The Story Behind: Coffee Elements

Coffee elements is one of the cafe that receives favourable reviews from coffee lovers, bloggers and foreigners. When you visit to Coffee elements, usually the employees and the cafe owners will greet you with a warm smile and say “Hi/ hello, how are you today?” That is how they started a conversation with me. Sometimes, the cafe owners will sit beside you and chatting with you or ask for your feedback regard to their food and drink. So, these are the reasons why I become the regular customer in this cafe. So, I’m glad to have an interview with the co-founder of the Coffee Elements, Mr. Toh Peng Chung, to share with me more about the cafe.

Lee Wai Mun= WM

Toh Peng CHung= PC

WM: Hi, Pc! Can you share something on how did you get started with this business?

PC: Hi! Actually I am studying in engineering background, then I started my carrier in factory line for about like 10, 11 years. Later on I started to move into sales for 2, 3 years, before I make a decision to start up a business.

How I get an idea on starting up this business is because actually I and my partners are like coffee and we feel that coffee is a necessity rather than a needs to most of the people. Every time when we go out to have our coffee, where this kind of brews coffee we found out that the price is too high. People sell a cup of cappuccino in 10-12 ringgit per cup. 

Then, imagine like me, I drink about 6-8 cups of coffee per day so I have no choice but to brew my own coffee at home where basically the cost is not that high. From there I started this kind of business.

Coffee Elements

WM: is it hard to start up a business during economy downtime?

PC: Every year you will feel that people will say next year will be worst, you won’t hear people say okay, next year is going to be good. I don’t think so because that's no time or accurate time or correct time to start a business actually. In any business also we will feel this. As long as the business that you run, the things that you do, you have to find a way to make it better.

Menu

WM: Do you face any challenges or difficulties?

PC: Ya. Actually I feel that coffee is a culture where people drink normal kopi O’ (local black coffee), instant coffee and so on. Then from there to change into espresso base coffee, that is kind of a challenge actually. So, we need to share experience with customer, we need to talk and get their feedback and let the customer know how to appreciate this kind of coffee where we are using proper beans to make coffee, milk and all that should be more healthier than those kind of coffee. 

I still remember where some of older people ask me why your coffee is not that bitter and I try to explain to them by saying that proper coffee shouldn’t have bitter. We need to have coffee body but is not that bitter.

Actually there is a lot of difficulties other than coffee. For example, we try to make our own caramel sauce, even the chocolate sauce and coffee sauce. We are not from F&B background. So, when we try to make things ourselves, definitely the difficulties stage is more compare to people that already used to do this kind of things.

Heidi (staff) and PC

WM: What is most rewarding?

PC: The most rewarding is I have my whole team that supporting my dream and make my dream as their dream. I feel if you treat your team good, your team will treat your customer good. Because you can’t be here all the time to monitor every movement and micromanage is not my style.

WM: Are you satisfy with what you have?

PC: I shouldn’t say I satisfy because this cafe is just like about nearly three years and I’m in midst 30 and I don’t feel is time for me to satisfy on what I have and is too early to say satisfy. Maybe another 15 years hopefully I can say I’m satisfy.

Chicken with Cream Mushroom

WM:What would you advice to those who want to start up a business similar with you?

PC: Actually quite a lot of people asking me how to do this and that, I mean how to operate, and how to start up and all that I do share with them.

Mr. Toh Peng Chung

WM: The last, what are your goals or dream for future?

PC: Actually my dream is to see my people with me and they success through me because I believe when my people success, this company will definitely success.

WM: So, thank you for your sharing. 

PC: You are most welcome, thank you so much! 

Coffee elements @ All Season Place
Address: First floor of All Seasons Place, Lebuhraya Thean Theik, Bandar Baru Air Itam, Penang.

Business Hours: Monday- Thursday 11am- 11pm

                           Friday: 11am- 11.30pm

                           Saturday: 9am- 11.30pm

                           Sunday: 9am- 11pm

Contact Number: 6012- 478 2693

Email: coffeeelements@gmail.com

Facebook: Coffee Elements Malaysia
Instagram: Coffee Elements Instagram

My one day trip in Penang Hill

“It's far better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone — so far.” In the last day of 2015, I decided to spend time alone by having a one day trip at Penang hill (Although this was not the first time I did so). The reason why I chose Penang Hill is because it was the nearest place that I can go by rapid bus.  =P  

 Penang Hill is the oldest British hill station in Southeast Asia, in late 1700’s. It is located at the area of Air Itam in Penang Island, which is 6 km from George Town (town area). The highest peak of Penang Hill stand at 833 metres (2,732ft) which is above the sea level. The funicular train service started in 1923 and the distance from the lower station to upper station is 1,996 meters (1.99km) which is longest in Asia.

