KOTA KINABALU, March 12 — In a small city like KK, word of mouth travels fast.
Very fast.
INCH Coffee Movement was located in little more than a corner of a warehouse in a part of town which sees very few visitors but word of mouth got people talking about its specialty coffee.
Though not the first joint in town to offer specialty coffee – in simple terms, this is coffee produced under special climatic conditions with no defects, and whose entire process from farm to coffee cup is carefully thought out and calculated to draw out its characteristic – INCH is gaining a reputation as THE coffee people in town.
Now relocated to the more family-oriented and visible Perdana Park, their focus is even clearer.
You are coming here for their coffee, and good coffee it is. Owner David Lee and his brother take their coffees seriously and it comes across in their concept.
From their tagline #bettercoffee, their minimalist industrial-style décor, espresso machine and slow bar offerings everything tells you that their coffee is their focal point. Engage in conversation, and you’ll find a wealth of passion behind each brew.
Lee, who is originally from Petaling Jaya, has been living on and off in Sabah since his parents moved here to set up a business in Keningau, in the interior of Sabah.
Used to drinking any kind of coffee for the caffeine kick during his university days studying law, the 31-year-old entrepreneur said he first tasted a seriously good cup of coffee when his friends brought back some roasted beans from Taiwan.
“I soon began to realise that coffee was something that was going to be in my life permanently and this is how the idea to delve deeper into the subject began,” he said.
He resented the fact that most consumers in this part of the world were drinking low grade, non-tradeable coffee, and that he could not get a decent cuppa before the handful of specialty coffee cafes began springing up.
After dabbling in several jobs, including stints as a real estate realtor, law lecturer and helping in the family business, his idea and proposal to start a coffee café finally came to fruition in November of 2014.
Using the Nuova Simonelli T3 espresso machine, their barisas believe there are no shortcuts to brewing that perfect cup of coffee, and no “inch” will be spared in the process.
“To make one cup of great coffee, there are say, 10 small but important steps you need to master. Compromising on any of them will result in losing the intended result. Our goal is to always go that special inch, no matter how many small and tiny the details,” he said.
Lee believes that unlike food, the difference between specialty grade coffee and commercial coffee at a commercial chain is negligible in terms of monetary value, but varies greatly in quality.
“So why short-change yourself? Might as well go for the best you can get,” he said.
During our visit, the café served a house blend called honey bee blend consisting of Costa Rican, Ethiopian and Guatemalan beans which they get from their roasters in KL. They are also offering Colombian La Esperanza, Costa Rican Tarazzu and Ethiopian Aricha, but this changes depending on their roasters.
From renowned Blue Bottle coffee roasters, they serve Ethiopian Gera Limmu and Costa Rican Finca La Casa. The specialty beans are served via filter for RM15 and in a cappucino or latte for RM12.
Non-purists can try their Rose Macchiato or Rose Tea Latte or affogato. Cold pressed juice and cold brews are also on offer, as well as a limited selection of pies and cakes to accompany your cuppa.
Their waffles, with a heaping helping of fruits and ice cream, are among the most talked about in town, and their Earl Grey pie is also recommended.
But people definitely come here for their coffee.
INCH coffee
1B, Perdana Park, 88100 Kota Kinabalu
Open: 2pm to 10pm daily. Closed on Mondays
Tel : 016-6393 807
