KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — Old buildings. Lush greenery. The heart of the city. Sounds like the perfect space for a good coffee place, no?
Which is exactly what Air Day Coffee, a quaint little café nestled in Bukit Seputeh in KL, provides. A haven from the bustle. An opportunity to slow down and recharge.
Air Day Coffee founder Lex Low, 28, first encountered specialty coffee when he was just 18. he recalls, “I worked at Await Café and was deeply influenced by my coffee mentor, Jane Lee.”
Air Day Coffee founder Lex Low (right). — Picture by CK Lim
During the pandemic, Low started an online shop that sold imported coffee gear from all over the world.
He adds, “At the same time, I also worked with my good friend Lois of Ah Gong House Café to transform an abandoned garage into a pour-over coffee studio called YiLuDou Roastery x Tlex Coffee Studio, where we sold our own roasted coffee beans, coffee equipment, and offered pour-over brewing workshops and sessions.”
With a decade of coffee industry experience under his belt, Low finally decided to open his own café last December.
Slow pour coffee. — Picture by CK Lim
He explains, “With Air Day Coffee, we wanted to provide a space where people can experience our own roasted coffee drinks and desserts in a comfortable environment.”
While espresso-based beverages are popular here, particularly for takeaway orders (they have a good number of regulars from the neighbouring offices), it is their style of hand brewing and slow pour coffee that commands a true following.
We had filter coffee from Da Lat, Vietnam. The beans had undergone a 48-hour anaerobic natural process; the resultant brew had unbelievable seaweed notes. Umami with every mouthful.
Apple Crumble Pie. — Picture by CK Lim
All the cakes and baked goods are homemade. A slice of their Apple Crumble Pie might make you hanker for an early fall season; the autumnal flavours and perfume of caramelised apples and a judicious hit of cinnamon are absolutely delightful.
Low suggested enjoying their filter coffee with their fruit cheesecake. He enthuses, “I’ve always thought that pour-over black coffee pairs perfectly with cheesecake. It’s the ultimate match!”
For a true thirst quencher, their Yuzu Soda pairs restorative sparkling water with bright citrusy notes.
The piccolo latte is a standout, the floral notes of a natural processed Ethiopia Sidamo blending really well with the carefully foamed milk. Almost wine-like, this coffee is sweet and juicy with hints of berries.
Yuzu Soda (left). Piccolo latte (right). — Pictures by CK Lim
The selection of beans is in part thanks to the in-house coffee roasting business. Low explains, “We started roasting our own coffee because it allowed us to stabilise quality and gain a deeper understanding of the process, adjusting the flavour to suit our preferences.”
Driven by a goal of offering a more diverse range of coffee options to their customers, Low sources “different high-quality beans and select ones that suit our taste and enable more people to experience specialty coffee.”
Attention to detail reigns, if nearly imperceptibly. The natural wood accents thanks to custom-made stools and benches. Retro cassette players and stacks of CDs. Pots of glossy-leaved Monstera.
Coffee gear from all over the world (left). Hand brewing (right). — Pictures by CK Lim
The care with small details extends to even Air Day Coffee’s logo. Designed by illustrator Kath McAvoy, it is inspired by the Chinese character “日” (Day) which resembles a cup as well as a wavy line representing flowing water.
Low shares, “Our logo reminds us of the natural way of life. This is why the logo and lines are hand drawn, rather than perfect lines, to reflect our brand’s image — to flow instead of rigidity.”
The ability to flow like water is particularly helpful when launching a new F&B business. As the late Bruce Lee put it: “Be formless, shapeless like water.”
Low agrees: “The challenge was learning to balance idealism with reality. Ultimately, I still love what I’m doing, so I feel that everything is worth it.”
Natural wood accents (left). The shop’s logo design is inspired by Nature (right). — Pictures by CK Lim
To that end, Air Day Coffee will continue to grow. Low says, “We will continue to develop more innovative coffee drinks paired with desserts. At the same time, we will start selling our own roasted coffee beans.”
For now, the café feels like a sanctuary, an oasis in the heart of the bustling city.
Low says, “The first time I saw this place, it reminded me of the old districts in Taiwan. In the city, there is an area resembling the suburbs, with shops surrounded by large trees and green leaves.”
Come here to escape the noise and the madding crowds, and rejuvenate. Relax, rediscover yourself, as you follow your life’s true flow.
Air Day Coffee
GF17, Jln Syed Putra,
Bukit Seputeh, KL
Open Wed-Sun 10am-7pm; Mon & Tue closed
Phone: 016-310 2062
IG: https://www.instagram.com/airday_coffee/
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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