Coffee chronicles: a journey through cafes in Bertam / Isma Noornisa Ismail

Qah-wa Café : The word ‘qahwa’ is the Arabic translation of coffee, hence its specialty. This café opened its flagship store in Pusat Bandar Bertam Perdana quite recently, in 2021 and it received massive publicity to the point that it went viral for quite some time. Now the excitement about this new café in town has subsided, leaving a calm atmosphere for those who want to enjoy some relaxing coffee time. The signature drinks that you should try are definitely the Qahwa Crafted Drinks which comprise of an assortment of tamar series – among them, my favourites are Tamar Salted Caramel Latte and Tamar Hazelnut Latte. To complete your coffee quest here, you can order the selection of delightful pastries of even the yummy, savoury quesadillas. Albeit pricey, they’re definitely worth your money. Bertam - the image that comes to mind when people talk about this place is a sleepy small town located in Kepala Batas, the northernmost part of Penang. For those that have not had the chance to explore Bertam, they might not know that it has slowly become more vibrant with the sprung of many quaint cafes and fancy eateries. These past few months, I have taken the task of exploring some of the cafes here upon myself, as well as forcing my colleagues and family members to join me in this café hunt so that the next time you find yourself in Bertam, you’ll know where to go for a cuppa.