KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 24 -- You can always escape the chaos of the city, even if you don't actually leave it.

No, you don't have to check into a hotel and hole yourself up in your room (this sounds worse than any metropolitan mayhem, to be honest).

Instead, consider simply going out for a coffee. Not in a mall but in a cafe that feels more like somebody's home.

With this plan in mind, we head to Gong Dou Coffee, located along the time-worn Jalan Goh Boon Hong in Taman Taynton View, Cheras.

With its cosy charms - thanks in part to exuberant, lush greenery contrasting with blackened, reclaimed wood for a lived-in ambience - Gong Dou promises a truly bucolic getaway in the heart of the city.

The barista comes over with their coffee menu, e...