The entrance of the Penang Hill.

I took 204 Rapid Bus went to Penang Hill. The time when I reached here was 3.30pm and I saw many visitors gathered in front of the entrance (because of school holiday, maybe). After that, I brought myself a train ticket at the counter. Although there was many people queue up at the ticket counter, but I still managed to purchase the train ticket in a very short time.

People were queue up at the counters to purchase tickets.

The new train ticket price.

 I brought a ticket in RM5 with a local student price (college). 

The pattern design of the ticket is quite nice and simple. 

After passing through the electronic scanning, those visitors and I were waiting for the train. Luckily the train came to the station within 1 minutes. The train was full with tourist and the seats were limited, so I didn't had so much choice to choose the seat. 

Inside the train.

At the top of the Penang Hill, I feel that the weather is quite cold and the air quality is much better than the town area. The environment is very clean and nice, I can see flora everywhere and the beautiful scenery.

Viewing deck at the top of Penang Hill. Mostly people will take photos or selfie at there.

Flora is everywhere.

Scenery (1)

Scenery (2)

Scenery (3)

The train was moving to the station. 

 There are a few things that the visitors can do on the top of the Penang Hill. The couples can purchase or bring their own love lock to lock their "love" in the LOVE LOCK Area.

Love Lock (1)

Love Lock (2)

Love Lock (3)

Besides, there is a CLIFF CAFE (food court) selling the food and drinks. Also, THE OWL MUSEUM is near the food court. 

Visitors may take a break in the square.

The Owl Museum (1)

The Owl Museum (2)

The Owl Museum (3) 

Actually there are still many places that the visitors can go such as fruit and souvenir stalls, some gardens, an exuberantly decorated Hindu temple, a mosque, a police station, a post office and an 11-room hotel (Bellevue Hotel) at the upper funicular station: the original funicular train, built in 1897, is also on exhibit here.

  :) 

Even though I went here alone but I enjoyed this short trip very much. For me, Penang Hill is a very good place for everyone to visit, especially for the tourist. It is one of the famous tourist spot in Penang.

For more information, please visit to Penang Hill's 

official website:

http://www.penanghill.gov.my/index.php 

 Email : inquiries@penanghill.gov.my

Tel    : 604-8288880, 604-8288839

604-8288861, 604-8288862

Inefficiency in the banning of foreign cookers in Penang

On 13 July 2015, Penang state government had announced to ban the foreign workers from being employed as the chef cooker.

The new law will be implemented in 2006. All hawkers in hawker centres, coffee shops, food courts in shopping malls and fast food outlets have to follow this new law.

For those who failed to do so their licences will be cancelled.

Although the state government had gave the hawkers one year grace period, but the Penang residents and food lovers still can see the foreign workers cook in the stall.

According to the Malay Mail online on 3 Jan 2016, when they visited new world park food court and hawker stalls at Macalister road, they discover that there are several stalls still employing foreign workers cooking the dishes and manning the stall.

In this case, some of the Penang food lovers have shown their disappointed as the foreigner workers still continue to work as the chef cookers in the stall.

In my opinion, I believe that the problem comes on how the Penang state government implement the law and whether the hawkers obey the law or not.

The authorities should always check on the hawker centres in order to make sure all hawkers are obey the law.

Cancelled the hawker licenses might not be the best way to solve the problem. A heavy penalty should be imposed to those who disregard the law, such as fine RM30, 000 or jail for 3 years.

Moreover, the state government may set a rule for the hawkers to restrict the number of the foreigner’s employment. This is to prevent the foreign workers work as main chef.

Penang is one of the food heaven in the world. So, it is important for Penang state government to solve this problem because this issues will affect the images of the Penang food to the tourist. 

Of course, the most important thing is to maintain the taste and quality of the Penang food. 

The culture and tradition of the real Penang food are worth to keep and it should be pass down to the next generations.