South Korean coffeehouse chain Caffebene unveiled its first two branches in Malaysia this year, bringing its people-pleasing selection to Sunway Pyramid & Solaris Mont Kiara's SohoKL, with plans for the next outlet in Penang.
Liege waffles _ an increasingly familiar sight on KL's cafe menus _ are among the specialities here. This version crowned with 'tteok' rice cake & nuts (RM13) makes for a uniquely Belgian-Korean collaboration, with the crusty base & the glutinous topping supplying a dense chew.
'Patbingsu,' the Korean shaved-ice dessert with red bean paste is available in various forms here; the one with Caffebene's own-made coffee gelato (RM10.80) makes the most sense to try here. Other options include strawberry bingsu or cookies & cream.
Even an affogato (RM8) that might seem boldly experimental with cream-cheese-flavoured gelato turns out to taste safely conventional, since nothing here is strikingly robust, for better or worse.
Unfortunately, that characteristic makes Caffebene's Kenyan single-origin hand-drip coffee (RM8) border on blandly sterile.
The silver lining is that the beverages here won't taste too sweet: the misugaru non-coffee 'latte' (RM12) is pretty enjoyable, a creamy, shake-like blend of toasted grains.
Juices, yoghurt smoothies & assorted teas are offered too; all in all, there's no reason why Caffebene shouldn't be a success in a nation where Starbucks & Korean pop culture enjoy widespread appeal.
Other Ratings:Taste
2 |
Environment
2 |
Service
2 |
Clean
3 |
Value for Money
2 Recommend