Pelita Lim (left), from Antara Collective, and Jeffrey Lim of Kopi Lau Workshop will be using kopi to bring people together for the fundraising event at The Parc creative space in Subang Jaya this weekend. Photo: Soo Phye
Get into the spirit of giving this holiday season by appreciating Malaysia’s unique kopi culture, as two archival projects and a local artisanal gelato-maker have come together to raise funds to build a home for an Orang Asli family.
Food archival project Antara Collective is working with Kopi Lau Workshop, a heritage trades project focusing on Nanyang and Nusantara coffee culture, and Idolci Gelato, a homegrown gelato brand, for a fundraising event this weekend.
Held at The Parc, Subang Jaya, Selangor on Dec 16 and 17, the event – also featuring a pop-up exhibition – is aimed at shedding light on our oft-overlooked and rapidly disappearing kopitiam culture, while also helping to support non-profit Epic Homes in its mission to build homes for underprivileged communities.
Pelita Lim of Antara Collective says that all profits from this weekend's event will be channelled to non-profit Epic Homes to build a home for an Orang Asli family. Photo: Handout
Idolci Gelato has developed a limited series of flavours inspired by the traditional coffee cultures of Penang, Ipoh, Melaka and Johor. For the upcoming fundraiser, it is releasing four flavours inspired by the northern region: Penang Kopi Ping, Ipoh White Kopi with Malt Nibs, Teh Ping and Pure Pandan.
The special “Kopitiam Menu” comes in 100g cups gift-wrapped in a steamer basket, which will be sold at RM90 each.
Heritage brew
Kopi Lau Workshop, a new community-based initiative led by Jeffrey Lim, also has a family-inspired angle.
Lim's aunt's family ran a heritage kopitiam and coffee factory in downtown Kuala Lumpur for almost 90 years which closed down during the pandemic in 2021. Inheriting most of the kopi brewing tools, Lim learnt and has extensively spent the last few years understanding and documenting the local kopi culture.
Forget espresso machines. The Kopi Lau Workshop mini exhibition will be featuring old world coffee-making equipment. Photo: Soo Phye
At Parc this weekend, he will hold an hour-long hands-on workshop (places limited), which looks into understanding regional types and grades of coffee grounds, before learning how to brew your own cup of black kopi using traditional tools and methods.
Each workshop participant will get a special home brew kit, which includes kopi pui (cup and saucer), teaspoon, measuring spoon, single-serve kopi lau and long (filter and jug) and a 250g bag of special roast kopi, all packed in an exclusive "Good Morning" towel drawstring bag that can be repurposed as a hand towel.
"One exhibit during the workshop is a traditional handmade boiler, probably made in Penang in the 1960s/70s, and no surprise there as Penang island itself has more than three coffee powder factories. It features a simpler design, charcoal-fuelled and currently going through repairs and restoration. The life of any kopitiam truly revolves around the boiler, where it serves a multitude of functions," says Lim.
"Also on display are a few coffee cups and saucers from the collection. My curiosity with the origin story of our own unique cups have led me to as far back as the 17th century Ming Dynasty. How and where did these shapes and patterns of our kopitiam cups originate, the kiln pottery industry behind it. I am still researching to create a complete narrative, a few distinct cup sets will be exhibited," he adds.
A good cause
Pelita Lim of Antara Collective says that all profits will be channelled to Epic Homes and that a second fundraising event is in the works for January. They hope to raise at least RM90,000 by the end of the two events.
The fundraising event will also feature four local gelato-based kopi flavours. Photo: Soo Phye
“I’ve been involved in the building of three homes through Epic Homes and I wanted to fund an entire home through my own fundraiser, but after reaching out to my friend Gigi Teoh, who founded Idolci Gelato, and then Jeffrey Lim of Kopi Lau, we decided to collaborate with kopi as the link,” explains Pelita.
“Through this, would like to bring our kopi culture into the limelight and receive the attention and acclaim it so rightfully deserves,” she adds.
Swing by the event to try out individual cups of the limited gelato flavours or opt for the roti kiap (a scoop of gelato sandwiched between bread) at RM15 each. You can also try the Kopi Snack Station, which is RM10 for a cup of kopi and a traditional snack.
The Antara: Kopi Lau & Gelato fundraising event will be at Epic Workshop, The Parc, Subang Jaya, Selangor on Dec 16 and 17 from 10am to 5pm. The Kopi Lau Workshop sessions will be at 11am and 2pm on each day at RM200 per person. More info here.
