Miss Coco Cafe, Bukit Bintang

Miss Coco Cafe, Bukit Bintang

Words: Nichole Ong
Photos: Rich Callahan

Under the leadership of Asmiriam Roa Cáceres and Gabriela Sandoval Araujo, Miss Coco adds to the vibrant Bukit Bintang cafe scene by bringing the richness of Venezuelan chocolate and aromas of Colombian coffee to Malaysia.

The only establishment in Malaysia to house a Loring S35 coffee roasting machine, the award-winning baristas at Miss Coco have mastered the art of the perfect cup. Combining skill, premium Colombian coffee, and high-end technology, they make superb espresso and specialty coffee.

Miss Coco also serves fine chocolate grown in Venezuela and Malaysia and processed in their very own laboratory, Alba Chocolatier. In addition to its two signature products, the cafe serves a range of authentic South American recipes guaranteed to deliver nostalgia to many Latinos far from home.

Miss Coco Cafe Bukit Bintang — Miss Coco Cafe

Venezuelan Colombian Restaurant Kuala Lumpur — Lorong S35 Coffee Roasting Machine

Miss Coco Cafe Bukit Bintang

The interior of Miss Coco is designed with its fusion of heritages in mind. The entry mural combines Venezuelan, Colombian, and Malaysian iconography in a vibrant splash of colour. The tables are made from coffee crates, and the bricks from the bar counter are a homage to the cities Gabi and Asmi hail from. A particular feature is the island counter in the middle of the space, where we could watch the expert baristas at work.

The Loring S35 machine at Miss Coco is not an ordinary coffee roasting machine. It is the first of its kind to use air to roast the beans, meaning that they heat from the inside out, making the profile more balanced and sweet. It is joined by the significantly smaller but powerful Mythos 85 titanium coffee machine, which enhances the flavour of the coffee by allowing for consistent speed and low temperatures, as well as the Tempesta Gara, which allows for a customisable and consistent flavour profile. This makes for the ultimate cup of espresso, made from Caturra coffee, which comes from the Tolima region in Colombia and is fermented for 36 hours to give a medium to dark profile. While offering simple syrup at the counter, Miss Coco steers away from offering different flavourings of coffee, encouraging the drinker to enjoy the natural flavour and profile of the beans. These are sourced from Colombian Supplier Cafe100anos, founded by farmer Newerly Gutierrez, who popularised filtered coffee in Colombia. Naturally, Miss Coco offers three types of specialty coffee (Pink Bourbon, Wush Wush, and Bourbon Chiroso), as well as three types of high specialty coffee (Geisha, Bourbon Sidra, and Blue Geisha), which provide a lighter, luxurious experience to coffee drinking with a variety of complex notes and preparation techniques.

As for the cacao, Miss Coco works with its sister company, Alba, to produce high-quality, international award-winning chocolate. Much of the cacao is sourced from Venezuela, which produces some of the best in the world. They also work with farms in Malaysia, which has risen in profile in recent years due to new farming techniques and training. This chocolate is processed either in-house (check out the chocolate tap next to the counter!) or in their lab in Putrajaya. At Miss Coco, chocolate comes in bars, spreads, hot cocoa, and sweet bites, with the spread winning medals from the Asia Pacific International Chocolate awards. Similarly, the Chemor Chocolate Bar from Perak won another two medals at the same awards.

Drinks Menu

Starting off with a classic, the Latte (RM 15) was a perfect balance of acidity and bitterness, having been blended and roasted in-house before reaching our cups. We appreciated the rich chocolate notes, along with some lighter, fruitier ones.

Miss Coco’s Espresso Tonic (RM 16) was light and refreshing, with the acidity from the Caturra blend mingling nicely with the tonic water. There were also lighter floral notes, which added sweet freshness to each sip.

