Malay Mail, 2 October 2009

Bad Ass Coffee G-37/38A, Tropicana City Mall, No 3, Jalan SS20/27, 47400, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

ANYONE who comes across this coffeehouse would definitely raise an eyebrow. With an atrocious name like Bad Ass Coffee, you would be taken aback at first impression.

You would feel a twinge of disbelief. You would even scoff at the whole idea. Brewing more than just controversy, the Bad Ass Coffee Company actually goes beyond contempt to delight you with a likeable gourmet coffee experience.

"Everyone is initially doubtful about what we’ve got to offer. With such an eye-catching name and a donkey as our mascot, it’s no surprise that people think we’re a bunch of jokers," says Suki Phang, development director of Bad Ass Coffee Malaysia.

"But we're serious about our coffee. We go the extra mile to bring in quality Americangrown, Hawaiian coffee from Moloka'i, Kauai, Maui and of course, the 100 per cent Kona.

Bad Ass Coffee is actually named in honour of the hard-working donkeys that haul the heavy loads of coffee up and down the mountainside of Kona in Hawaii," Phang explained.

Described as "coffee with an attitude", Bad Ass Coffee dares to be unique but is at heart a warm and friendly café that lives up to its aloha spirit.

The café takes on a Hawaiian beach concept where thatched roof, surf board and coconut tree is all part of the interior.

In this casual and relaxing ambience, soothing reggae plays. The café walls are adorned with murals of sea waves and portraits of native surfer girls; and a line of retail merchandise adds on an interesting display.

Located at the ground  oor of Tropicana City Mall in Petaling Jaya, Bad Ass Coffee Malaysia is the first Bad Ass Coffee franchise to arrive in Southeast Asia. The four-week-old outlet, opened on Aug 13, serves a range of coffee beverages and snacks with its popular items being its lattes and ice-blended drinks.

"We use coffee ice cubes for our iced coffee so your drink is never diluted or watered down," said Phang.

The Kona coffee beans, hand picked and consistent in size, are lightly roasted to bring out their natural aroma and  flavour, "unlike dark roasted coffee which would’ve masked a lower quality blend," according to Phang.

For the taste of 100 per cent Kona, Bad Ass Coffee serves this authentic coffee only on weekends and public holidays. Due to its rarity and price, Phang said this was also to ensure a fresh and quality brew that would cater to coffee crowds.

There is also an air-conditioned room for smokers. More than feeding your skepticism and giving you a taste of its frank image, Bad Ass Coffee is a surprisingly good coffeehouse for your regular cafeine fix.