Kuala Lumpur · Malaysia
VCR
VCR roasts in Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory.
Since 2013 · Andrew Lee
Overview
VCR opened in October 2013 in a 1927 black-painted house on Jalan Galloway near Kuala Lumpur's old Pudu Jail, founded by Andrew Lee with a multi-roaster café concept that quickly became one of Malaysia's most-cited third-wave pioneers. The name is the literal abbreviation for video cassette recorder — a reference to the building's blocky resemblance to a cassette and an in-joke about the shop's slightly old-school feel. The roastery and lab opened next door, and VCR now operates six locations across KL.
Known for
- Opened October 2013 in a 1927 house near Kuala Lumpur's old Pudu Jail
- Founded by Andrew Lee — widely cited as a pioneer of Malaysia's specialty third wave
- Multi-roaster café that grew into its own roastery and lab next door
- Synesso espresso machine and seasonal single-origin program
- Six KL locations: Galloway, Bangsar, Mont Kiara, Mont Kiara Stacks, TRX Stacks, Sunway Pyramid
Why it matters
VCR is the foundational café of Kuala Lumpur's specialty scene and effectively introduced third-wave brewing methods, single-origin transparency, and curated multi-roaster service to the Malaysian market. The 1927-house aesthetic and breakfast menu drew an Instagram crowd that broadened specialty's reach beyond enthusiasts, while the roastery cemented its position as a producer rather than just an importer. A decade in, VCR remains the reference point that newer KL roasters are measured against.
Production
- filter equipment
- V60, Kalita Wave
- roastery location
- Jalan Galloway, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur (next to original café)
- espresso equipment
- Synesso espresso machine
Café
2 Jalan Galloway, Bukit Bintang, 50150 Kuala Lumpur