Brewing Love for Coffee
Ever heard of the term café hopping? As weird or foreign as it sounds, it is actually something people do in their free time these days. In fact, it has even developed into a hobby of its own. According to Preetijit Kaur, a frequent café hopper, café hopping is basically visiting many different cafes in a single outing. It started off as a trend on Instagram and Blog pages, where people started off by posting cute café pictures and write reviews about all of the ones they visited.
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Preetijit’s main interest in the hobby began about almost three years ago when she ventured into a part time job working as a Starbucks barista. As she submersed herself in amazing coffee and great customer service, her love for coffee began. Surprisingly before that turning point in her life, she was an extremely tea person. However, fast forward a few years later and there isn’t a day goes by that she does not have her everyday cup of coffee.
“My hobby going from one café to another is mainly to try out all their various coffees. I believe that having a taste of how other baristas make coffee makes me in a way feel connected to them”, she said. Sometimes, she even tells other café waiters how she likes her brew so that it is customized just for her. Despite what people think, her hobby isn’t trend related, because besides a passion for coffee, she also loves food and the ideas behind pretty creations.
She also feels like another reason she jumps from café to café is the ambience each and every single one creates. She is well aware that each café has its own character, and getting to know the vibe every café carries is also one of the top reasons why this remains one of her ongoing hobbies. “There are new cafes every day and I feel like I will never run out of searching for a good place to just enjoy the food, drink and environment, if I only look hard enough”, she noted.
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One of the main ways she discovers new places is social media. The vast information on social media helps her locate good cafes around both Penang where she studies and KL where she lives. Reading reviews and comments on a place she hasn’t been to, is usually what convinces her to make a decision on the places she visits. Besides the internet, her circle of friends also keeps her in the loop when they themselves discover new cafés to hang out at.
Nevertheless, it is quite a pricey hobby for those that don’t necessarily possess the financial means. Preetijit’s tip to that would be to gather as many people or friends as possible when you decide to try out the hobby. That way you’ll be able to get a taste of everything and at the same time not burn a hole in your pocket.
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Thus far, she has been to, roughly about 20 different cafés and has spent at least RM15 per café. It is no doubt the wonders about what a person can do sitting down for about an hour or so at so many different cafes. For Preetijit, it depends on the scenario. If she goes with friends or family, then having a good chat or catch up session is usually what goes down. However, when she finds herself café hopping alone then she either reads a book or watch videos over YouTube.
Her all-time favourite café experience was when she went to Bean Brothers in KL. There, she connected with a fellow barista and they got up to talking. He spoke about her coffee (brewing methods), and what dessert would go well with it. In fact, they were so immersed in the culture of cafes that they even spoke about barista championships. That experience for her was most memorable as she was able to connect to another barista, at the same time understand the process of making a drink that she loves and knowing what’s best to enrich that experience further.
For teenagers like herself that are looking to venture into this hobby, her main advice is research. Understanding the price especially and what is special in each café will make it or break it for someone that wants to café hop. To her, there are no do’s and don’ts, because one can never really go wrong with food.
Two must try cafes by Preetijit Kaur
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Lavish Fusion (Penang)
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Bean Brothers (KL)
