I don’t really know much about coffee. It’s this warm, brown and earthy smelling bean that can be grounded to produce one of the most recognizable smells in the world. For me, this smell was not so appetising until a few months ago.

I actually don’t drink coffee. Sure I’ve had the occasional tiramisu, but generally I avoid coffee in all my drinks and desserts. My parents are avid coffee drinkers and will only drink premium blends. But me, I grew up with tea so I guess I never really got into the whole coffee obsession. When I go out for coffee, I usually order chocolate.

In Langkawi, I started drinking a lot of coffee. This is because when I travel, I imitate locals. I eat where they eat, drink what they drink, do what they do and sometimes even worry about the things they worry about. Haha! Anyway, in Langkawi I notice many people there drink “kopi o’ais” (iced coffee with sugar and no milk). So I did too (with every meal) and after that it opened up the window of experimentation in the warm and inviting world of coffee.

Before long, after many visits to Starbucks (especially Starbucks!), Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Gloria Jean, San Francisco Coffee and many other cliched coffee places, I quickly realise that coffee is best enjoyed hot, regardless of the weather. It’s so calming and for the lack of a better word, lovely.

My favorite drink would have to be the cafe latte. Just coffee and milk, which I later found out are mixed at a specific 1:1 ratio. I especially love a cafe latte after a day of frolicking out on the beach, with a dusting of cinnamon powder and a tablespoon of sugar.

So here is to rediscovering coffee, a beautiful drink in its own league.

Cafe Latte from Cafe Au Lait, Kiulap. Smooth & sexy. 4.5 out of 5 stars (they get the point 5 marks for the pretty mug!).