PUCHONG: For Taryn Teh and her daughter Joyce Chin, café-hopping was more than just a way to get their caffein fix. It was their favourite way to spend time together.
The duo has now turned that shared hobby into “MAD Coffee”, a specialty café they opened in 2022 despite having no experience running one. Teh had 27 years in the corporate world, while Chin was a fresh graduate with some experience in e-commerce and marketing.
But the timing felt right.
“After the pandemic, I felt I had been in the corporate world long enough and wanted to start my own business doing something I loved,” Teh said.
Chin, meanwhile, gained a taste of the F&B industry while helping relatives with their café in Kedah. That’s when the idea struck to replicate this concept back home in Puchong.
“Four years ago, if you wanted to go somewhere nice for specialty coffee, you had to travel all the way to Petaling Jaya or Kuala Lumpur,” Chin said.
So, the two took the plunge, taking on responsibilities that matched their strengths. Teh handles back-end operations, including suppliers, preparation and paperwork, while Chin oversees marketing, events and R&D.
They attended a course together to learn more about coffee, while Chin experimented with drinks at home using a second-hand coffee machine.
“We didn’t have any employees then, so whenever I developed a drink, I would bring it to my mum for feedback, even if she was in the middle of a meeting,” she said.
Today, “MAD Coffee” has grown into a two-storey space with a minimalist, Japanese-inspired aesthetic. “We wanted the space to feel cosy, so people would feel at home,” Teh said.
Chin added: “Over time, customers have become friends, and sometimes we even meet up outside the café.” Some regulars even call Teh “Mum”!
They’ve also used MAD Coffee as a platform to connect with others, hosting collaborations with local brands and even Mini Cooper. Chin has expanded her industry network as a judge at national coffee competitions.
The café offers a house blend of Brazilian beans with nutty, chocolatey notes, alongside rotating seasonal blends. The current blend combines Brazilian, Colombian and Ethiopian beans for a fruitier brew.
The Mont Blanc, a drink originated in Australia, is both a looker and an absolutely refreshing treat. Made with espresso, orange-infused cream and homemade orange syrup, then finished with nutmeg and orange zest, it is bright and citrusy.
The fruity coffee notes pair beautifully with the orange, almost transporting you to a beach somewhere, while the creamy top gradually blends into the coffee with every sip.
The banana Biscoff iced matcha puts a fun twist on the matcha craze and is definitely worth a try.
There are plenty more tempting creations on the menu, including the Honeycomb Coffee Cloud, which combines espresso with milk foam and generous crunchy chunks of housemade honeycomb toffee.
Some drinks have a personal touch. Chin said her mother’s love for citrus inspired Mom’s Orange Mocha, while local flavours shine through in Pandan Latte and Asam Boi Sparkling Coffee. It seems there’s no shortage of inspiration when mum and daughter concoct the menu.
“We like to experiment and draw inspiration from other cafés, but most importantly, we must genuinely like the drinks ourselves rather than create flavours just for the sake of following a trend,” Teh said.
While the café outsources its pastries and cakes, its chiffon cakes have become a signature over the past four years.
FMT Lifestyle tried the Rasa Sayang chiffon cake, a feather-light pandan coconut cake blanketed in velvety ube, or purple sweet potato cream, freshly spooned upon order. Cut into the cake and you’ll find a surprise centre of ube jam. It’s overall subtle, earthy flavours make the cake a lovely companion to coffee.
For the duo, however, the appeal of running a business together goes beyond the coffee itself.
“We get to bounce ideas off each other and grow together. Not everyone gets to experience that with their mum, and we feel blessed to have the support of our staff and customers,” Chin said.
Follow MAD Coffee on Instagram.
MAD Coffee
IOI Rio, 15, Lebuh Puteri,
Bandar Puteri Puchong,
47100 Puchong, Selangor
Business hours: 10am-7pm