Cover Curate Coffee Roaster’s Shaun Liew (Photo: Fady Younis)
Curate Coffee Roaster’s Shaun Liew (Photo: Fady Younis)
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In this snippet from the Tatler Best Malaysia magazine, Shaun Liew shares more about the local coffee scene
They say you never forget your first espresso, and for two-time Malaysia Brewers Cup Champion Shaun Liew, it was the reason he first entered the coffee industry. “It tasted exactly like blueberry jam and chocolate, and that was where my coffee journey began,” the well-natured barista enthuses.
That very first sip was in 2012, at a coffee symposium, and 12 years later, he is the proud owner of roastery Curate Coffee Roasters, which opened its doors to the public just last year in April 2023 with the aim to make specialty coffee accessible to all. “To me, it is about balancing the artisanal and the commercial—many are still intimidated by specialty coffee, but good quality coffee should be shared by everyone,” he continues.
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Above Filter coffee
Above Shaun Liew
Filter coffee
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Sleek and intimate, the roastery holds service and hospitality to the highest standard, offering something for each and every customer preference: “We ensure we know what guests want so we can recommend the right cup—it is about making sure the entire team has the same vision, which is to meet the needs of our guests.”
Here, Liew also hopes to educate customers, in a means to push the local coffee scene forward. “We always focus on finding the balanced cup—for instance, many still do not know coffee is a fruit, which is naturally acidic,” he explains, referring to how many coffee drinkers are opposed to acidic coffee. “Coffee should never be sour, but a good quality, fruity acidity, is appreciated.”
Above The coffee roaster
The coffee roaster
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His expertise comes from years of experience in hospitality—Liew’s first foray into F&B was in 2015, when he opened Yellow Brick Road in Plaza Batai with four-time Malaysia Barista Champion Jason Loo. “Back then, I used to cafe-hop a lot, and would frequent The Red Beanbag in Publika, when [Loo] was head barista there,” Liew smiles, explaining how the duo came to work together.
At Yellow Brick Road, Liew’s role ran the gamut, from marketing and PR to customer service, all while training his team to compete in coffee competitions, as well as competing himself. In both 2017 and 2018, he was crowned champion at the prestigious Malaysia’s Brewer’s Cup.
Above Selection of beans
Above Shaun Liew
Selection of beans
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Wizards at Tribeca was Liew and Loo’s second cafe, which they ran from 2018 until 2021 through the pandemic, undoubtedly one of the toughest periods for the F&B scene. However, he also attributes the growth of the coffee industry to the pandemic: “Speciality coffee in Malaysia has evolved so much post-pandemic, as during the lockdown, people had time to try different coffee and brew at home, expanding their horizons, allowing cafe owners to extend their offerings.”
In 2021, Liew and his business partner Kent Wong partnered with Syun Hattori of Niko Neko Matcha to open the world’s first coffee and matcha café where both beverages take equal spotlight. “Coffee and matcha typically come under separate categories, with cafés specialising in one or the other, but we wanted to offer both at an equally high level,” Liew says. Signature concoctions blend the two, such as carbonated cold brew topped with matcha cream, served alongside Japanese fusion brunch.
Above Watch the seasoned baristas make coffee at the coffee bar
Above Shaun Liew
Watch the seasoned baristas make coffee at the coffee bar
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Without a doubt, Liew has championed Malaysia’s coffee scene more than many. “Malaysia is growing so much in terms of the level of coffee we offer and customer knowledge, and I am so proud to be one of its representatives in the specialty coffee scene.”
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Credits
Photography: Fady Younis
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About
Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
