BEHIND THE APRON

Some time back, while on a meeting trip to KL, I was staying at Petaling Street and the nearest coffee joint accessible by walking is a Starbucks at Kota Raya. Spent almost 3quarters of my coffee consumption at that particular Starbucks, I made friends with its manager, and had long great conversations with this guy. Let me introduce to you, Mr Mohd Adli, a man with great passion for good coffee. We chatted about everything, and for a long while, I haven't had that kind of fruitful substantial conversations (to quote a dear friend, a conversation that leads to mental orgasm).

Now, please don't think dirty.

Here are 10 things about our man, Adli.

1. He has worked in Starbucks for 7 years, working his way up from a barista
2. It takes about a month to master the coffee machines - the one that makes espresso and blows out fierce steam to make milk-foam - if one is serious enough about it.
3. The mark of a good barista is that he knows his coffees well, and his coffee drinks well (meaning that a cappuccino will only be called a cappuccino if the milk-coffee-foam ratio is right etc).
4. He has been a coffee master for 2 years (meaning that for the past 2 years he gets to wear a black apron when there's any formal functions)
5. The most under appreciated element of coffee couture is the recognition of taste - the mingling of flavour and aroma that gives coffee its characteristic individuality
6. For black coffee, he loves Sumatra the best, for its pleasant aftertaste, and Kenya for its sweetness and juiciness as an iced drink.
7. Currently his favourite drink is cafe-latte.
8. He believes that running a cafe like this is all about costumer service, and the knowledge of the beverages available (I think the ability to recommend is also a very important plus-point)
9. Adli recommends black coffee for the experienced, caramel machiato for the first-timers, and for teenagers (as usual) any frappucinos.

getting my usual

Well, for number 10 why don't you drop by at his outlet and say hi to him yourself!

KD, Adli, Fauzi @ KotaRaya Starbucks