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 & Mark, this two-level cafe could help revive the once-thriving complex of SohoKL; it's comfortably cavernous, with a distinctive-looking decor & an obliging service team.
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 & toasted focaccia (RM18.80 nett) ...
... or with tortillas wrapped around barbecued organic chicken (RM21.80) ...
... & with smoked salmon & hollandaise sauce in English muffins (RM22.80). The kitchen insists on free-range poultry & lower-pesticide veggies in an effort to make these meals more wholesome than the norm.
Eggs emerge even in the Sunny Fish Burger (RM21.80), sandwiched in ciabatta bread with grilled barramundi, sauteed mushrooms & arugula.
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.
Quite like the sandwiches (available starting 3pm), particularly this one with avocados, house-made hash, roasted vegetables, mesclun mix, tomatoes & cheddar cheese in wholemeal bread.
Peanut butter alert! Banana sandwich with beef bacon & peanut butter (RM14.80).
Beetroot pancakes with maple syrup (RM14.80), another fun entry on the wide-ranging menu.
More bananas, this time with house-made yogurt & walnuts (RM8.80).
The coffee? They have the equipment & the expertise to take it seriously here.
Ministry of Coffee depends on Doi Chaang single-estate organic Arabica coffee, shade-grown, hand-picked & sun-dried, with profits shared fairly with thousands of indigenous Akha farmers in mountainous, ecologically sustainable Thai plantations.
All in all, a place with potential, one to watch in the months ahead.
Ministry of Coffee Soho KL
J-G-09, Soho KL, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
At the back of the block on the street level, behind the main road
Daily, 9am-11pm. Tel: 03-6211-5531
The Oct.-Dec. edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews of 100 eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013 (link expires Dec. 31, 2013; see blog entries after that date for new link).