An array of delectable pastries awaits you at BlackBixon Cafe 

by HAZATUL SYIMA HARON / pic source: blackbixoncafe.com

IF YOU find yourself stuck in a traffic jam in the heart of Kuala Lumpur (KL), consider parking your car and enjoying a cuppa before going home. 

Besides saving yourself from unwanted stress and wasting petrol, an array of delectable pastries awaits you at the BlackBixon Cafe & Restaurant. 

My favourite? The Kouign Amann, a sweet Breton cake made with laminated dough. 

The cafe also has several unique pastries such as the BlackBixon salted egg croissant and the BlackBixon fruity danish made using charcoal powder, colouring them black. It uses charcoal in a few of its offerings including charcoal sourdough bread, charcoal buns for its burgers, charcoal latte and its specialty drink Monochrome. 

The flagship BlackBixon Cafe on Jalan Inai, off Jalan Imbi, was officially launched last month. It’s owned by Blackbixon Sdn Bhd, a unit of Ni Hsin Food & Beverages (NFHB) Sdn Bhd under the listed Ni Hsin Group Bhd. 

More Cafes in the Pipeline 

Ni Hsin Group is well-known as a manufacturer of premium stainless steel multi-ply cookware in Asia. 

The group mooted the idea of diversifying into food and beverage (F&B) in September 2020 after experiencing challenges like many other corporations during the pandemic. Thus, BlackBixon was born. 

The next year, BlackBixon started off selling coffee machines and three types of coffee capsules. The concept was simple: Making premium coffee accessible anywhere, whether at home or the office. 

In December 2021, it then launched the BB2GO EV Coffee Bike or electric bikes in the heart of KL to facilitate the sale of BlackBixon coffee. The e-bikes are equipped with coffee-making machines and GPS, which enable customers to track orders via the BB2GO app. 

“From there, we thought why not go into the cafe business,” said NFHB and Blackbixon MD Khoo Chee Kong. Khoo is a major shareholder in Ni Hsin Group with a direct stake of 17.98% as of Sept 26, 2022. 

He said the bungalow where the BlackBixon Cafe is located was initially used just to charge the electric bikes. Since the space was more than ample for charging purposes, it was then decided that the flagship cafe would be housed at the Jalan Inai bungalow. 

With the official launch of the cafe, Ni Hsin Group expects 30% of its revenue to come from the food and beverage (F&B) division this year. 

The group aims to expand its cafe business by opening three cafes next year — one in Getting Highlands and two in neighbourhoods such as Bangsar, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Damansara Jaya and Subang Jaya. 

It is also considering franchising as Khoo said they’ve received interests from as far as Sabah. 

Setting up the BlackBixon Cafe at Jalan Inai took almost RM2 million, according to Khoo, and each planned new outlet is estimated to cost between RM1 million and RM2 million, subject to location and size. 

Venturing into E-bikes 

Ni Hsin Group also plans to use its electric bike delivery service to send pastries around KL to complement its coffee delivery service. 

It aims to expand the e-bike coffee and pastries concept across Asean, and has plans to sell the e-bikes in the commercial and consumer markets in Malaysia and the region. 

The group entered into an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement with Dongguan Tailing Motor Vehicle Co Ltd in October 2021 for the manufacture of the eBixon EV Bike. 

Under the agreement, Dongguan Tailing will manufacture the bikes and deliver them as semi-knocked down components that include spare parts and software, while the group’s subsidiary, Ni Hsin EV Tech Sdn Bhd, will assemble, test, run quality control and commission the electric two-wheelers in Malaysia. 

The eBixon EV Bike is targeted to be launched by year-end. The group aims to market the e-bikes in South-East Asia as demand for two-wheeled electric vehicles in the region is expected to see grow over the next 10 years. 

Signature Drinks 

Back to the cafe’s offerings. Its signature drinks are Monochrome and Tropicalxon, each priced at RM18. The former is a latte crafted with charcoal powder and combined with vanilla and salted caramel, while the latter sees specially-crafted espresso combined with coconut water, passion fruit and soda. 

I tried the Monochrome and while the combination of vanilla and salted caramel is divine, it was much too sweet for me who prefers “kosong” (zero sugar) when ordering my teas and coffees. Thus, I enjoyed the Jussu Sweet Green Juice healthy drink more.

For those who prefer pure coffee, you can try the Long Black at an affordable RM10 per cup. The coffee beans are 100% sourced from Rwanda. There’s also the Charcoal Latte (RM14), where the pattern on top stays distinct after several sips. 

Besides pastries, the cafe also offers the BlackBixon Burger, all using specially-crafted charcoal buns. The most interesting choice: The Crabby Burger (RM35) where a herb-crusted soft shell crab is served in a charcoal bun with kale and cabbage slaw and chilli crab paste, plus a side of fries.

Among the other dishes you can try is the Pesto Gnocchi (RM27), delicious but the gnocchi was a bit dense; the Chicken Schnitzel (RM31), perfectly fried breaded schnitzel with tasty green salsa and sriracha mayo; and Sweet Potato Fries (RM16) as a side, which I assure you will be consumed in less than a minute.

Despite the increasing prices of goods including food items, the cafe’s management has no plans to increase its prices at the moment. 

However, if the ringgit hits RM5, then prices will have to be recalculated as it would mean a 30% increase in costs, which will be passed on to consumers. 

The cafe also has an open-air bar on the rooftop with a nice little terrace lined with artificial grass, with 360 ̊ view of KL, perfect for that Instagram shot. 

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• This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition.