By Amanda Slavinsky
Walking into Calanthe Art Cafe, the first thing you notice is the colorful artwork that adorns the walls — painted murals of nature; a tile mosaic that forms the shape of the sun; framed works of local artists; and a large map of Malaysia. This cafe, located on a side street off Malacca, Malaysia’s busy tourist thoroughfare Jonker Street, is best known for serving coffee grown in all 13 of the country’s states. But after spending an afternoon in Calanthe Art Cafe it is apparent that it is much more than just a coffee shop.
The menu at Calanthe Art Cafe is alarmingly thick. There are pages of coffee drinks. Hot and cold. Blended. Espresso-based. Drip. And that doesn’t even include the tea options. While a plethora of choices can sometimes be overwhelming, the passionate and knowledgeable staff can help sort out what you want. Patiently explaining the differences between each state’s coffee, your drink will be perfectly matched to your java preferences.
The enthusiasm doesn’t end with the coffee, though. Calanthe Art Cafe also offers a menu of fresh, local food and desserts that are made in house, including a cheesecake of the month featuring creative flavor combinations like green apple matcha.
After a few hours in Calanthe Art Cafe you will start to feel a vibe or two. Vibes of creativity, of passion for food and drink, and of creating an atmosphere that is relaxing and comfortable for all who pass through, whether they are weary travelers or creative Malaccans.
Calanthe Art Cafe is located at 11 Jalang Hang Kasturi in Malacca and is open everyday except Thursday.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Amanda Slavinsky is currently an MA Digital Journalism student at Goldsmiths, University of London. After graduating with a BA in History from the University of Michigan in 2009, she lived as an au pair in Rome, taught English in South Korea, and traveled around Southeast Asia. She loves food, craft beer, and street art. Amanda blogs about travel and food at Farsickness, curates a fast food blog, and tweets @amandaslav.
Photo by umershabib
