Norm Micro Roastery

A brutalist cove hidden behind a gigantic rotating door. Norm offers space for great coffee and refuge from the heat. It was my first time visiting Penang with a friend. We walked around Georgetown looking for early morning coffee. I'd just had some spicy nasi lemak followed by two cups of iced Milo. Walking under the sun, with spicy sambal elevating the effect, we were desperately looking for a place to escape the heat.

We actually walked past Norm four times while exploring. The gigantic door keeps it well-hidden. Located just off of Beach St, it just looks like a parking space for a warehouse or old factory. It wasn't until we were ushered by the security guard standing outside that we discovered the cafe inside. 

The gigantic rotating door opens into a wide-open space inside. The interiors still kept the raw, cement and brick structures that were part of the warehouse. A small counter to one side with a kitchen and brewing space, and a huge space full of tables and chairs to accommodate visitors. 

The design of the space makes you feel calm and cool. A small section of the high ceilings opens up to a sunroof that lets light into the space. It doesn't feel dark and gloomy at all. The concrete benches and tables, along with the stone-covered floor, gave us an illusion of being outside. The barista was very friendly and welcomed us into the space. We sat at a corner table and browsed through the menu. 

Norm offers a great selection of brews. We went for the manual brews, specifically the Ethiopia Chilaka Honey and the Ethiopia Sidamo Segera Natural varieties. We waited for our drinks while discussing coffee culture in Malaysia. The coffee culture here is quite unique. I'd say it's the exact opposite of Indonesian coffee culture. People here prefer subtle, balanced flavours compared to the strong, fermented, fruity profiles you'd enjoy in Indonesia. Some say it's because of durian culture, people prefer balance in their coffee since the food is full of explosive flavours.

Our drinks finally arrived, and we took our first sips after stirring, admiring the colour and experiencing the fragrance. The Chilaka Honey variety was beautifully brewed, definitely the more balanced of the two. The drink has subtle notes of fruit with a pleasant aftertaste of tea and a gradual flavour evolution. The Sidama Natural variety was more my preference. It was still balanced and subtle but had a stronger flavor evoltuion ad mouth feel. The fruity and fermented notes gradually came through with a slight sweetness on the palate towards the end. The drinks were very well brewed, and we had a great experience at the cafe.

The space was very lively, and the space allowed us to slow down and appreciate our sourrondings sn adour dribks. I highly recommend this place and will definitely be back during my next visit to Georgetown.

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