Battery Acid Club (CLOSED)

Here’s another ‘hidden’ café to look out for the next time you’re in the Damansara Utama area. Battery Acid Club’s minimalist façade makes it hard to distinguish between the laundry service and car workshop on the same row; add to that the absence of a signboard and you can completely miss it. However, co-founder and barista Aaron Tan assures us that there will be a marker placed in front to better distinguish the premises – look out for a metal structure in future.

On to the drinks, Battery Acid keeps it simple with espresso-based coffee prepared by Aaron, previously of Butter + Beans and Artisan Roast. While cold brews are still in the works, a more interesting choice for the undecided would be the bottled honey-infused latte (RM12), or any of Battery Acid’s own line of ‘creative’ juices (RM10). Reflecting the founders’ love for design and architecture, each flavour is named after a design hero: Vignelli (orange, pink guava and strawberry), Corbusier (apple and grapefruit) and Rams (orange, mango and pineapple). There are also snippets of each designer’s work on the label, so you may want to hold on to the bottle after you’re done. 

As for food, only snacks and desserts are available: a selection of pastries, cakes from Petiteserie Desserts (try the cendol cake or gula Melaka banana cake, both priced at RM13 each), and tarts from Ling’s Kitchen. Retail store Objekt-Object is situated at the back, selling a well-curated selection of clothing and accessories, reading materials, vintage curios, and furniture (including an original vintage Eames chair going for a hefty five-figure price tag). 

Battery Acid also aims to be not just a café, but a place for discussion, especially for creative industry types, who are likely to appreciate the outlet's plain but polished black-and-white interior largely influenced by the Bauhaus movement and other modernist designs. If you’re up for a chat about the design world of the 1920s just ask Aaron, he’ll be happy to give you a crash course on the topic.