Coffee lovers and cafe hoppers, have you ever wished that there was a MICHELIN Guide that was just exclusively for coffee shops?
Well, a new list just dropped, entitled The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops.
And guess what? Not one, not two, but three cafes in Malaysia were recognised on this list. Here’s who they are.
#9: ONO Specialty Coffee & Matcha
Located in SS2, ONO Specialty Coffee & Matcha was established by a team of specialists including Shaun Liew, the two-time Malaysia Brewers Cup Champion of 2017 and 2019, Kent Wong, the head roaster, and Syun Hattori, the founder of Niko Neko Matcha.
Given the background of the founding team, it makes sense that ONO’s tagline is “When Two Worlds Collide.” They offer both specialty coffee as well as specialty matcha, offering patrons a variety of different drinks (as well as eats).
“We can’t thank you enough for making us No. 9 in the world,” they posted on Instagram. “Our story continues as we keep brewing.”
Location: 47, Jalan SS 2/30, SS 2, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Socials: Instagram
#56: Ome by Spacebar Coffee
“Seven years ago, we set out to create ‘No Place Like Ome’—a space where great coffee, bakes we love, and a strong community of coffee lovers, baristas, and other F&B professionals come together, all while striving to be more sustainable,” Ome by Spacebar Coffee posted on Instagram.
Spacebar Coffee began as a pop-up in Kuala Lumpur, but turned into a full-time, brick-and-mortar establishment in Penang. It’s founded by Joachim Leong and Shean Tan, both of whom are baristas themselves.
As baristas, they endeavoured to create a “dream workplace.” They pointed out that their baristas get two days off a week, paid breaks, above-market wages, and a 13th-month bonus.
They shared, “While getting here has its ups and downs, earlier this week we were awarded No.56 in the world by The World’s Best 100 Coffee Shops, recognising our efforts building this community.”
Location: 1, Lorong Toh Aka, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Socials: Instagram
#73: Sin See Tai
Last but not least on the list is Sin See Tai, located in an unassuming building in Melaka’s historical district.
Its bakes are powered by The Curious Bakers located just next door.
Both Sin See Tai and The Curious Bakers are actually brands under The Daily Fix, a popular cafe in Melaka founded by couple Julian Yeo and Sung Soo Teng.
Neither of them had any experience in food or business, but wanted to bring the well-brewed espresso coffees they enjoyed in Australia back home.
Location: 18, Kampung Jawa, 75100 Melaka
Socials: Instagram
Who’s making the list?
According to The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops’ website, their criteria considers a number of elements, namely:
- Quality of Coffee
- Barista Expertise
- Customer Service
- Innovation
- Ambience and Atmosphere
- Sustainability Practices
- Food and Pastry Quality
- Consistency
The team used both a panel of insights and also public opinion to determine the awardees of the list.
The final scores were calculated using a weighted system, with public votes accounting for 30% of the final score, while the expert panel’s evaluations contributed 70%.
The list is sponsored by notable industry players such as Oatly, Slayer, Markibar, Cropster, and Cosentino, lending some credibility to the accolade.
However, especially considering that it is a new list, there have been some netizens who expressed concerns about the subjectivity of the list.
Some pointed out that the current World Barista Champion’s Mikael Jasin‘s coffee shop Omakafé in Jakarta wasn’t included either. Perhaps the lack of pastries disqualified them from the list?
Still, many were curious as to why cafes from various locations such as Japan, Seoul, Russia, Thailand, and more, weren’t represented.
Since it is a new list, hopefully it will be more transparent with its methodology and processes in the future, ensuring that it is compiled in a fair manner with proper due diligence.
In any case, we’re proud of the three Malaysian cafes that were recognised, putting our local coffee culture and expertise on the map.
- Learn more about The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about F&B businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: Sin See Tai / ONO Specialty Coffee & Matcha / Ome by Spacebar Coffee
