By Siti Salwa Shaari
TEMERLOH: The enforcement of the movement control order (MCO) last year was a blessing in disguise for former graphic designer Akmal Zamri.
Lack of work during MCO prompted him to quit, returned to his hometown and started his own coffee brand called KOPI@empat petang.
Akmal, 30, said the process of producing KOPI@empat petang starts by brewing high quality coffee beans as early as 9 am every day from the kitchen of his family’s house in Taman Temerloh Jaya here, before being sent directly to customers to ensure its freshness.
“Besides that, this coffee takes four minutes to prepare, including the brewing process. It is also important to ensure correct amount of ingredients and water temperature so that the coffee produced really meets the taste before being sold,” he told Bernama.
The holder of a bachelor’s degree in quantity surveying from Universiti Malaya said he sells, among others, vanilla, salted caramel, roasted hazelnut and ‘gula kabung’ lattes which are sold between RM7 and RM8.90 per bottle.
Akmal said KOPI@empat petang has started to capture the attention of coffee lovers from major cities in the peninsula.
Akmal Zamri brews coffee at KOPI@empat petang. Photo: Bernama 
Akmal Zamri brews coffee at KOPI@empat petang. Photo: Bernama
Orders can be made online and all the coffee could last for five days if kept cold, however, customers are advised to drink it within three days from the date it was brewed, he said.
Seeing Akmal’s meticulousness in measuring the ingredients and brewing coffee, it is hard to believe that he never attended any classes, instead he learned everything informally while enjoying the drink at various cafes.
“My interest in coffee only started about four or five years ago and when I was selected to participate in a course in Indonesia for a year in 2016, I used my free time to visit as many coffee shops as possible to better understand the drink,” he said.
Asked on how he came up with the name KOPI@empat petang, Akmal, who dreams of opening a cafe one day, said he and his former colleagues in Kuala Lumpur used to go out for coffee at 4 pm daily. – Bernama
