Space 80s Claypot Coffee

Post by Chiefeater VK

You know Space 80s Austin Perdana isn’t going to be an ordinary kopitiam the moment you arrive. There is a life-sized Iron Man standing at the entrance.

The comic and anime-themed cafe occupies three floors, with pop-culture memorabilia forming a big part of the experience. I was there primarily for the food though, and even in the morning there was already a good mix of diners.

I started simply with a Traditional Claypot Kopi and kaya butter toast.

I am really glad I ordered the coffee. It was an aromatic hit from the first sip and surprisingly smooth. At RM5.90, this was easily the highlight of breakfast for me.

The claypot reference isn’t merely decorative either. This style of coffee is brewed and served around the traditional kopitiam idea, but Space 80s presents it in a considerably more contemporary environment.

The kaya butter toast did its job alongside the coffee. Thick slabs of butter between crisp toast with kaya — familiar territory and a natural companion to kopi.

I later ordered two dishes to take away for lunch.

The Melaka Nyonya Mee Siam with Fried Chicken Whole Leg turned out to be pretty tasty. It was also a generous portion. The mee siam came with strips of egg and a substantial whole fried chicken leg sitting over the noodles. This was not a token piece of chicken added to bulk up the photograph.

Then there was their Signature 80’s Fried Radish Cake. The flavour was good, but the radish cake itself was a little too hard for my liking. I wanted more softness inside to contrast with the fried exterior.

Still tasty, just not quite the texture I wanted.

Space 80s could easily have relied on the Iron Man, anime theme and three floors of visual distractions to pull people through the door.

For me, though, the reason I’d remember it was considerably simpler.

That claypot coffee.

Pricing

Traditional Claypot Kopi Hot – RM5.90
Butter Kaya Toast – RM3.90
Melaka Nyonya Mee Siam with Fried Chicken Whole Leg – RM20.90 *(including RM1 takeaway charge)*
Signature 80’s Fried Radish Cake – RM12.90 *(including RM1 takeaway charge)*

Subtotal – RM43.60
SST (6%) – RM2.62
Service Charge (10%) – RM0.98

Total: RM47.20

MVX Summary

MVX Score: 7.8/10

M – Meal Value
RM5.90 for the claypot coffee was particularly good value considering how much I enjoyed it. The RM20.90 takeaway Mee Siam also came with a whole fried chicken leg and was generously portioned.
Score: 8.0/10

V – Venue
Space 80s certainly has personality. Three floors, a comic and anime theme and Iron Man greeting you at the entrance give it considerably more character than the average modern kopitiam.
Score: 8.0/10

X – X-Factor
The visual theme gets your attention, but the claypot coffee was what stayed with me. Aromatic, smooth and much better than something that exists merely to support a themed cafe.
Score: 7.5/10

Business Hours

Open Daily
08:00 am to 09:00 pm