KUALA LUMPUR March 2 — There’s something magical about taking a peek past the shamrock-shaped window into the little laboratory within.
No leprechauns here, only a gleaming Pratter (an Indonesian-built coffee roasting machine) and the aroma of freshly roasted beans.
A deep whiff of caffeine in the air is enough to get you levitating, which is appropriate given the name of this establishment is Afloat Coffee Roaster.
Headed by business and life partners Loo Choy Leng and Jimmy Leong, Afloat is a somewhat new kid on the block that has been drawing droves of coffee lovers in the know. The couple opened their café and micro coffee roastery in a tree-lined enclave of Bukit Jalil last May.
The name "Afloat” is in itself a conversation starter for many new customers. Loo explains, "This name came across our minds when we were about to sleep. It started with a Chinese word — 浮生 (fúshēng) — or 'the floating life’.”
The word comes from a Chinese phrase — tōu dé fúshēng bànrì xián — which can be translated as "stealing half a day of leisure”, a romantic notion that struck a chord with the couple.
Leong says, "We hope Afloat is where you can find yourself some tranquillity and carefree moments during your bustling day.”
The dream, then, was to serve coffee to customers in a chill environment so they would leave their worries behind.
Opening a café in the post-pandemic era was also a personal challenge; Loo shares, "We really want to showcase the strength of a new micro roaster in this era of new norms.”
Boutique coffee roasters are no longer a rarity in Malaysia however, much less the Klang Valley. So how does Afloat stand out in an increasingly competitive field?
Simplicity is the keystone of their approach. Specialty coffee can still be confusing for the layperson so Afloat has categorised their beans into three catchy labels: Macro, Micro and Unique.
The Macro range revolves around coffees that have a balanced taste experience, suitable for one’s daily cuppa. Leong says, "It’s not necessarily nutty or bold yet it’s easy to sip every day.”
For more depth of flavour, the Micro label will be your best bet. Loo says, "Usually coffees that we tend to showcase in our Micro range have more complexity. These are clean and delicate.”
Finally, the beans that they source for their Unique label include those that have undergone special processing methods or are rare varietals and even award-winning coffees. The uniqueness here lies in surprising the jaded palates of customers who are seasoned coffee drinkers.
Afloat’s style of roasting isn’t rigid but catered to the ideal roast profile of a specific bean, typically taking its origin into consideration. For instance, given that their recent Kenya Gichataini Washed is a denser coffee bean meant to be served as filter coffee, Leong went for a medium light roast to bring out its juiciness.
He adds, "And that’s not forgetting the ideal sweetness development too. As the head roaster, I spend a lot of time studying both theories and practices to ensure I don’t waste the efforts of the coffee farmers.”
Catering solely to the most ardent of caffeine addicts would be a precarious endeavour though. Most cafés in KL would struggle to serve only coffee; usually some food menu is required to keep customers returning.
Loo says, "As our focus is in coffee, we work with different bakers every quarter to highlight their baked goods and brands at our place. These bakers are passionate members of their industry as well, and we admire their dedication in continuing serving great quality products to end users.”
I remember how, during a visit to Afloat last year, I enjoyed some limited edition pastries from their collaboration with Dou Dou Bake, another successful food business that launched during the pandemic.
There were double-baked almond croissants that were slow smoked with maple wood, and Mediterranean tarts filled with garlic ricotta and marinated zucchini, finished with a drizzle of honey lemon dressing.
Those who preferred something savoury weren’t left out thanks to Dou Dou Bake’s sesame and furikake pillow danish topped with a dollop of umami cream.
Regulars now look forward to the next exciting baker when a new season approaches at Afloat; their current pastry partner is PJ’s Wild Yeast Bakery, another favourite of mine.
That sense of seasonality extends to even the exterior where the great outdoors can be enjoyed via the café’s cosy balcony. Verdant treetops blossom with pink flowers. An orange cut-out in the alcove ceiling mimics that of a cheerful sun in mid-trek across the sky.
Everything is fashioned to evoke a Zen feeling of calm, Loo notes. She shares, "Our café design leans towards sleek and minimalist, cool yet not losing warmth. We utilised black tones at the bar to denote our baristas’ professionalism and warmer, brown shades for the customers’ seating area.”
Take a look around the aforementioned bar, and it’s remarkable how smoothly the busy baristas go about their duties despite the non-stop inundation of orders. Everything has to be well planned and meticulously arranged for optimised workflow.
Leong explains, "The biggest thing that we have learned since starting our business is to constantly educate the talents in our team, to ensure we deliver not just consistent but better quality.”
This investment in training is all the more pressing given that our food and beverage (F&B) industry has been facing manpower supply issues since the start of the pandemic. Afloat isn’t immune to this challenge, as Loo swiftly points out.
She says, "Despite many baristas having sent in their resumes, not many are able to pull it through. Baristas may seem like an ‘easy’ profession. Most of the time, many think decent brewing skills or customer service would be sufficient to be a barista.”
However, in practice, the couple has found that many eager beavers lack deeper knowledge of coffee - from the flavour notes and a developing a discerning palate to understanding of the field as a whole.
"Frankly speaking, we do set very high bar on ourselves in delivering the best cup of coffee to our customers,” says Leong. "We run tastings on all the coffees every morning and keep track of our customers’ feedback.”
With this robust foundation, Afloat is expanding their reach via e-commerce. Loo shares, "Setting up an online delivery platform will be next. We are also planning a special coffee edition for our one-year anniversary, weekend cupping sessions and brewing workshops for both professional and home brewers.”
Competitions will feature greatly in their future as the visibility from barista contests often help a newbie café’s profile. This includes coaching baristas to compete nationally, Loo taking on a judging role (she recently became a world certified judge) and Leong participating in roasting competitions.
From going deep into coffee lore and roasting techniques to developing mutually beneficial relationships with other artisanal F&B purveyors, Afloat is redesigning how a coffee business can be run in KL in their own way. Call it their Macro, Micro and Unique points-of-view.
Seasons come and seasons go. Something tells me this café, led by two people who are so clearly devoted to and fervent about their craft, will only grow and grow with every passing season, not unlike the beautiful blooms outside their balcony.
Afloat Coffee Roaster
2nd Floor, 2-15, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 13, Arked Esplanad, Bukit Jalil, KL
Open Tue-Sun 8am-6pm; Mon closed
Tel: 019-727 1699
IG: instagram.com/afloatcoffeeroaster/
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
