KL doesn’t have many scenic spots like the Puget Sound of Seattle or the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, but Malaysians will settle for holes-in-the-wall eateries anytime.
Take for example this humble cafe called Topaz that I found in the Kenny Hills (Bukit Tunku) area. It sits on the commercial floor of a small townhouse block called Taman Tunku.
It’s not anything spectacular, but the fact that it’s tucked away neatly from increasingly crowded areas makes it so inviting.
I’d much rather give to local establishments than to Coffee Bean or Starbucks. If there’s one thing we need to learn about improving our local economy, it’s about learning to buy from each other and not default to large franchises.
Down the road you will find a bookshop cum cafe cum tarot reading/astrology shop. A friend took me here once and that was how I came to know about this cosy spot in town. Then I came here again and sampled the lamb chop in a shop that sells western food. Topaz is mainly a bakery, though they do make sandwiches which are good for lunch on the go.
The best thing about this place is that I can actually breathe. The chairs are actually more comfortable, rather than formulaic franchise furniture made out of rubber wood and aluminum-pvc rattan chairs get you in and out of there in 15-30 minutes on average, which is a real pain because you’re paying at least RM7 for it. You wouldn’t want Starbucks furniture in your living room.
There’s probably a clause in franchise agreements where it says “set music volume to 50%”, “use only hard rubber wood”, “chairs must be hard and upright”, “only one lounge chair per 1000 square feet”, “staff must maintain a plastic service exterior and use American English slang and nuances”…
I’ll leave the directions alone and let you have the fun of finding out where Taman Tunku is. Kenny Hills is only so big, so I doubt it will be that difficult to find. If you need a landmark, it’s near some tennis courts and the kepong round-about.
Inside Taman Tunku
Originally uploaded by jaremfan.