JUAN VALDEZ CAFE @ The Intermark – indulge in Colombian coffee here!

Juan Valdez is actually a fictional character representing an association of coffee growers in Colombia. Only coffee beans that are grown and harvested in Colombia come under the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia as depicted by Juan Valdez. The iconic Juan Valdez typically appears with his mule, Conchita carrying sacks of hand-harvested coffee beans.

From this inspiration, the Juan Valdez Cafe was set up in Colombia specializing in coffee retail. From the first coffeehouse established in 2002 in Bogota, the Juan Valdez Cafe chain has expanded globally with more than 300 cafes.

Juan Valdez Cafe at The Intermark is the first in Kuala Lumpur and has been a hit with coffee connoisseurs here. There’s another outlet in Avenue K and new ones coming up in Da Men Subang and possibly other locations as well.

As we settled ourselves in Juan Valdez Cafe, we couldn’t help admiring the rustic charm of the cafe. The earthy tones of the walls, floor and ceiling were perfect to set off the tasteful posters, paintings and art items, all of which depicting the history and culture of Colombian coffee.

Juan Valdez uses beans from the Colombian coffee regions of Huila, Cauca, Antioquia & Santander and you can choose to have it brewed by different methods: syphon, French press, chemex or dripper V60.

As a lover of black coffee, I just had to start off with their Tinto prepared cold drip-style. It’s a typical Columbian preparation – softer flavour compared to the regular espresso.

I also tried the Tinto Classic Campesino drunk in the traditional Columbian way with syrup made with lemon, cinnamon, cloves and Colombian sugarcane (panela). I liked its unique nuances and it’s excellent with desserts.

If you love strong intense coffee, then the Antioquia is for you. It’s best brewed by the Chemex method which worked very well with the sun-dried coffee beans. Although very intense in flavour, it left a light trail of herbal and fruity notes on the palate.

Another Juan Valdez speciality is the Arequipe which we had in a Classic Latte as well as a serving of Ice-blended. It’s perfect with the creamy milk resulting in a decadently smooth brew.

My Arequipe Ice-blended without cream

Besides coffee, the cafe serves a good selection of sandwiches, tapas, pasta, soup and desserts. Don’t miss their special Juan Valdez 7 Layers (RM15) made up of layers of refried beans, taco seasonings, sour cream, guacamole salsa, lettuce, cheese, sliced olives and tomatoes accompanied by tortilla chips!

And that’s Conchita!

 

JUAN VALDEZ CAFE
Ground Floor, The Intermark
348 Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2181-2113

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