Love & Latte

Special thanks to Love & Latte and TourDirections Penang for extending this food review invitation.

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Update: This business has ceased its operations.

It was exactly 2 months since my previous visit to Love & Latte, a quaint café along the bustling Love Lane.

Love & Latte takes pride as the first (and possibly only) Nutella-theme café in George Town.

Since Love & Latte remains opens till late night, beer is also available here.

As a heritage building, Love & Latte has to make do with the limited amount of space. The dining section in front of the bar can accommodate not more than twenty people.

Fortunately, there is also an upper floor with more dining space and the restroom. The flight of stairs is pretty steep; a word of caution if you are acrophobic.

The menu consists of a number of caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages. There are also limited choices of food such as croissant and pancakes. Pasta has been discontinued since my last visit.

As mentioned before, the menu here centers around Nutella, a popular brand of chocolate spread usually sold in transparent jars with white labels.

For starters, Just Nutella Pancake (RM11.00) is served with Nutella spread on top and between pancake layers. On the top pancake stack are roasted walnuts and chocolate drizzle.

Each order of pancakes comes in trios. I personally feel that the amount of Nutella is insufficient in proportion to pancakes; more Nutella should make the pancakes more appealing.

As for the Matcha Pancake (RM16.50), the pancakes themselves are flavored with matcha powder. A scoop of green tea ice cream and azuki beans act as icing on the cake. This dish is similar to the one at Shunka, though the toppings differ slightly.

In my opinion, the amount of matcha in the pancake should be increased significantly. Although some people feel overwhelmed by matcha, people who order this dish are essentially asking for it. On the plus side, the green tea ice cream is pleasantly smooth. The ice cream also serves a secondary role to moisturize the stack of pancakes below.

Next is a serving of 3 In 1 + Egg Pancake (RM15.00). The toppings are bacon, smoked salmon, smoked duck and scrambled eggs. The pancakes are not flavored nor covered with any syrup or cream.

While the smoked salmon and smoked duck are delectable on their own right, I feel that scrambled eggs is not the right choice to go with plain pancakes. Given a choice, I prefer poached eggs instead as it helps to balance out the dry pancakes.

It is unusual to use smoked salmon as a pizza topping, but Love & Latte shows how it can be done gracefully. Say hello to the Smoked Salmon Pizza (RM18.00), where savory-saltiness of smoked salmon complements the creamy-saltiness of molten cheese.

If I were asked to recommend areas of improvement, I think that the crust should be thicker to take advantage of the flavorful toppings. Chopped onions can also help to accentuate the savory flavor of salmon.

There is also Bacon + Egg Pizza (RM18.00) where the usage of egg yolks as a pizza topping is rather unorthodox. Unfortunately I was not able to try this pizza, so I am unable to comment whether it is a good call.

The Banana Puff (RM10.50) is next in line. This dessert consists of banana-flavored puff with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. The puff pastry is buttery and has a pleasant mouthfeel. I feel that chocolate drizzle is unnecessary as it shrouds the flavor of bananas.

To hit the Nutella theme even further, there is Nutella Latte (RM11.00) on the beverage menu. The use of Nutella contributes chocolate sweetness, but even then I feel that the espresso is too bitter for comfort. There is room for improvement in terms of coffee bean choice and brewing technique.

If you are undecided on your choice of beverage, ask the barista for a Threesome (RM18.00). That came out wrong; perhaps I should rephrase: Order a set of Threesome from the barista.

There are three miniature cups where the drink in each cup can be selected from a list in the menu. So this is essentially a sampling platter if you please. The choices here are Flat White, Green Tea Latte and Hot Chocolate. In particular, I like the latter as the cocoa is rich and smooth.

Last but not least, the Affogato (RM8.00) is made of green tea latte poured over vanilla-flavored ice cream. The resulting dessert is decent in taste especially if green tea is your cup of tea. However, I still prefer the traditional espresso version for affogato where hot espresso is used.

All in all, Love & Latte serves up pretty reasonable food and beverages, though there several blemishes to improve on. The atmosphere is reasonably comfortable, although I squint at the idea that smoking is permitted at the upper floor. Nevertheless, but today's meal is still a rewarding experience.

Name: Love & Latte
Address: 86, Lorong Love, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-261-4119
Business hours: 8:30am-11:00pm
Website: https://www.facebook.com/loveandlatte
Coordinates: 5.41871 N, 100.33633 E
Directions: From Lebuh Chulia (Chulia Street), turn into Love Lane. Love & Latte is the last shop on the first block of shops to the left. It is somewhat diagonally across Wheeler's Coffee. Street parking is available but limited during certain hours. There is also a private car park further down Love Lane on the right, just before reaching Reggae Penang.