Black Bean Coffee — Restaurant in Sarawak

Sarawak Coffee Gula Apong House Blend = RM9.50

Got to know of this place from many Food Reviews on Kuching and apparently they are known for brewing some very Good Sarawak Coffee. While I can't call myself a Coffee Connosseiur, I do enjoy a Good Hot Cup too.

Upon stepping into this place, you will be immediately hit with a Very Strong and Rich Aroma of Coffee Beans. This is not Starbucks type of Coffee Bean Smell, its more like a Old School type of Roasted Coffee Bean.

The place itself is not a Modern Airconditioned Cafe and looks very Old School with a very Vintage Classic Vibe. The Music played here are those really Old 1920s Shanghai-Styled Songs of a Past Bygone Era. No Modern Hip Hop Jazz here.

The Sarawak Coffee is brewed with a Unique Sarawak Ingredient. It's a type of Sugar called "Gula Apong", also known as "亚答糖" according to the very Friendly Staffs here.

This has a very Earthy Sweetness, and I thought it tasted similar to "Gula Melaka". As you read more of my Reviews in the Future, you will realize this "Gula Apong" is a Very Popular Ingredient and it is used in many Desserts in Kuching.

Served in a Very Beautifully Intricate Looking Cup, the Coffee itself is Creamy and the Caffeine Strength is Subtle, not overpowering. This is not the type of Coffee that will smack you awake. It really is more to chillax with. It also comes with a Small Little Biscuit at the side which is Crumbly and Coconuty.

The Main Highlight for me was to Pair this Coffee with a Slab of Kek Lapis (which I reviewed previously). Pairing these 2 together was Perfect. This Coffee Shop's Staffs also didn't seem to mind and it was a Really Enjoyable Experience. I highly recommend trying this too. Buy a Slab of Kek Lapis from elsewhere and enjoy it with your Gourmet Coffee. Shiok!

Having said that, as the Coffee went on, I felt the Gula Apong seems to get Sweeter and Sweeter and it started getting Jelak for me. Hahaha, perhaps it takes time to get used to its Raw Earthy Sweetness. Luckily I had a Kek Lapis to help soften the blow.

Still, I enjoyed the Gourment Coffee Experience (with Kek Lapis) and I feel this is a much more Authentic and Nice Experience compared to going to a Modern Starbucks.

It was very Enjoyable to sit down and enjoy a Fragrant Cup of Coffee with some Kek Lapis while watching Kuching wake up for the Day.

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It’s equal parts roaster, cafe, and small museum of coffee lore, with jars of beans lining the walls and the intoxicating smell of roasting drifting through the air like a friendly ghost. The house specialty is Sarawak’s own Liberica beans—a local treasure, bold and slightly fruity, roasted on-site and available to take home if you want to prolong the moment of coffee bliss. Imported beans from Brazil, Ethiopia, Honduras, Tanzania, and more sit cheek by jowl with local varieties, giving you the chance to compare a Sarawak Liberica with an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and feel like a very caffeinated anthropologist.

The menu reads like a love letter to coffee and tea alike. The Gula Apong Latte—a mix of Sarawak Liberica, Sarawak Robusta, and local nipah palm sugar—is a must-try. Sweet but not cloying, strong but balanced, it tastes like Kuching in a cup: warm, welcoming, and slightly mysterious. If bitter black coffee is your jam, the iced Americano is solid—clean, strong, and aromatic, without a hint of the syrupy nonsense you get at Starbucks.

Service is a mixed bag. Some days the staff are warm, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about the beans; other days, interactions lean towards the brusque. Seating is tight and parking is a challenge. If you’re hoping to linger with a laptop, be prepared to fight for table real estate. But if you’re there to drink coffee that hits like a proper cup of bold Sarawakian thunder, none of that matters.

Desserts are modest but thoughtful, and every cup of coffee comes with a small biscuit, because the people here understand the poetry of a good brew. The cafe itself is cosy, a little retro, and full of local charm—a spot to escape the heat or the sudden Kuching rain showers, or just to hide and watch the world shuffle by and maybe buy a bag of beans...

The taste was a bit disappointing for me. If you like light coffee, this is a good option. If you prefer a strong and rich coffee, this isn't recommended.

The Americano was okay, tastes like a medium or light roast.

The Gula Apong Latte tasted just sugary, the coffee was light. After adding sugar and milk, the coffee flavor was almost gone.

Besides that, the older Chinese lady’s attitude wasn’t very nice. We actually arrived first, but she insisted another couple was ahead of us.

When we walked in, we were the only two new customers. I’m 100% sure, because it’s Monday, not crowded at all. There was only one angmo couple already sitting and having their coffee, besides that there’s no others customer and we were the only ones standing in the shop.

A bit later, I saw another couple come in and stand beside us.

Maybe the older Chinese lady just didn’t notice us at first, but the way she said it made me feel uncomfortable—like I was the one...