PETALING JAYA, May 21 -- Coffee, I have decided, is never just coffee.

Not in the Klang Valley, where cafes are often something more: places where we while away the hours, sure, but also havens that hold time in their embrace.

True, given the trying times and tightening of purse strings, even I am loathe to indulge in cafe-hopping, preferring the budget-friendly charms of our local kopitiams instead.

But spending time in a cafe isn't always about having a meal and filling our bellies; surely they offer us something more.

These might not be hallowed halls but they are sanctuaries still; spaces where coffee meets character.

A couple of months ago, I wrote about two cafes - one in Cheras, the other in SS2, PJ - that made every inch coun...