KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Sometimes in life you have to take a risk.
We had never been to this café before, which isn’t something I would normally think twice about except I am meeting my barista friend on his day off. When one is a coffee professional, one’s standards must surely be higher, I reckon.
First impressions count. We are greeted by a large tree at the gate of this terrace house, the branches spreading wide and high, creating a canopy to protect customers from the elements.
High enough that the topmost branches seem to scrape the sky, which lends to the overarching theme of the café. Its name, Yún Shù Kāfēi, translates as “Cloud Tree Coffee” in Mandarin.
Quite literally: YunShu Coffee, where the clouds and trees meet.
Past the pebble-strewn garden is a small alcove where the baristas hold fort, the espresso machine at the front, pour over drippers on the side and a carefully curated display of porcelain cups against the wall, each one different and each with its own story.
We wonder which cup will hold our coffee. We wonder whose story it would tell.
Other customers make a beeline for the interior, where the air conditioning shields them from the worst of the heat. We decide to stay outside, lounging in low chairs in front of the coffee bar.
We can watch the barista pull espresso shots through the wide window. It is meditative to observe how he gently pours steamed milk into a cup he is cradling to form latte art.
It occurs to me that it really doesn’t matter whether he draws a tulip or a rosetta, a swan or a heart; it’s the very act of painting with hot milk and strong coffee that is truly riveting.
For my caffè latte, the barista tells me I have a choice of Colombia or Uganda. I choose to have coffee made with beans from Uganda. The acidity is pleasant, not too sharp.
Is there anything more thrilling than coffee that isn’t too bland or balanced?
Balance is overrated, I believe. We find a life less ordinary dancing about the edges. We take risks, small ones like visiting a café we have never been before; we are justly rewarded.
It helps that YunShu Coffee is located just down the road from my (newly minted) favourite tongsui shop. Part of the appeal is how I can saunter to Wang Tong Shui Station a few doors away and have a bowl of hak loh mai or fa sang wu when that shop opens at noon.
But for early birds, YunShu Coffee is a great spot to drop by for a flat white or a pour over brew before lunch and tong sui. (At least on weekdays, when YunShu opens at 8am; on weekends, the café opens later at 11am.)
I never said anything about taking too big a risk, after all. It always helps to have a backup plan.
For nibbles, we share a plate of their wittily named Rakyat Toast: slices of milk toast, French butter, homemade pandan kaya and two soft boiled eggs.
Similar enough to the fare you would get at a neighbourhood kopitiam, but with enough levelling up that one might feel the heftier price tag might be warranted. (Though let’s be honest, nothing beats eating roti bakar at a kopitiam.)
We take the time to enjoy a hand-brewed cuppa — slow coffee is what comes to mind — as we dust the breadcrumbs from our palms.
The sun climbs higher; it is almost midday. The barista comes out again and offers us some refreshing passion fruit kombucha, on the house.
Sometimes it is these small thoughtful acts that we remember long after the last cup.
As we depart, we turn around again and take in what we first saw when we arrived at the café: the verdant, welcoming garden and the salmon-hued front patio.
YunShu Coffee might be where the clouds meet the trees but this is also where more down-to-earth pursuits and pastimes take place. The slow brewing of coffee, the thoughtful conversations, the laughter and the smiles between each sip.
YunShu Coffee
103, Jalan Sepadu, Taman United, KL
Open Mon-Fri (except Tue closed) 8am-4pm; Sat & Sun 11am-7pm
Phone: 010-664 9388
IG: https://www.instagram.com/yunshuspace/
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