Dirty latte in Penang
Penang doesn’t do boring, and neither do its cafes. With the dirty latte being a low-key cafe crush in the coffee scene lately, you can bet that the cafes on this island are embracing this beautifully dramatic drink, endeavouring to make the best possible glass.
We gathered our crew of coffee enthusiasts and non-coffee drinkers, dirty latte lovers and dirty latte virgins, and did the very important work of rounding up the spots in Penang that do dirty lattes best, and drinking them all.
Here’s our review and rankings of the 5 dirty lattes we tried in Penang, so you know where to head to for some of the best:
Table of Contents
What is a dirty latte?
What’s seemingly a standard glass of cold milk gets topped with a freshly-pulled shot of hot espresso that sinks and swirls slowly in a truly hypnotic moment that’ll have you scrambling for your phone to take photos. It’s quite the science experiment.
It sounds similar to a latte, but don’t be fooled. A dirty latte has a base that uses a process called freeze-distilled milk, where the baristas freeze a jug of dairy milk, which is then left to thaw just enough so the ice melts unevenly. As the fats, sugar, and proteins within the milk melt first, you’re left with milk that’s colder, thicker, and slightly more concentrated, as most of the water content stays frozen behind.
The creamy cold milk goes into a clear glass, no ice added, and a hot espresso shot is pulled directly over the milk. Due to the temperature difference, the espresso blooms and drifts in dramatic patterns before settling into layers, creating that signature “dirty” look.
Dirty lattes appeal with their contrast: the milk is cold, smooth, and sweet, while the espresso is warm, sharp, and punchy. How you enjoy it is up to you, of course, but you’ll be advised to sip it unstirred to fully experience the bold contrast of flavours.
It’s a simple concept, rather tricky to pull off, and dangerously easy to fall in love with.
1. Alight Coffee
Alight Coffee is a cafe that Penang langs love lingering at, not just popping into. Tucked away down Lorong Prangin in George Town, the coffee spot is thoughtfully cosy, spacious, and admittedly, doubles as a homely living room where you’ll find freelancers working away on their laptops, or a bunch of locals with a cup in one hand and, well, a phone in the other.
The ambience of the cafe pairs exquisitely with a robust brew or an earthy matcha latte, but of course, we were there with a mission.
Alight’s dirty latte (RM16) was served in a simple glass, no frills or fuss, but its visual of espresso bleeding into the stark-white milk immediately begs to be photographed. And that we did.
It was a textbook of a dirty latte as it can be. The caffeine was pleasantly strong, hitting first with a sip, followed by the mellow milk right after, velvety mouthfeel all the way through. The lot of us were pleased enough, with a fair few wishing that the drink was cold cold, so that it did not dwindle down to lukewarm towards the last few sips.
Jia-Ju, latte drinker: “Pretty good, wish it was colder”.
Joyce, black coffee drinker: “Ooh, strong. But also, creamy”.
Nicole, all coffee drinker: “Balanced, good for those who are new to dirty lattes”.
Overall rating: 4/5
2. N.419 Senses Coffee
Our hopes were high at N.419 Senses Coffee, as the cafe is practically built on their dirty lattes. To be specific, their -86°C dirty lattes.
Yes, they are indeed as dramatic as they sound.
Three variations of their dirty lattes were plastered on the very first page of the menu. There’s the Original Dirty (RM17), Black Sesame Dirty (RM19), and Pistachio Dirty (RM19). We made our orders and the barista eagerly showed us the freezer where the glass cups are kept in a deep-freeze – a frosted vessel that looks like it came out of a cryo lab.
Into that frozen glass goes their homemade, richly concentrated milk, that’s sweetened with a cheeky touch of sugar to make it unapologetically indulgent, before a shot of espresso is poured on top to do its slow, hypnotic melt.
The end product was pretty show-stopping. Satisfyingly cold, absurdly creamy, and intensely flavourful, the dirty latte was way too easy for us to gulp it all down, brainfreeze or not.
We would be a disgrace to the community of pure coffee drinkers who wouldn’t be caught dead sipping on a Java Chip frappuccino, and say this: it tastes as decadent as premium ice cream, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Doubling down on flavours with their own house-crafted milk, the cafe’s black sesame was a nuttier rendition, and just as addicting.
There’s also a nice icy surprise towards the end: the milk by the walls of the glass starts freezing up, creating frozen bits for you to slush around with the leftover milk and scoop them up like ice cream. Divine.
Jia-Ju: “Woah. Sweet. Tastes like ice cream”.
Hans, non-coffee drinker: “Wow!! Sweet! Tastes like ice cream!”.
Overall rating: 4.5/5
3. Pause Mood Coffee
At the pre-war shophouse that is Pause Mood Cafe, you perch on a wooden chair with a book or to catch up with a close friend, and simply stay for a little longer.
We felt the charm of the cafe in its wooden shutters, vintage tiles, and the gentle grind of the coffee machine, but we weren’t ready for its dirty latte (RM16). To put it simply, it’s a rare find that made us pause, pun very much intended. And revel in its taste.
It’s creamy for sure, but without being cloying, expertly balanced between velvety milk with its tad natural sweetness, and a crown of rich espresso that lingers on your tastebuds.
There isn’t much else to say, other than to come for yourself and experience it all. Some moods are worth simmering in, especially when they have dirty lattes that are nothing short of excellent.
Jia-Ju: “Wait. So YUM”.
Nicole: “For a proper dirty, let your tongue do the talking”.
Overall rating: 5/5
4. A Soar Coffee
You know what they say about unassuming food spots – they always end up surprising us the most. And A Soar Coffee did exactly that.
The space was truly a cosy corner of calm, not too far off a few of Penang’s famous char kuey teow spots, and a great spot for some peace and refreshing beverages to counter all that greasiness that’s gathered in your tummy.
And just like how the cafe itself is rather unassuming, their dirty latte (RM18) was too.
None of those swirly coffee tendrils or dramatic layered spectacles, this one arrives with espresso already halfway blended into the milk, leading us to wonder if this would be a diluted let-down.
How wrong we were.
The dirty latte had an extra richness that lifted the drink, giving it a velvety body and a smooth, lingering finish that made us take a second sip right away. The coffee profile was also well-balanced throughout.
The barista did let us in on a cheat code, though: a splash of cream folded into their homemade concentrated milk goes a long way. Wrong technique or not, whatever makes a good cup of dirty latte, we’re in.
Jia-Ju: “I kinda want a second cup”.
Hans: “I don’t have the words to describe how coffee tastes because I don’t drink coffee, but like. MMMMM”.
Overall rating: 4/5
5. ae Coffee
It’s safe to say that most Penangites love ae Coffee. We love to boast about the coffee drinks at ae Coffee. We love to squish ourselves to fit the limited seats at ae Coffee, just to enjoy their coffee.
Naturally, we were curious about the micro roastery’s take on the dirty latte (RM18).
Alas, it did not blow us away. It was promising visually, with espresso streaks extending mesmerisingly throughout the milky white, which admittedly, did not look promisingly thick.
First sip in, we were baffled by the subtle sweetness.
Okay. We did say that we enjoyed the “ice cream” sweetness in coffee earlier on, but this one felt somewhat unintentional and unbalanced in the overall dirty latte alchemy. The espresso was clearly doing major legwork to fill in the too-milky gaps, but it was still a very pleasant drink. We would’ve also preferred it colder.
Jia-Ju: “It’s like, sweet. Is it supposed to be sweet?”.
Nicole: “Hm. Sweet”.
Overall rating: 3.8/5
Where to get indulgent shots of dirty latte in Penang
What’s there to say other than Penang just doesn’t disappoint. And now that we’ve shown you a good handful of dirty lattes that have crept their way into cafes across the island, go ahead – ooh at the layers, sip before you stir, and be enthralled by these frozen works of art.
Also read:
- Best char kuey teow spots in Penang
- We tried ice cream & tea shops in Klang Valley
- We tried lattes from 14 coffee chains in Malaysia
Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia
Photography by Jia-Ju.