Owning a B&B/Cafe has always been a dream of mine that I hold on to tightly for as long as I can remember, and hence I've been on an independent/family-run cafe run recently to gain inspiration and also just to indulge in their atmosphere.
I've recently paid a visit to Pekan Nanas, a little village located about 40 minutes from Johor Bahru with the aim of dropping by Platform Coffee & Homestay, a cafe/homestay run by a husband and wife duo.
Platform Coffee is a house-converted-cafe located in an unassuming residential area of Pekan Nanas. The fence was lined with bamboo decolourized from the constant basking of sun, and the grills were adorned with branches and ropes, that outlines the Chinese characters ‘平台’ which means platform.
Step into the compound of Platform Coffee, and you'll notice that the front patio of the house has been modified and converted into a rustic coffee bar.
The sight of this coffee bar greeted us as we set foot into the compound. We arrived at around 12 noon and we had the whole place to ourselves. (Photo above was taken when I was leaving, at around 3ish-pm. Hence, the crowd)
My eyes were bedazzled by the sights around me - I felt as though I was sucked into an altogether different realm.
To the left, you'll see this old swing set that used to be a "staple" in grandparents' house, embellished with colourful, seemingly hand-sewn cushions.
And on the further corner you'll see an elevated platform adorned with cushions with contrasting textures. Dainty little wood work furniture.
Travel guides and magazines scattered around the platform, concealing the radio with antenna, an almost extinct..."artifact"?
Next to the platform you'll see this old wooden cabinet, adorned with handmade ornaments, ceramics tea cups and tea pots, little trinkets....and so much more. There were just too much for my eyes to register!
After loosing my focus for quite a bit, I walked back to the coffee bar to study the menu
Platform Coffee only serves drinks and some pastries. Selection of drinks was vast though - tea, coffee, juice, health drink, even alcohol (there's tuak!), you name it! Zoom into the board at the back and you'll notice that the menu you is made up of twigs. I thought the price is relatively affordable, if you compare to the prices at a typical coffee shop.
After placing our order, we went into the indoor section.
You'll marvel at the large mural of Pekan Nanas once you step inside the little house.
The interior of Platform Coffee is like my grandparents' house on steroid. - no air condition, no WiFi, old mismatched furniture. I sneaked a few peaks into the rooms to confirm my hypothesis.
I had a cup of Latte (RM6) which was served in a porcelain cup, I assume, is handmade. We spent the whole afternoon reading books and lounging around. The place started to get crowded after 3pm, chatters and laughter of local residences and hikers of Gunung Pulai filled up the space.
It was a lovely place to be. I wouldn't mind dropping by again when I'm free just to unwind, and pick up a book to read. Platform Coffee also offers pottery classes I heard, do check out their
Facebook page for more information.
Platform Coffee
DH17A, Lorong A-4,
Pekan Nenas, 81500, Johor
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/platform.coffee.homestay/
Business Hours:
Fridays - Tuesdays, 11am-6pm
Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays
