Aitch

Tunku Hadi, the founder and master barista at Aitch micro-roaster, strongly believes that a good cup of coffee starts right at the beginning – the farms. As such, he gets his green beans from a reputable supplier in Sydney who educates and works directly with the farmers to not just improve their quality of life but also the quality of the crop. With these speciality beans, Hadi experiments with every batch to discover new blends and roasts. He now supplies to some of KL’s most popular cafés, namely Thursdvys, Sudo Brew and Yellow Brick Road. Moving forward, he’s considering going all molecular on coffee, fuelled by his fascination of how different types of water can affect the taste of the coffee.

Tucked away in a nondescript shophouse in Mutiara Damansara, Aitch has a casual, lab-like vibe. The roaster sits in one corner, operating three times a week; the huge coffee counter is the focal point, placed at the front of the shop next to a small vinyl collection; there’s a temperature- and humidity-controlled room at the back, where the beans are stored. Aitch is also a gallery of sorts; it has hosted several small, indie art and design events in the past.

For coffee, we suggest the clean-tasting Ethiopian Adado (if available) – better yet, inform the barista about your preference (fruity, floral, dark and chocolatey, etc) and go with their recommendation. It’ll be a great education process.