UNDERGROUND SOCIETE,
68 Jalan PJS 11/7,
Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
Tel: 03-5613-3851
Business hours: 11am-2am, daily.
Pork free.
JUST like any other coffee outlet, the baristas at the newly-opened Underground Societe in Bandar Sunway, will gladly serve your regular cup of joe.
In fact, they’d be more than happy to show off their free-pour coffee art of hearts, tulips and swans, with an extra dash of Bailey’s or Kahlua for just RM2.
But for a change, you should try the house specialty-cold brewed coffee from the tap — just like your Guinness Stout but without the alcohol,
Choong Kar Wai and Choong Kar Heng, the two brothers who own the place, said the cafe was the only place that served coffee this way at the moment.
“It took us six months to get the right balance,” said Kar Wai of the coffee-and-nitrogen mixture.
Having started experimenting for the fun of it, the Choong brothers said they had gone through 15 to 20 kegs, each with a capacity for 10l brewed coffee, before they got the formula right.
Long, cool one: Kar Weng (left) and Kaw Wai started with carbon dioxide gas at first but changed to nitrogen later when they realised that was what Guinness Stout used to get a good head of foam.
The brothers started with carbon dioxide gas at first but changed to nitrogen later when they realised that was what Guinness Stout used to get a good head of foam.
The challenge then was getting the ratio of gas to coffee right.
“We don’t want to reveal too much but the process of creating foam in coffee is more challenging because there is the presence of powdery sediments,” said outlet manager Ernest Ng.
For the right equipment, Kar Wai went online to do the initial research before he found a local supplier.
The system, he explained, was similar to the one used in bars serving draught beer.
A faucet handle draws coffee from a keg connected to air lines supplying gas to the brew.
Priced at RM15, coffee from the tap is served in a chilled glass and best drunk without sugar, though a syrup option is available upon request.
Coffee from the tap The Choong brothers took half a year of playing around with the right mix of nitrogen gas to get the right taste and consistency.
The house blend of medium roasted beans from South America tastes very much like the black dog brew so beloved by roughnecks looking for a cold way to unwind after a long day’s work.
Owing to its non-alcoholic nature, the Choong brothers said it was both ideal as a morning perk-me-up and a cold treat on hot afternoons.
Guests invited by the Choong brothers got their first sip at the cafe’s soft opening recently, washing down the canapes of slipper lobster, tuna with hollandaise sauce and smoked salmon pizzas with coffee on tab.
The cafe also introduced its brunch and after six menu.
For a hearty brunch, they have a tenderloin steak on black burger, embellished with fried egg, mushroom casserole and deep fried onions (RM33).
For after six meals, a grilled salmon (RM36) and rack of lamb with mint crust (RM38), both served with gratin potato and garden vegetables, are recommended. All prices are before tax.
This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.
