One Cafe, Kuchai Lama

What seemed like a wannabe cafe turned out to be quite a nice place to hangout for decent coffee and bread.


One Cafe sounds very much like a very wannabe Malaysian name for a cafe, and I didn't really expect to even try it out. It's located beside Phoenix Eyes, right in the corner of the area, one turn away from the back lane of a row of shops. If it still confuses you, it's opposite the Continental car service lot, which is a few lots next to Secret Loc Cafe.


It's not a place that you would really notice, but it should really come to attention for their beverages and their breads.


The cafe layout reminded me of Donutes in Bandar Puchong Jaya - a window facing outside for coffee orders and collection. The counter and menu opposite the entrance, and beside the entrance are an assortment of breads and buns in displays.


There are both indoor and outdoor seats, the indoor seats being assorted into casual chat tables, tables along benches which are more suitable for work, and a red sofa in the corner - for those who likes to snuggle. The cafe is small, though - the sofa is situated right outside the back room and washrooms, but there weren't any foul smells traceable, so I shall assume that they have very hygienic lavatories.


Self-service is how this cafe works - you order and take your own food and beverage to the table. Oh, and there are more baked selections toward the left side of the counter (on the right, if you're ordering). The baristas were pleasant and friendly,


The prices were very affordable, to my delight. Chatime notwithstanding, most artisan and novelty coffee joints charge about MYR10-15 for a standard cup of latte or cappucino. The prices here are about MYR2-5 cheaper than the standard market price (not including Starbucks and CBTL).


A selection of coffee and teas are available, and this would be a perfect place for afternoon tea (or coffee), or a place to just chill. I went at night - the lights were yellow and quite dim, probably more suitable for a small, quiet gathering than an actual chat-over-coffee event.

No banana for scale.

I chose a mocha roll off one of the display trays - the size of it is roughly the size of my hands put together, filled adequately with chocolate. It was soft and springy, but no coffee was detected throughout the devouring of the baked good.


The SO ordered a tiramisu coffee, which I finally satisfied my craving for a matcha latte. It's actually hard to find a good matcha latte because so many of them are so laden with milk and/or sugar that it just overpowers the robust flavor of matcha.

It comes with a long, slim popsicle stick as a stirrer.

They both came in Starbucks-esque paper cups, complete with a Styrofoam sleeve, and the beverages were likely shaken, not stirred (or chucked into a blender to foam up). I was daft enough to forget to sample the tiramisu coffee, but I was very satisfied with my matcha latte.


Now, I have a tendency for very sweet food, so my sweetness tolerance may differ from others, but I found it just mildly sweet enough, while the flavor of matcha had the spotlight to itself for once.


Overall it was a good place to just chill, and if need be, work in a nice and quiet environment. I personally love cafes that are cozy, dim, and quiet (dim meaning no glaring white lights, preferably yellow lighting). And it would be a place that I would visit quite frequently due to the quality of it's wares, staff attitude, and the environment. Also, one must not forget WiFi, accessible with the password: coffeeandtea.


Location - 8.5 / 10 (relatively accessible, but parking might be a problem during the day)
Atmosphere - 8.5 / 10 (absolutely lovely, quiet enough, but might not be for you if you prefer brighter cafes)
Food & beverage quality - 9 / 10 (maybe it's my low standard, but it's hard to find a good matcha latte)
Price - 9 / 10 (super inexpensive)
Value for money - 9.5 / 10
Service - 8 / 10 (not really applicable, but the s

taff were nice and pleasant)


1CAFE, KUCHAI LAMA
No. 52A-G, Ground Floor,
Jalan Kuchai Maju 6,
Off Jalan Kuchai Lama,
Kuchai Entrepreneur's Park,
58200 Kuala Lumpur.

Photos taken with Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Photos edited with Fotor app
Address info taken from Kuchai Address