Updated 14 Aug 2019. AlleyLab Coffee Roastery at Citrine Hub in Sunway Iskander Nusajaya is where coffee lovers and coffee geeks in the know go for their cuppa Arabica in Johor Bahru.
I first met Elvin around 2013/ 14. He had just returned from culinary school in the coffee Mecca of Melbourne Australia infected with the Arabica bug. Started his own cafe / roastery somewhere around Gelang Patah (I forget exactly where). It was a time of the proverbial "Third Wave" where cafes were the in-thing, and cookie cutter, me too coffee joints sprouted like mushrooms all over Johor Bahru (and Singapore).
Five / six years on, the cafe market has consolidated. Most of the me too cafes have disappeared like morning mist as the sun rises, leaving only a handful to bask and glow in the glory of full daylight.
AlleyLab Roastery is one of the Arabica joints in JB that stood the test of time. Thanks to the cafe boom of the last 5 - 6 years, consciousness of Arabica appreciation has grown by leaps and bounds. The number of coffee enthusiasts has grown but they have also become more discerning, hence the consolidation in the market. Only the best remain in this market.
When you step into AlleyLab you will smell brewing coffee. If you are lucky enough to be here when Elvin is roasting coffee beans, you can also smell the heady toasty aroma of roasting Arabica. Elvin roasts coffee beans in small batches to ensure maximum quality and consistency. AlleyLab supplies roasted coffee beans to many cafes and restaurants in Johor.
Coming to AlleyLab is not like visiting any cafe. Elvin and his staff welcome you like a friend / cousin who come to their house to play toys together - you know that wonderful feeling from your childhood, right? It's something like that.
Elvin is evangelical (but never preachy) in his enthusiasm for Arabica. No annoying hard sell but we just get inspired, self converted by his infectious love for coffee. We ask ourselves, "What is it about that black liquid that makes people go crazy in love like that?" We became curious, try a sip, and then we are hooked.
Very bad, Elvin.
The Arabica in stock varies from time to time. During our visit, there were high grade Arabica from India, Ethiopia, Brazil, Columbia, and Ecuador. Sometimes, Elvin and his partners fly all the way around to the other side of the globe to South America to personally bid for Arabica at auctions. I did warn you that these guys are a little bit crazy (about coffee lah).
Alley Lab staff are all coffee enthusiasts and craftsmen. They will eagerly engage you in the origin and story of the beans from planting, harvesting, processing, roasting to brewing method.
Every cup is brewed right there under our noses from freshly ground beans. Lovingly brewed with attention to detail and precision, so the coffee we drink is consistently the best possible from the fresh grinds. A lot of personal pride and dedication go into every cup of coffee.
The baristas are experts who can cue you on the flavour and aroma nuances of your cup as part of your total coffee experience. Or, if you prefer, let you to enjoy the company of your friends, or a good book.
Cold steep coffee on a hot day. I like cold coffee as it has stronger caffeine kick.
If you like, you can buy top quality roasted Arabica to grind, brew and enjoy at home.
Recommended for you 👍 There really ain't that many true craft coffee joints in Singapore and Malaysia. I think Johor and Singapore coffee geeks / mindful coffee drinkers can count ourselves lucky to have Elvin's Alley Lab conveniently in Nusajaya, Johor.
Restaurant name: AlleyLab. Coffee Crafting. Coffee Roasting
Address: 1-18,1st Floor, Hab Citrine Medini 3, Sunway Iskandar, Nusajaya, Johor
GPS: 1°23'27.5"N 103°38'21.6"E 🌐 1.390979, 103.639340
WAZE: Alleylab Coffee Roastery
Tel: 07-596 4837
Hours: 10:00am - 9:30pm
Archive post Jul 2017. We hopped to AlleyLab Cafe in Taman Molek. This is one of my favourite cafes in JB because like minded coffee geeks gravitate to this place. Coffee lovers are the nicest people 😄
Roaster-barista-owner Elvin is one of the most passionate, coffee obsessed persons I have ever met 😄 His enthusiasm for all things Arabica is infectious 😄 All coffees served at AlleyLab are personally roasted by Elvin.
Elvin runs AlleyLab with a young team with equal devotion for the magical bean. From left to right: Dowson, Elvin, Eenie and Jeffer.
AlleyLab's decor is minimalist chic with comfortable furnishings.
I like this space for quiet time with a good book and great coffee.
At AlleyLab, the focus is on excellent coffee. At AlleyLab, it is coffee first ☕
Elvin is a coffee evangelist and he loves sharing his obsession with his customers. Elvin puts a lot of thought and effort to help his customers understand and appreciate coffee.
I like the way Elvin divided his coffee into fruity, floral and nutty, so it is easy to make my choices based on my preferences. Personally, I like nutty coffees but opted to try floral coffee today for learning purpose.
From the menu, we can see that prices at AlleyLab are very competitive.
Each coffee served at AlleyLab comes with a little note with basic facts about the origin, process, roast and flavours. This little extra, de-mystifies coffee for novices like me. So, with every cup of coffee at AlleyLab, I learn a little bit more. I like this! 😄
This floral note coffee is Ethiopian Konga from the Yigracheffe region. The cherries are naturally sun dried. The beans are medium roasted. The coffee have orange blossom and apricot flavour.
I had also a café brûlée. On the latte, Elvin sprinkled sugar which he later caramelised with a blow torch. It's coffee and sweet dessert all at once.
We had a few of AlleyLab's artisanal sandwiches to go with the coffees.
The sandwiches are made with crispy light toasts and various fillings. Simple and just nice to enjoy with great coffee.
Banana Toast. Caramelised banana slices on a crispy toast slathered with sweet-bitter chocolate. Served with a scoop of milk ice cream.
👉 AlleyLab is a no frills place for coffee lovers from novices to connoisseurs. Elvin, a roaster and barista has an infectious coffee obsession which he is eager to spread to his customers 😄 AlleyLab is more an expression of Elvin's love affair with coffee than just another cafe.
Restaurant name: AlleyLab Coffee Cafe
Address: 1-18,1st Floor, Hab Citrine Medini 3, Sunway Iskandar, Nusajaya, Johor
GPS: 1°23'27.5"N 103°38'21.6"E 🌐 1.390979, 103.639340
WAZE: Alleylab Coffee Roastery
Tel: 07-596 4837
Hours: 10:00am - 9:30pm
Date visited: 27 Jun 2017, 9 Aug 2019
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