% Arabica Pavilion KL, the ever-popular coffee store from Japan, which we have been looking forward to, has finally opened their first outlet in Malaysia.
Originated from Kyoto, % Arabica Coffee is the brainchild of Kenneth Shoji, headed by barista Junichi Yamaguchi, a world champion of latte art (Not too sure about now, as Yamaguchi san seems to focus on here cafe, which is also located in the beautiful city). We can still remembered how we purposely took a bus trip to stop at the street near Hokanji temple, just to try our luck hoping to meet him there, and had a cup of latte poured by him. And yes, we were overjoyed seeing him there! But back then, % Arabica Cafe wasn’t that crowded, grab-n-go is relatively quick and easy.
Within just few years, % Arabica Coffee has expanded to different places, with over 80 outlets in more than 15 countries. And the number is still counting. The paper cup with the logo % has successfully become an iconic symbol for this establishment, continue to dream and grow across unique lands and cultures of the world, to “See the World Through Coffee”.
For % Arabica Coffee Malaysia, queue is expected, as early as 8.30AM on the first few days of their opening. Personally, we would say that it is worth queuing to experience the ambience, and give less comparison for the coffee. We love their clean, modern contemporary design – minimalist white walls, accentuated by clever use of reflective surfaces for striking finish. Bags of coffee filling up the shelves, adorning the space in a neat way.
Looking through % Arabica Pavilion menu, we found that price for their beverage are on higher side. Acceptable considering the brand and quality. Your can opt for either single origin/ blend beans, with choice of 4oz, 8oz, 12oz, depending on what you order. Our hot latte is RM16.8 for 8oz, and another cup of 8oz hot Matcha latte for RM19. Pair your drinks with canel, croissant, Pain Au Chocolat, Almond Croissant.
Verdict: If you asked is % Arabica Pavilion worth queuing, we would say you may try once, if you have the time, and the line is bearable to you. We do love the overall interior layout of %Arabica Pavilion, but talking about returning, yes but probably not so soon. Will drop by when there’s lesser crowd (*guess it will take quite some time) in future, for a better coffee experience.
% Arabica Pavilion
Address:
Lot 3.08.02 & E3.08.02, Connection
Level 3, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur,
168, Jln Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Opening hour: 10AM-10PM
Nearest public transport: MRT Bukit Bintang, 5 minutes walk
