Footsteps - Jotaro's Travels
Pekan Nanas, Johor, Malaysia - September 2018
There's this nice coffee place in Pekan Nanas, it's not an "Atas" (that's local speak for "up-market") place. In fact, it's a down right down to earth place! A no frills place that serves pretty good coffee in a simple but warm setting.
The place is Platform Coffee located somewhere in a quiet residential area near the town centre. AND one will be forgiven if one miss finding the place.
It's located in a single-storey house which, with it's thin bamboo fencing and corrugated roof, totally does not look like a coffee joint.
As one steps in a large bust lies in a corner of a small rock-garden foyer, it's that of an bald old man with a cheeky hands-in-the-mouth look, inviting patrons in.
The simple look belies what's inside. Within the front compound is the cafe. Even then, this interior does look like a cafe; it consists of a simple concrete bar counter which, except for a red coffee making machine, looks very much like a local kopi-tiam.
It's here at this counter that we meet owner-operator Ah Ping (Hui Phing). Dressed in just a simple dress, she looks more like a house-wife instead of the good barista that she is. But she is in her element, with a tweak here and a push there, she makes good coffee for her patrons!
The place looks quite chaotic, a hodge-podge mix of things that seems to be strewn all over. In one corner sits an antique old radio, with it's dials on a squarish face. On another counter an old Chinese rattan suitcase lies opened ....
At another corner sits a large shelf with odd looking clay mugs. There are even some small busts of a Japanese samurai, a roman gladiator and even one of a satyr. This are the handicraft made during the pottery workshops held by Platform Coffee.
But amidst this chaos is some order, the mugs are used to serve coffee and other drinks, their odd design adding to the uniqueness of the place.
Our coffee came; served in self-made cute cups. Together with the coffee came a liquor bottle, but it contained water and not any alcohol. So don't be fooled and get tipsy!
Mine came in a cute dark brown clay cup with a long-nosed face on one side and short stumpy legs at the bottom (kind of reminds me of myself, those stumpy legs not the long nose 😆). This was local coffee with condensed milk (on account of my lactose intolerance, no fresh milk for me 😰). Even though it was not one of those "atas" western coffee, my local one tasted very good - thick, robust with a hint of acidity.
Next to the coffee counter were these interesting looking antique Chinese rattan baskets. Perhaps they were part of the old stuff that this place displays.
A close up look at the rattan baskets; the paintings on them are exquisite, and reminds me of those antiquarian Nyonya bamboo tiffin carriers.
But these rattan baskets were not just for display; inside them were pastry, kept there to keep them moist and away from the drying air. This one held tempting looking chocolate brownies and Red Wine Walnut cake!
We selected the brownies and it came served on one of those cute self-made pottery dish - this time a blue one with a "We are the world" opened arms figurine. The brownies were beautiful to look at and even more beautiful to sink our teeth into; they were really delicious, full of chocolaty flavours, moist and soft to bite into!
From another basket we selected this Black Bean Loaf ; it was filled with black beans and also pumpkin seeds, and finally topped off with black and white sesame seeds. This was another wonderful pastry made by Platform themselves; very breadish with a good balance of beans and seed flavours and aromas.
And to go with the breadish bun, the olive oil dip was served in a saucer with a cow naughtily sticking out it's pink tongue.
A tempting fluffy croissant served with pats of good La Belle d' Andiane French butter.
This innocent looking cheesy Tomato Focacia conceals what lies within.
..... a layer of creamy cheese floating above slices of tomatoes. Although it looked a tad dry, it was in fact very creamy.
Opposite the coffee counter is a nice area with sofas and chairs for relaxing, all of these sits on a low platform.... Hey a sitting Platform! Was this how Platform got its name?
At one side of the platform is a plywood where patrons can leave memorable messages.... I stuck one of my AhPek Biker stickers at the top left corner!
Platform is more than a coffee bar, they regularly hole event workshops for people to pick up some artistic trade like basket weaving, pottery, etc. It's also a home-stay and within it's living room is a self-drawn cartoon-style map of Pekan Nanas.
Platform's coffee menu are two large plywood boards hanging behind the counter. Above is the Hot Coffee menu.
Platform's Iced Beverage menu.
Platform Pastry & Cake Menu
Other menu were chalk written onto small blackboard slates lying against some bicycles:
Here, they also sell the La Belle d' Andiane French butter which is used for baking.
Platform Coffee, Kulai
DH17A, Lorong A-4, Pekan Nenas, 81500 Pekan Nanas, Johor, Malaysia.
Tel: +6011-15136749
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/platform.coffee.homestay/
(Click here for Google Street View)
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