Among the towering office blocks here is Wisma E&C, home to Liberal Latte, a quaint café that is also a bookshop cum cultural and artistic venue.
Call it a three-in-one, and that’s not even mentioning the luxurious yet discreet private dining space hidden at the back of the café.
It should come as little surprise that in pre-pandemic days, Liberal Latte was the hotspot for members of NGOs, authors, artists and even board game enthusiasts.
As the country continues on its road to recovery, Liberal Latte’s founder, Oxford graduate Dr Ahmad Azhar, is hopeful that the space will continue to serve the community as a multipurpose venue.
The café opened five years ago as a means to satisfy Ahmad’s long-standing coffee addiction and to fulfil his dreams of owning a coffee shop.
Over time, Liberal Latte began to expand in terms of physical space and purpose. “We first started selling coffee, then we became a gathering space for like-minded people and communities.”
Along the way, Liberal Latte began collaborating with independent bookstores, serving as a satellite arm from where aspiring authors could put up their work on sale.
“We had a resident artist who was based in the workspace here to produce his art,” Ahmad tells FMT, adding that their public space is available for rent for a variety of functions.
But it’s not only artists and musicians who feel at home in Liberal Latte. Many a coffee artisan is known to head there after hours.
“If you’re a coffee connoisseur, say, a professional by day, but you want to do a barista gig at night, you can come over and we’ll be happy to host you,” says Ahmad.
The private dining area meanwhile is a recent addition that offers aspiring chefs a chance to host events, similar to the concept of the coffee bar outside.
Called Tigabatu, it is currently hosting Fahmi Samsudin, a young chef specialising in Malay traditional and fusion food.
Tigabatu runs on the concept of Omakase, which in Japanese means, “I leave it up to you.”
As such there is no pre-set menu from which to choose a dish. Instead, the chef cooks up his recommendations befitting the customer’s requests and the price paid for the entire dinner.
FMT was given the opportunity to savour Chef Fahmi’s creations, which Ahmad described as Malay contemporary fine dining.
Many of the dishes served were inspired by the cuisine of Negeri Sembilan, and not often found outside its home state.
Kerang with Air Asam, for one, was a rare sight, with cockles steamed, then drenched in a sourish, spicy sauce.
Rendang Itik was the highlight of the meal, however, featuring a Malaysian favourite, albeit cooked with duck rather than the usual chicken or beef.
“It takes five hours to cook this rendang,” explained Ahmad. “It takes that long for the santan to dry out and infuse its flavour into the meat of the duck.”
Next up on the menu was Asam Pedas with Jenahak, a fleshy snapper fish cooked in a spicy, tangy sauce.
A particularly unexpected treat was the Black Angus Beef, a typically Western dish given a delightful local flair as it was braised with local spices.
The accompanying gravy too was very much a Negeri Sembilan product, with the masak lemak cili api giving the meat a creamy yet spicy taste.
The Udang Masak Lemak was a glorious culinary experience, though the Terung Pipit’s burst of spiciness might be a shock to the uninitiated.
The Pan-Fried Salmon was something of note, served with a side of local bitter gourd puree and caramelised pineapple sauce combining sweet, sour and bitter all in one dish.
The night’s culinary adventure was topped off with Chef Fahmi’s moist cempedak cake, dripping with a sweet sauce that left diners hankering for more.
Ahmad, whose family hails from the Tiga Batu clan of Negeri Sembilan, said this was his way of preserving his family’s and community’s heritage.
”I grew up with my grandmother since I was born. I played around in the kitchen and this is what I ate day to day. Thus, the food served at Tiga Batu is reminiscent of that experience.”
So, whether you’re hoping to sell your first book, indulge in a hot cup of coffee, or sit down to a luxurious meal in an intimate setting, Liberal Latte is the place to go.
Liberal Latte
Wisma E&C
2, Lorong Dungun Kiri
Bukit Damansara
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 9am-6pm (Monday to Friday)
Tigabatu lunch and dinner bookings are available by reservations only.
Contact: 016-673 6137 (Nur)