Kaffa Espresso Bar, a Kuala Lumpur based vintage themed coffee bar, today launched its second outlet in Penang. The bar also unveiled its art gallery, featuring an art collection by Rofizano Zaino (Rofi) along with a demonstration of the art of coffee cupping, showcased by Coffee Sommelier, Claudio Pinto from Italy.
Speaking at the launch event, Dr. Darren Ng, Group Managing Director of Kaffa Espresso Bar said, “Most people perceive an espresso bar as just another coffee place with a cool name. However, it is so much more than that. It is the distinct yet subtle concept of the connection between coffee and art behind it that gives it the wow factor.”
“What gives Kaffa an additional edge over other normal cafés is the art gallery. It is dedicated to host solo art exhibitions, product launches and private events such as wedding receptions, anniversaries and birthdays. It is the perfect setting for a classy vintage affair. We take our coffee very seriously too. Everything on the menu; coffee related, is handcrafted by our Chief Barista. We also take pride in selling home-made cakes, and fusion menus which are rarely found elsewhere such as the Spicy Aglio Olio with Turkey Ham & Seaweed, Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich and our Chef’s Specialty, – the BBQ Beef Ribs,” he added.
Stirring up the indie café scene in Georgetown, Kaffa is anything but mainstream. A polished dark wood entrance, hanging light bulbs and quirky couches are part of the unique touches that complement their vintage vibe.
The art gallery, aptly named ‘The Imaginarium’, is a 700 square feet space which opened its doors with an art exhibition titled ‘Psyche’ by renowned international artist, Rofi, who has had his work showcased in many major cities around the globe such as New York, Amsterdam, Shanghai and many more.
“I enjoy painting faces and figures. More than mere portraits, the faces in my paintings are metaphors for personifying issues relating to identity, society, spirituality and socio-political affairs. I also like to depict my subjects bold and strong, but render them sensitively to draw out the vulnerabilities of each character. This is accentuated by a mix of materials and aesthetics to add to the symbolism in each work,” said Rofi.
Rofizano [email protected] with one of his masterpiece
Rofi, a graphic designer and self-taught painter has also been featured in the inaugural Singapore Art Exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum.
Kaffa Espresso Bar aims to take coffee to another level by partnering with Claudio Pinto, the Italian coffee expert in charge of spearheading Kaffa Espresso Lab (Kaffa’s roasting division) to develop different roasts and blends of coffee.
“We are truly dedicated in what we do, to the extent of doing everything on our own. We took a step further by roasting our own blends in order to perfect that cup of coffee. Claudio Pinto from Italy is the Coffee Sommelier who blends Kaffa’s own brew of coffee. In time to come, a key feature in our outlets is to attempt to have a roaster machine right at our bar so that our customers will be able to see the roasting work in progress,” explained Dr. Darren.
Kaffa Espresso Bar will be opening another two more outlets by year end. One at Bandar Sri Damansara in Kuala Lumpur and the other will be at the Penang International Airport.
The launch event ended with a “coffee cupping session” by Coffee Sommelier, Claudio Pinto. Guests and members of the media had the opportunity to experience first-hand what coffee cupping is all about, where Claudio demonstrated a typical cupping procedure which involved deeply sniffing the coffee, then loudly slurping the coffee so that it spreads to the back of the tongue.
According to Claudio Pinto, this is to measure aspects of the coffee’s taste, specifically the body (texture or mouth feel such as oiliness), sweetness (the perceived sweetness at the sides of the tongue), acidity (a sharp and tangy feeling at the tip of the tongue, like when biting into an orange), flavour (the characters in the cup), and aftertaste.
“Since coffee beans embody tell-tale flavours from the region where they were grown, cuppers can attempt to identify the coffee’s origin,” said Pinto.
Kaffa Espresso Bar opening hours: Monday – Sunday: 08:00 till late.
For more information on Kaffa Espresso Bar, visit www.mykaffa.com.
