Ahead of the herd
Satisfy your coffee curiosity at The Curious Goat.
WHAT do you do when you have the experience, expertise and more importantly, the abundant love for making and serving coffee? Start a cafe, of course.
And that is exactly what Andy Chan and Nathaneal Teoh did.
While working as baristas at a cafe in Solaris Dutamas, Petaling Jaya, the duo realised that between them, they have everything it takes to run a cafe and decided to establish The Curious Goat.
Open since May 2014, the cafe’s name is inspired by the Ethiopian legend which claims that a goatherd by the name of Kaldi – or more precisely, his goats – discovered coffee. It is said that the curious goats became very active after eating red berries from a particular tree, and Kaldi decided to try the berries as well.
He roasted and ground the beans, added hot water to the mixture, and inadvertantly made the world’s first cup of coffee.
No one is certain of how Kaldi’s coffee tasted then, but here at The Curious Goat, it is near perfect.
So one would be surprised to know that Chan and Teoh never had any professional barista training; neither do they possess legit barista certifications.
“I just learned on the job at a cafe in Melbourne,” says Chan. He was studying in Australia when he discovered his passion for coffee, and learned as much as he could about making a good cup of java.
As for Teoh, he learned everything from his business partner although Chan says that now the pupil outdoes the master.
The Pesto and Brie sandwich is quite filling.
“His latte art is incredible and he makes better coffee than I do,” said Chan with a smile.
One of the highlights at the cafe is the Honey Latte, which has a distinctive taste thanks to a special ingredient – longan blossom honey.
The honey is naturally harvested by bees from the blossom nectar of longan trees, and the cafe gets its supply directly from Thailand.
“We find that this specific honey goes well with the single origin Sulawesi Toraja beans that we use to make our coffee,” says Chan.
The Honey Latte is served hot or with ice, and either way, the subtle sweetness and aroma of longan is evident in each cup.
Seasonal beans are also introduced at the brew bar, where the baristas carefully prepare filtered coffee using the V60 or the Aeropress.
Another crowd favourite is the Salted Caramel Latte, which tastes better hot. The latte is thick and imparts a subtle smoky taste of the salted caramel. If you order the latte with ice, feel free to use a spoon to scrape and lick the caramel sticking to the inside of the glass. That makes for a dessert on its own.
Although The Curious Goat doesn’t have a proper kitchen – there are plans for a minor renovation to include one in the cafe – it serves food which is prepared behind the counter.
“We don’t have a stove or an oven, so currently we are only serving dishes that don’t require cooking from scratch,” said Teoh.
The menu may be limited at the moment, but the Roasted Chicken Pasta and Pesto and Brie Sandwich are worth trying.
The spaghetti is cooked slightly al dente and the bolognaise sauce is well seasoned, with just a hint of sourness. Topped with basil leaves, thick slices of roasted chicken and a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese, this pasta is yummy and quite filling.
The panini sandwich, made from wholemeal bread, is a little too crispy on the outside, although the melted brie gives a nice balance to the texture. The pesto could use a little more seasoning, but otherwise, it tastes nice. This dish comes with a side of salad with sesame dressing.
Besides coffee, The Curious Goat also has good selection of cakes procured from local bakeries, 180 and Project C. The Salted Caramel Peanut Butter cheesecake is a must try, as well as the Tau Foo Fah cheesecake.
For a cafe that is just over a year old, The Curious Cafe already has a strong following among young adults who work in the vicinity. Young families often frequent the joint during weekends as well.
Looking for a parking spot can be a nightmare, however, so be prepared to go around the area a few times before finding one. Don’t even think about parking illegaly as the enforcement officers are always nearby.
Once you find a legal parking spot, it’s time to celebrate your achievement and what better place to do that than at The Curious Goat. ...
the Curious Goat
20, Jalan PJu 8/ 3a, damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya, selangor Phone:+ 603 7733 7383 Opens: 8am to 10pm ( Mon - Thurs); 8am to 11pm ( Fri); 11am to 11pm ( sat); and 11am to 10pm ( sun)