We were walking down Chulia Street in George Town, Penang. The weather was steaming hot and ridiculously humid. Then it started dripping so we quickly dashed intođN.419 Senses Coffee.
Stepping inside, we were immediately struck by the coffee shop’s unconventional design. The open kitchen was reversed and fully exposed. A refreshing layout, making you feel as you are standing behind the bar.
N419 Senses in George Town
I started by sampling a Grapefruit Cold Brew. Very nice! The grapefruit flesh at the bottom of the glass provided a hint of floral acidity and sweetness. My satisfaction with the first drink emboldened me to order a 280ml bottle of Colombian Cold Brew. This proved to be equally delicious! Super cocoa flavour with a hint of cherries. Loved it!
We delved into conversation with Pe Ran, our barista. We spoke about Malay food, the coffee scene, matcha brewing and the challenges of opening a new café. You see, us foodies are more than happy to share our favourite places to eat (and drink coffee)!
The conversation naturally flowed from travelling to remote, family-owned coffee plantations, to picking coffee fruits, coffee processing and roasting.
Then, a revelation! He enthusiastically mentioned a house blend, a unique combination featuring a percentage of fruit-fermented beans. My eyes widened. Fruit-fermented? A concept entirely new to my coffee palate.
So I did what any sane person that already had half a litre of coffee would do… Have another one!
Pe Ran was correct. This coffee tasted quite⊠unique. It had none of the acidity, bitterness, or smoking typically associated with coffee. It tasted very sweet and … yellow? It brought back memories of a pineapple Americano I had during our travels but with none of the pineapple juice. This coffee was closer to a cold-pressed fruit juice than coffee!
If you’re up for some amazing coffee, welcoming energy, nice people and maybe a chat, don’t hesitate to visit N.419 Senses Coffee in George Town, Penang. And donât miss the hand-drawn wall mural with Penang on the outer cafĂ© wall!
Time and time again, travelling proves that no amount of planning beats the unexpected. The best encounters are ALWAYS the unplanned, unexpected, random ones. These moments are why we fell in love we travelling!
