Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

I almost wanted to throw a tantrum of mega proportion yesterday evening. No, not out of stress, the dreaded Monday blues or even the causal effects of the gloomy Monday weather.

Heck, I was not even cranky due to insufficient caffeine running through my bloodstream.

The internet’s down for no reason, and the images of all the vrooming/zooming/swishing Unifi ads ran through my mind.

“How utterly misleading.”

Thankfully, the weekend was good. Wait, scrap that.

It was MARVELOUS. For more reasons than one. Since I was being told that I write more garbage/nonsense/irrelevant details/grandfather’s story than a proper review, let me share this reclusive hideout of a cafe in a plant nursery; disguised behind the gorgeous foliage of greens … 

“In pursuit of our concept – the intermingle of Art, Nature and Coffee…”

Foodie At Work – You don’t need spacious round tables with glossy finishing, modern touches or even constructed from exceptional, luxurious materials. To embrace the nature, you need to be one with the environment.

And so there we were, seated at elbow’s/knee’s length from each other, gently caressed by the artificial breeze (there was only one table fan that stubbornly refused to rotate), and beads of sweat forming on the forehead of some.

It was not the coolest day, that’s for sure.

But, this place is more than just a cafe. Call this a sanctuary; to that extent.

“A secret hideout to sip your premium coffee and spend a couple of minutes letting your mind relax and run away ! Sometimes you just want to relax and be yourself…”

The entire cafe was shaded by plants, trees and roofs made of straw-like materials. Every nook and corner was gloriously letting in rays of the sun. And you know how natural lighting creates the best photographs.

Knee-high tables and stools, painted in a myriad of cheerful shades; some even with drawings with humourous remarks.

Run by a couple of unorthodox entrepreneurs; Coffee In Love started back in June 2011. And the reason for the unconventional choice of location in a nursery?

“We just love the concept of serving our best coffee in a plant nursery, using all recycle furniture and stuff and some creative ideas and all done with our own bare hands, no contractors involved.”

They cook/bake from the freshest produce. So if you’re wondering where’s the menu?

There’s none. Aside from a list of their beverages; dominated by a rich selection of coffee and juices.

“We are proud to introduce our “single origin Supremo beans” 100% Columbian beans. It is whole beans (not broken nor mixed), and by far the largest by size.”

“Because we do not mix the beans, thus all similar size and character, the roasting will be even and fully extract the aroma of the Columbian beans.”

And damn, if you’re sick of the usual cloyingly sweet selection of desserts elsewhere, try the cupcakes.

Not mere generic options though; you get Lemon Poppyseed, Dark Chocolate with Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter and a Guinness version.

Yes, with alcohol … but a faint hint of stout infused into the velvety texture of the chocolate-based cupcake. Refreshing, not too potent yet decadent enough.

Sometimes they have hot dogs, sandwiches, and the casual bites for in-between meals. After all, they are only operating during the leisure hours or the lost time, if you will; between 2-7pm daily, and 12-7pm on weekends.

When we were there that day, Alison recommended us to taste the trifle too. But since we were reasonably bloated from lunch prior to the coffee session, we refrained from temptations.

The place may appear to be situated in a remote location with bare necessities and miles away from civilization. But in reality, Coffee In Love is right smack in Desa Hartamas, within a short distance from Solaris Mont Kiara and Hartamas Shopping Centre.

The cupcakes were tastily done; without excessive cosmetic-enhancement effort, yet mighty gorgeous and wholesome without the unnecessary sugar rush. The coffee was passable, though I was actually anticipating for a more robust flavour; given the nature of their business and the hyped Colombian beans. Maybe should have gone for the Espresso or Macchiato instead of the Latte.

Price range around RM5-10 for the drinks, RM4.50 for the cupcakes, and they even have cupcake-coffee combo for a more irresistible offer. You can also book the whole place for a BBQ dinner, for around RM60 per person.

Bear in mind that the cafe is run by only one person, or at most two at any one time. So the wait might get relentless if say, you’re dying from dehydration.

But what’s the point of rushing when you’re seated in the middle of this alluring place, with a character of its own; sipping on coffee, reading a good book and munching on delectable small bites.

“This could be the tranquil respite in the city that we all crave for, but have never found …”

COFFEE IN LOVE @ EASTERN NURSERY (Website. Facebook)
Off Jalan Sri Hartamas 1,
Kuala Lumpur.
Business hours : 2pm – 7pm (Tues-Fri), 12pm – 7pm (Sat-Sun)
Closed on Mondays.
Tel No : Helen : 012 3139831, Alison : 019 3828074
Google Map to Coffee In Love (hope this is right)
GPS Coordinates : 3.166012,101.663747
Directions : In Desa Hartamas. With Plaza Damas on your left, go down the road, after about 150m, you will come to an underpass. After the underpass, on the left is the plant nursery, Eastern Nursery. Go right in. Cafe is called “COFFEE IN LOVE”  

*Some quotes, contact information and directions taken from their website HERE.

**Here are more write-up’s from Kuali.com, Karen’s Kitchen, Sean of Eat Drink KL