If there was ever any doubt that the millennial coffee joint should deliver much more than a cup of hot joe, it’s been put to rest by the debut of Common Man Coffee Roasters in Kuala Lumpur.
Located in the Taman Tun Dr Ismail neighbourhood, the light-filled café and commercial coffee roaster in the midst of a retail mall is the work of London- and Singapore-based Viewport Studio. The 1930s inspiration of the original Common Man in Singapore still looms large here, the designers channeling era-specific references including a geometric trellis for the retail wall, angular globe lamps, and polished brass tables, while retaining a sense of the South-East Asian locus by way of cane stools, walls sheathed in rattan, and fabric shot through with tropical motifs.
A corner of the café is styled as a barista academy which promises courses in latte art, and basic brewing and coffee skills. Those preferring a less cerebral alternative will settle in for an Australian-inspired menu that includes a sautéed kale and egg white scramble with lemon zest crumbs, and French toast paired with a berry compote and maple syrup.
The real star, of course, is the coffee – the majority of the green beans sourced through direct relationships – and ranges from fragrant house blends to single origin Ethiopian beans.
ADDRESS
A-G-1 New Podium
Plaza Vads
No 1 Jalan Tun Mohd Faud
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekThis week, our editors have been privy to the latest restaurants, art, music, wellness treatments and car shows. Highlights include a germinating artwork and a cruise along the Pacific Coast Highway…
-
An instant modern classic, the new Hyundai Inster is an all-conquering, all-electric city carSmall EVs are making big waves as the tech continues to evolve. Hyundai shows everyone else how to do it
-
Inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe, A/W 2025’s best menswear captures a ‘menacing elegance’‘A menacing, seductive elegance,’ is how Anthony Vaccarello described his A/W 2025 menswear collection for Saint Laurent, capturing a mood that ran through the season. Here, as seen in Wallpaper’s September 2025 cover shoot and film, a series of looks that invite a sense of risk when dressing for the months ahead
-
All aboard the world’s most luxurious train journeysStay on track with our pick of the most luxurious train journeys around the world, whether in 1920s-style opulence or contemporary chic
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico -
Kerry Hill Architects designs the One & Only group’s first Asia property — Johor, Malaysia -
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland -
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia -
KLoé Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -
Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