As a special treat, we got to experience Farah present us with her signature Blue Geisha Filter Coffee (RM 20). A meticulous amount of detail goes into making each cup. Miss Coco has a grinder dedicated for filter coffee, as well as different shapes for the coffee to be poured through to influence the speed of the pour and the sweetness or acidity of the coffee. Farah’s presentation at the Aero Press coffee championships was called ‘Brewthm,’ combining brewing coffee with music. Farah sang a beautiful song in Spanish (a performance that has a track record of making Venezuelans cry) and presented us with the brew with notes of lavender and Jasmine.

As a combination of Miss Coco’s signatures, the Alba Chocolatier Mocha (RM 16) was intense and rich, combining high-quality chocolate with a strong caffeine kick. The authenticity of each component shines through, giving a rich and satisfying finish.

Likewise, the Dark Hot Chocolate (RM 14) was miles above the typical cup. It balances sweetness while being luxuriously rich, chocolatey, and smooth.

A cooler option, the Iced Milk Hot Chocolate (RM 15), is refreshing as expected, but the ice does not undercut the quality taste of the chocolate. Notably, because it is made with premium products, there is no artificial aftertaste, and I was able to appreciate the entire glass without feeling over-sugared.

Miss Coco’s Kombucha is also uniquely delightful, fermented with cocoa husk instead of tea. We appreciated this addition to the menu as it undercut the richness of the food, coffee, and chocolate. I enjoyed the Green Tea Mint flavour, which refreshed the typical kombucha kick with its mintiness, as well as the original, which is sweeter than other kombuchas without as much of a sting at the end.

Food Menu

Miss Coco’s food menu is compact but sufficient. The Scrambled Eggs Croissant (RM 12) paired marvellously with the latte. The eggs were light, fluffy, and well-seasoned, and the croissant, sourced from a local baker, was nice and airy.

Our Saucy Eggs (huevos rancheros, RM 14) were served with a thick sourdough to soak up all the goodness. Perfectly jammy eggs in savoury tomato sauce, what’s not to like?

As for the Granola Greek Yoghurt (RM 12), it was the perfect consistency – satisfying and not too watery, alongside a cacophony of textures and flavours from the granola and fruit. Some hidden highlights of this dish were the chunks of chocolate sprinkled on top, taken from Alba specialty chocolate bars, adding a premium finish.

Venezuelan favourites, the Chicken (RM 17) and Beef (RM 19) Arepas were the perfect ratio of corn flatbread to filling. We appreciated the savoury smokiness of the chicken and the well-seasoned and tender pulled beef. The arepas were served with guasacaca sauce, a herby Venezuelan avocado salsa, which added a kick of flavour to each bite.

Our Beef Nachos (RM 28) were a filling meal on their own or ideal for sharing. Purple and yellow corn chips were covered with shredded beef, cheese, and freshly chopped, chunky salsa.

A Venezuelan classic, Tequeños, was given a local nod in the renaming – Tekeju (RM 14). “Keju” means cheese in Malay – a fitting reference for these fried cheese-filled pastries. The crisp coat gave way to the best cheese pull. They come with either savoury guasacaca or sweet chocolate sauce – both are excellent options.

We wound up our meal with a combo of Miss Coco’s two star products – a warm Chocolate Brownie topped with Coffee Gelato (RM 20) made from their Caturra beans – fudgy, warm, melty, decadent goodness.

Miss Coco Bukit Bintang Review

Miss Coco cafe is worth visiting for its unmatched quality of chocolate and coffee. We were impressed by the thought and skill that went into each iteration of these ingredients. We thoroughly enjoyed the drinks and sweets the menu offered. The food is also not to be overlooked, serving up South American dishes with authenticity and flavour.

Reasons to visit Miss Coco cafe: high-quality coffee roasted in-house (it might be one of Mon’s favourite cups in the city); award-winning chocolate; Venezuelan arepas and tequenos; Venezuelans should politely ask Ms Farah (and tip her well) for a surprise performance.