Fade by Sb | Kuala Lumpur
ZEN & THE ART OF ESPRESSO MAINTENENCE
With the changing pages of an eternal newspaper, the majority of the stories are tales of destruction, hunger, war, and suffering. Editors seem incapable of including light-hearted tales or the joy of a reunited family. Within this temporal mime that we call life, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a nest. A cocoon. A place where you can bring a book, shut the outside world off for a second, and dwell in a calm environment.
Fade by SB is the coffee shop equivalent of a meditation retreat. Run by the ever-gracious, kind, and welcoming Sam & Bernie, the room exudes their quiet, methodical practice and their ethos.
One of the vagaries of the present day is that even the best-kept secrets are only an Instagram post away from being ruined. While this is a double standard -writing this article myself- I feel they have already been afforded publicity, and I can write guilt-free and honestly.
It is one of my favourite places in the world.
In the days of corporations and greed, buyouts and conglomerates, the odds are stacked against anyone living out their vision. High rents, high costs, pressures from customers to lower prices: everything seems a never-ending spiral intent on destroying things with pure intentions.
Fade by SB has ridden the wave of hype, secrecy, publicity, and serenity in one long wave. Each one brings with it a new set of challenges and benefits, but is there really a happy medium?
Without an income, you starve, without people, you fail, but without the right people, your vision is dimmed. Perhaps there are not enough of the "right" people to keep things above water?. It's a situation many face in various sectors of the service industry: sticking to standards or drifting into the sea of surrender and losing a part of yourselves, too.
What was tipped to me by a barista at OneHalf became an instant favourite the first time I walked through the doors, and it almost felt like I was in a neighborhood bar in Tokyo. The decor was simple and minimalist without the accents of a hipster designer. The coffee was great. The baked items (which I rarely ever eat, but always do at Fade) are dutifully created and delicious.
Most of all, the atmosphere is as serene as it can be in a room filled with humans, but the vision still hangs overhead, and if you don't understand it, then perhaps this is not for you.
I honestly hope this stays around forever, because if I return to KL and the doors have closed, then the city will be the worse for it.
