Words: Aisling Cullen Photos: Monica Tindall
Have you heard about ‘hygge’? It’s a Danish word that has been trending for quite a while now, and roughly translates into ‘cosiness’ or retreating into your familiar comforting bubble while seeking out the little pleasures in life. The concept of hygge (pronounced hoo-guh) is spreading across the world and finally it has reached KL in the form of Kopenhagen Coffee.
Owner Peter Sehested is from Copenhagen himself, and he’s very familiar with how to make a space feel homely. Even though Kopenhagen Coffee is minimalist in style, the open kitchen, light space and friendly staff make it feel warm and welcoming.
The food is equally unpretentious. Home baked breads and cakes, carefully chosen coffee beans and tealeaves (Normann tea from Denmark) and to-die-for ‘brookies’ – brownie cookies (more on those later!) – occupy a simple menu.
Peter’s ethos on the food selection is to have items that are fresh, healthy and straightforward, much like you would prepare yourself at home but made with extra tender loving care at Kopenhagen Coffee.
We were excited to try the Danish Breakfast as not only is it a new item on the menu, but it also features house made rye bread – a rare find in KL. Two thin slices of this dense grainy loaf were topped with banana on one half, and tomato and avocado on the other. A house blend granola caps a plain Greek yoghurt with a side of honey to sweeten things up.
The wholemeal pumpkin seed bread is a specialty at Kopenhagen and was delicious with the Tuna Mousse (RM15). Again, this dish oozes simplicity, but is very tasty with the lightly whipped tuna, fresh cherry tomatoes, mini pickles and spring onions. This filling can also we ordered on a bagel, which we hear is a popular choice.
The Carrot Cake (RM12) is incredibly moist with a thin coating of cream cheese. The cake is so moist that it only needs a small bit of cream cheese to lift the flavor. This is a strong competitor for one of the best in the city.
One item that I remember fondly of making at home is scones, and I have to say Kopenhagen Coffee’s scones are better than my moms (sorry mom!). The Raisin Scone (RM6) and Cranberry Walnut Scone (RM8) are crumbly, moist and moreish. Made with organic unbleached flour they have a natural tan hue – a perfect afternoon snack.
I had never tried or heard of a Brookies before (RM9 each or 2 for RM16). These were heaven for me. There are four flavours in total – Raspberry, Chocolate Mint, Peanut Butter and Salted Caramel. Half brownie, half cookie, they take the best element out of each of these items. They have the inside gooeyness of a brownie and the outside crumbliness of a cookie. They are also incredibly light which I wasn’t expecting, and an added bonus is that they are gluten-free too!
Peter admitted that while they don’t roast their own beans at Kopenhagen Coffee, he has ‘damn good coffee because we’ve damn good baristas’. The Latte (RM11) is served in a large ceramic cup, much larger than I have seen at any other café and the quality lives up to what Peter claims. It is damn good.
As we sipped on our lattes, Peter told us that Denmark has been voted the happiest nation on the planet for a number of years in a row now. We are glad that Peter is spreading a bit of this cheer and hygge in Mont Kiara. In Kopenhagen Coffee, hygge can be found in a crumbly scone, meeting with friends and drinking great coffee.
Reasons to visit: bright, cheery setting; great coffee; yummy rye bread; don’t miss trying a Brookie!
Kopenhagen Coffee
Vista Kiara, Jalan Kiara 3,
Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
www.facebook.com/kopenhagencoffee
+ 6 03 6211 6363
Open: Mon-Fri, 7am-7pm; Sat, 9am-7pm.