I have been asked if my blog is about cycling or about eating. It is a fair question. Cycling and eating go hand-in-hand in my world and those of my cycling companions. Almost every ride includes a meal stop either mid-ride or after the ride.
Sometimes, the choice of café or restaurant is entirely opportunistic. We stop at the place that appeals most at that time. Other times, we have a food and/or drink stop in mind before we start riding. These are the regular stops along the routes I ride the most.
Psyclist Café
Psyclist Café is the preferred stop when we do loops up and down Persiaran Saujana. The café is in Dataran PHB, one floor up from street level. There is a bike rack at the entrance to the café. Once inside, it is obvious that the owner is a cycling buff. Vintage bicycles line the walls. Classic jerseys and bicycle components sit under the glass on the long table.
The food and the coffee are delicious. The staff are attentive and friendly. The last time we went there we were given cold towels to wipe our faces Very nice.
Tingkat 1, Block F Dataran PHB, Saujana Resort, Seksyen U2, 40150 Shah Alam
Monday – Saturday: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday: 8:00 am – 2:00 pm
Common Man
Common Man Coffee Roasters (CMCR) is a café concept and specialty coffee brand established in Singapore in 2013. CMCR works directly with farmers, millers, roasters and exporters. CMCR has its own Roastery and Barista Academy and operates 6 cafés in Singapore, 2 in Malaysia and 2 in Manila.
The CMCR café we go to is in Taman Tun. There is no bike rack, but there is a lot of space outside the café for bicycles. CMCR aims to provide the best brunch in town. This café does not disappoint in that regard.
A-G-1 New Podium, Plaza Vads, 1 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad. 60000 Kuala Lumpur
Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday – Sunday: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm (last orders at 5:30 pm)
Street Bakers
On the other side of the city centre is Street Bakers. Street Bakers is an outdoor roadside stall only open on Saturdays and Sundays. It is no ordinary roadside stall. Run by a master baker and her family, Street Bakers offers croissants, muffins, cookies, cakes, sweet and savoury pies, sausage rolls, hot sandwiches, lasagna and a few other delicious eats. Sip Spot next door provides coffee and tea.
We lean our bicycles in a convenient spot and sit at tables under the trees. Very pleasant.
There is the occasional weekend when Street Bakers is not open. Check their Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/streetbakers23/ to see if they will be open that weekend, and to see that weekend’s menu.
Roadside stall between Masjid Al-Mardhiyah and Bulatan Hillside, Jalan Taman Melawati, Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur
Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
AMP Café
Immediately south of Street Bakers is AMP Café. AMP Café is relatively new. One of my cycling buddies is a trained chef. He designed the menu and helped set up this café. AMP Café has become very popular in the short time it has been operating. I was there this morning. Most of the tables, both inside and outside, were occupied. There was also a steady stream of delivery riders picking up orders. Good to see.
The food and coffee are delicious. Much of what this café serves is made from scratch. Items like their nut butter, ricotta cheese, chicken patties and, of course, all their baked goods.
65 Jalan Memanda 9, Taman Dato Ahmad Razali, 68000 Ampang
Monday – Sunday: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
If Only
Closer to home is If Only Restaurant. I regularly ride past If Only on my solo rides from my apartment.
Excellent coffee and pastries are available from 7:00 am. The beetroot and the tomato Danish are worth ordering. The kitchen opens at 9:00 am. I have had some items from the breakfast menu. Also very good.
Ground floor, Regal House, 1, Jalan U Thant, Taman U Thant, 55000 Kuala Lumpur
Sunday – Monday: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday – Saturday: 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
The kitchen opens at 9:00 am
BLVCK Coffee
This coffee van is parked on weekends at the T-junction of Jalan Tun Ismail and Jalan Tunku. The van sits at the top of a hill, so a climb is required to get to it. It is on my route home whenever I ride to Sri Hartamas or Damansara Heights. A caffeine hit 3 km from home hits the spot.
I stop there for a latte, but they serve a variety of hot brewed and cold bottled coffees. You can usually relax in one of the seats set up on the pavement. Failing that, the curb is high enough to sit on.
The posted operating time is from 7:45 am, but the van has been known to be late. The van can also be reserved for special events, so it might not turn up.
Check their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BLVCKcoffeeMY/ or their Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/blvckcoffee.my/?hl=en
Bukit Tunku. Jalan Tun Ismail 1, Bukit Tunku , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 50480
Saturday and Sunday: 7:45 am – 1:30 pm
RGB
RGB (Really Good Beans) has been in their renovated bungalow for at least eight years. RGB serves a substantial Asian and Western breakfast menu until 2:00 pm. The coffee there lives up to the Really Good Beans moniker.
Another plus is the covered bike rack. There are usually other cyclists there, so you don’t feel out of place in your lycra and cycling shoes.
35, Jalan Damai, Kampung Datuk Keramat, 55000 Kuala Lumpur
Monday – Sunday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Crema
The last café on my list is also the closest to home. Crema is 160 metres away. In the daytime, it is Crema Pasticceria Moderna. Serving croissants, panini, egg dishes, amazing pastries, and Italian coffee and sodas. The pastry selection alone is sufficient reason to stop at Crema.
There is a lunch menu of more substantial dishes. Plenty of ceiling fans keep the outdoor terrace cool.
There isn’t a bike rack, but as you can see, there are pillars and trees to lean your bicycle against.
In the evening, the space becomes Florentine, an Italian steak house. The food is delicious no matter what time you eat there.
Old Roots, New Routes 