt like having. Surprise me, I said.
(This is a useful instruction when you’re a regular at a reputable café; it’s perhaps not the best idea to try it at a coffee shop that you’re visiting for the first time; you might be more shocked than surprised.)
The result was a mildly sweet caffè latte, redolent of perfumed flowers and dusted with a shower of dried rose petals. It’s easy to be happy with what you asked for when you put yourself in reliable hands.
Syrupy and satisfying: the last espresso of the day.
The names of some of the drinks on the menu alone would entice anyone to explore further: Tongue Coater and Bulletproof. Golden Latte and Unicorn Latte. Cold Cap and Dan’s Double-Double.
(On the last two beverages: the former is a cold cappuccino and the latter is something that ought to keep you awake all night…)
Me, I veer from an eye-opening double espresso some mornings to a sweeter and more intense ristretto. It can be with a tiny bit of regret as I sip the last drop of my last espresso of the day. Syrupy and satisfying, with the promise of more when I next drop by this green sanctuary for coffee lovers.
Barista Guild Asia
No. 5, Jalan Jugra, off Old Klang Road, KL
Open Sun-Fri 10am-4pm; Sat closed
Tel: 011-5694 0855
Web: bga.com.my
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