KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — Sometimes we feel down and need something to help pick us right back up. Sometimes we are on top of the world and need to indulge to celebrate.

A good brownie works beautifully for both occasions.

At least, this is what occurs to me, as the server brings the brownie we ordered to our table. She adds a helpful warning: Be careful, it’s hot!

I promise that we would wait a little; we won’t burn our tongue or our impatient fingers, I assure her.

Earlier, whilst perusing all the pastries and cakes on display at the counter, I couldn’t help but be enticed by these three words: Salted Chocolate Brownie.

Decadent chocolate. Maldon sea salt. What more do we need, really?

Well, perhaps a friend. Someone to listen to your problems or to congratulate you on the little wins in your life. And a comfortable space in which to sit and have those exact conversations.

Which is how we find ourselves at Cozone, a café housed inside a single storey bungalow off Old Klang Road. 

It is easy enough to find if you don’t miss the turning (hint: look for Ishin, the longtime Japanese restaurant; Cozone is just the next house down the street).

There is ample parking within the house compound though carpooling (as we did) is probably a good idea. The minimalist white exterior is repeated inside, albeit with warm lighting and wood accents.

The best seats in the house might well be at the bar where you can watch the barista make your coffee. For more privacy, there are smaller nooks throughout the café; the tables by the windows are especially lovely with plenty of natural light.

Speaking of light, the feature lamp – hung just above where the barista pulls shots of espresso – is shaped just like a croissant.

(Maybe Cozone is simply a Malaysian take on the French kwa-sahn? Or maybe I am just overthinking it as usual.)

Orders are by the front counter, where the aforementioned display tempted us with everything from the osmanthus tofu cheesecake to a layered mango oolong cake.

For those looking to cool down after the sweltering sun outside, Cozone offers popsicles too, with flavours such as mango yoghurt and pistachio coffee.

But most of us are here for the coffee. Espresso blends are categorised as Friends (nutty), Families (floral) and Buddies (fruity) which is a fun way of deciding your relationship status with your date, I guess.

For filter coffee lovers, there is a rotating menu of seasonal single origin beans. Enjoy a natural Ethiopia Alo Faficho that has hints of berries or a washed Guatemala El Socorro Geisha, with its sweeter notes of bergamot and peach tea.

They also have a “coffee smelling corner” where a trio of coffee aroma sniffers make for a fun little experience. Squeeze the pump and inhale the caffeinated perfume emanating from the flute.

Fans of the tough-to-get-right Dirty Latte might enjoy the original or a non-coffee version called the Pistachio Dirty; the verdant hue of the latter is lighter than a matcha latte.

Savoury bites revolve around sourdough: consider a Chicken Pesto sandwich with pesto sauce, sous vide chicken breast, mozzarella and cheddar cheese; or toasted slices served with half boiled eggs and kombu sweet soy sauce.

We opted for their Kimchi Tuna Sourdough, a Korean-Japanese inspired toastie stuffed with punchy kimchi, tuna mayonnaise, paprika and plenty of melted cheese.

This might be the most out-there item on their menu, if you’re not a fan of fermented foods, that is. I love me my natto and miso, my sauerkraut and kimchi, so this is right inside my comfort zone, truth be told.

Which, come to think of it, might well be what Cozone stands for. Not a mispronunciation of croissant but instead: comfort zone.

A fitting name, whichever the correct reason, no?

Cozone

202B, Persiaran Klang, 

Batu 3¾, Off Old Klang Road, 

Kuala Lumpur.

Open daily (except Mon closed) 8am–6pm

IG: @cozone,my

For more food fables and café chronicles, visit Life for Beginners.

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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