PETALING JAYA: Cars or coffee? At Carfé, you get both. This new car-themed café, which opened in August last year, is a popular hangout for automobile enthusiasts.
At first glance, Carfé looks like a car showroom with sleek, fancy automobiles displayed throughout its wide space, and a life-size 3D-printed RWB Hanabi mounted on the wall which immediately catches the eye.
The dining tables and appetising aromas wafting through the air quickly remind you, however, that this is, in fact, a café.
“We curated this space because we want to gather car lovers. This is a great weekend hangout spot for them. After their morning drive, they gather here, there can be 30 cars, 50 cars, to grab a cup of coffee before their weekend routine. That’s how it all started,” co-founder Ronald Chan told FMT Lifestyle.
The venue houses the headquarters of the KL division of Rauh-Welt Begriff (RWBKL), a Japanese company specialising in wide-body Porsche modifications.
According to Chan, the café showcases different modified Porsches, nine of which were built in Kuala Lumpur. These are displayed on rotation, to highlight how customisable and versatile each build can be.
Due to this, there might appear to be a strong focus on Porsche here: Chan, however, said all kinds of cars and car lovers were welcome.
The venue hosts car meets every weekend, and is a popular location for corporate talks, car shoots and other events.
One of Carfé’s strongest points? It’s ample free parking! The space outside their venue, Chan said, easily accommodates up to 70 cars.
Involved in the automotive industry himself, Chan said he never planned to enter the F&B business. He was inspired, however, by the global collaborative efforts of Porsche and espresso machine company La Marzocco which led him to envision a local space dedicated to the two brands.
Learning the ropes of a new industry was challenging, Chan said, but thankfully, he was assisted by his cousin Ming Xuan, who has worked at high-paced cafés in Melbourne, Australia.
“There are a lot of customers here also from the automotive industry, so there’s a very ‘friends and family’ atmosphere here. We like to update our food regularly, like every one or two months, to keep things interesting,” said Ming Xuan, who is Carfé’s floor manager.
Carfé serves up an eclectic mix of pastries, pizzas and more for patrons to fuel up on. Their current menu is a mouth-watering mix of pizzas, burgers, and other comfort food.
According to Ming Xuan, their chef has extensive experience with pasta: the prawn aglio olio is an aromatic treat, the luscious brininess of its chunky prawn combining nicely with the bright tang of sauteed garlic.
Also try the Smoked Duck with Gochujang Cream pasta, a spicy-sweet delight made with fried shallots, onsen egg and the flavourful Korean paste.
When it comes to beverages, Carfé isn’t afraid to veer off the beaten track. Instead of the usual matcha–strawberry combo, this venue shifts gears with a matcha–banana blend. This pairing may sound unusual, but its flavours balance beautifully.
Also available is the RWB Special, a trinity of cocktails comprising Miyabi (blue lagoon), Kagayaki (houjicha) and Hanabi (matcha), each named after a well-known Porsche custom build.
And of course, have a cup of their coffee, made from specialty beans, and available in fruity and dark blends.
Carfé has ambitious expansion plans. A coffee machine experience centre is coming soon, where customers can brew their own caffeinated beverages under the guidance of their resident barista.
The café has also recently opened a driving simulator, for customers to live out their racing dreams.
“Even if you don’t know anything about cars, this is still a great place to hang out and enjoy good coffee and food. We make everything as fresh as possible. Hopefully our guests think of us as a cosy place with great vibes,” Chan concluded.
Carfé
1067, Jalan Jenjarum
Taman SEA
47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Business hours
12pm-9pm: Tuesday–Friday
10am-9pm: Saturday-Sunday
Closed Monday
Follow Carfé on Instagram.
