Common Man Coffee Roasters @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail

It was a public holiday morning when I made my way to Common Man Coffee Roasters @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail with a friend.

And, guess what?  There was already a queue.  Mind you, this is nothing like those small cafes.  This is a big space....and it was running full.

Well not quite a queue since there's (luckily) an area at the entrance to the cafe which (I think) is probably used by customers who just want to sit down for a cuppa but now doubles up as a waiting area.  So, waiting for a table here is pretty comfortable (this photo was taken when we left when the crowd has dispersed somewhat).  Waiting time is pretty minimal too since it's such a large space.

When it comes to ordering or when I'm in doubt of what it's best to eat (if it's my first time here), I always look for little markers that denote their chef's specialities/recommendations and, when that's not available, I look for the dishes that carry their name.  No cafe is gonna put their name on a dish if they aren't 99% sure it's gonna deliver....although I've had some of those moments when it didn't...hehe! ;)

So there's no better introduction to their food than to start with a full on Common Man Full Breakfast @ RM39 with streaky beef, grilled chicken sausage, two free-range organic eggs (in any style), wild mushrooms, confit herbed tomatoes, sweet corn relish and vegetable rosti with wholemeal or sourdough bread.

We chose poached eggs and they were done to perfection, served on two nicely toasted wholemeal bread. Their house-made chicken sausage was very good, fragrant and full-flavoured, and I truly enjoyed the streaky beef and (for once) didn't mind one bit that it wasn't streaky bacon! ;P

In this case, this CMCR-named dish delivered, I loved everything on the platter including the sauteed mushrooms (button and shimeji), sweet corn relish (with chopped french beans and red peppers), herbed tomatoes and vegetable rosti! ^o^  Ok, ok, so there's one thing I didn't like...I'm guilty of scraping away the minted sour cream.

We wanted the Common Man Fluffy Pancakes (RM29) next but was told there might be a short delay as the orders for this dish have backed up.  So, we went for the Fluffy Brioche French Toast @ RM27 instead when told that this one will be a shorter wait.

There were four blocks of absolutely fluffy brioche french toast paired with premium vanilla ice cream.  It was served with a nutty crumble and berry compote at the bottom with maple syrup, some fresh strawberries and a sprinkling of sweetness.

This one definitely has a place among the top french toasts I've eaten thus far.  I loved how thick the toasts were but had nicely crisp and browned sides with the perfect balance of sweet and sour from the maple syrup and berry compote.  I'm so glad we went for this (no regrets!).

No trip to CMCR is complete without trying their coffees, of course.....so, my friend and I shared a Flat White @ RM12 which we loved.

We shared a coffee coz we wanted to try one of their fresh house-made juices and they offer four, the usual orange and green apple juices at RM10 each.  But we'd rather have a unique combo of Pineapple, Coconut Water, Kaffir Lime & Passionfruit @ RM14.

This was an excellent mix and a great tasting juice.  You can taste the intensity of the fruits in the juice. But, before you get too excited, let me show you the size of the juice...haha! :P  Then again, we were more than happy to pay the price for a juice that's so pure and fresh (made with either no or very little water added). We could certainly drink a few more of these! ^.^

The other combo sounds like a real detox and super healthy all-green juice of Cucumber, Kale, Green Apple, Romaine & Parsley at RM14 also.  Although they have still and sparkling water on their menu, you still get served complimentary water here.

My Personal Opinion

Breakfast & Brunch is offered till 6.30pm while the Lunch & Dinner menu starts from 11am.  From wholesome organic ingredients to healthy vegetarian and gluten-free items to sweet-toothed choices, there's something for everyone here.  Prices may be slightly higher than norm but know that's compensated with quality and the freshest ingredients possible.

Good food, great coffees, charming service is what you can expect to find here.  Although I've barely scratched the surface of what they offer here but that 'small' introduction has convinced me that I have to return for more.

I might just have found my next favourite cafe...or, at least, a worthy addition to my growing list of top favourite cafes.

Common Man Coffee Roasters
A-G-1 Ground Floor
New Podium Plaza Vads
No 1 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-7731 7095