Showing posts with label Coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coffee. Show all posts

Auntie Foo

This article is part of my 2019 Kuala Selangor trip series.

Auntie Foo is a modest café at the town center of Kuala Selangor. The eatery is conveniently near Bukit Malawati and Taman Alam Kuala Selangor, making it a popular stopover for tourists.
Auntie Foo's pork-free menu covers light meals, snacks and drinks. The café also sells assorted trinkets and souvenirs like postcards. In addition, customers can obtain information on private tours around Kuala Selangor.
If you want something cooling, the ice-blended Cappucino Cendol (RM6.90) is a good choice. Like Cendol, the drink contains gula melaka (palm sugar) and green jelly noodles. Meanwhile, 3 Layer Kopi (RM3.90) has distinct layers of coffee, milk and palm sugar.
Auntie Foo is a nice place to rest while exploring Kuala Selangor. There are books to keep customers occupied. Since Kuala Selangor does not have a proper tourist information center, Auntie Foo serves as an unofficial one.

Address: 1, Jalan Raja Abdullah, 45000 Kuala Selangor, Selangor
Contact: 03-3281-1939
Business hours: 8:30am-6:30pm
Taste
Presentation
Ambience
Hospitality
Value

18° Celsius Cafe

This article is part of my 2019 Cameron Highlands trip series.

Special thanks to Copthorne Cameron Highlands for extending this food review invitation.

18° Celsius Cafe is one of the four F&B outlets in Copthorne Cameron Highlands. The eatery is located at the Lobby Level and adjacent to Cricket Lounge.
Set in a spacious hall with high ceilings, 18° Celsius Cafe has a rustic charm that resembles that of a ski lodge. The café serves coffee, tea and light meals in a family-friendly setting.
To support sustainable coffee farming, 18° Celsius Cafe only brews PURO Fairtrade Coffee. The barista can prepare espresso-based drinks such as caffè latte and cappuccino. Each cup of coffee comes with a small cookie.
Copthorne Cameron Highlands takes pride in making all pastries from scratch. Each day, 18° Celsius Cafe has around a dozen types of cakes and pies in the chiller. We opted for Walnut Carrot Cake and Blueberry Cheesecake. Both cakes are satisfying.
18° Celsius Cafe is named after the fact that the typical temperature in Cameron Highlands is 18°C. During colder nights, guests may gather around the fireplace to stay warm.
Name: 18° Celsius Cafe
Address: Copthorne Cameron Highlands, Kea Farm, 39100 Cameron Highlands, Pahang
Contact: 05-496-1777
Business hours: 10:00am-10:00pm
Website: Click here
Coordinates: 4.50506 N, 101.40888 E
Directions: Copthorne Cameron Highlands is located at Kea Farm, a small farming village halfway between Brinchang and Tringkap. 18° Celsius Cafe is located at the Lobby Level of the hotel. Customers may park in the hotel's basement levels.

Fei Brew Cafe

Special thanks to Fei Brew Cafe for extending this food review invitation.

Update: This business has ceased its operations.

Fei Brew Cafe (啡) is a new café at Bayan Point, situated directly behind the former premises of Alora Hotel. The small eatery is under the same management as Xiang Yun Vegetarian House several doors away.
Occupying the first floor of the building, Fei Brew Cafe presents a relaxing atmosphere through the use of live plants and warm lamps. Besides proper dining tables, there are also a cozy couch and a counter next to the window. Overall, the café is a great place to hang out with friends while enjoying a cup of joe.
Coffee is the focal point of this café. My meal kicks off with Mocha (RM13.00), which comprises of espresso, milk and chocolate syrup. At Fei Brew Cafe, espresso coffee is extracted from a blend of Costa Rica beans.
Fei Brew Cafe offers filtered coffee too. Customers can choose between hand-dripped and siphon brewing techniques. Two vessels are used for siphon brewing: the upper vessel contains ground coffee, while the lower one contains water. As water boils, vapor pressure forces it up to the upper vessel. Once extraction is complete, heat is removed so that brewed coffee is pulled back to the lower vessel.
Single-origin coffee is generally preferred for filtered coffee. Popular choices are Ethiopia Washed Yirgacheffe and Sumatra Gayo Full Natural; I opted for the former. The light bodied coffee carries berry undertones amid fragrant aroma reminiscent of flowers.
Besides coffee, the café also has non-caffeinated beverages like fruit juices, smoothies and floral teas. For instance, Pink Perfection (RM12.00) is concocted from watermelon, orange, strawberries and blueberries. Blended from actual fruits, the pink-colored juice does a great job in quenching thirst.
As for food, Fei Brew Cafe serves a handful of vegetarian dishes too. Soup With Puff Pastry (RM9.00) is the perfect starter. Prepared from vegetables and hericium mushrooms, the soup has a creamy and mushy consistency. Croissant-like puff pastry on top helps to keep the soup warm.
If you prefer something more filling, Authentic Peranakan Ulam Rice (RM14.00) is highly recommended. This rice dish combines basmati rice with shredded herbs like wild betel leaves, basil, torch ginger, kaffir lime leaves and mint. Side items are acar awak (pickled cucumber and carrots), vegetarian anchovies, hard-boiled eggs and chili paste.
Sambal Petai Mini Burgers (RM14.00) come in three pieces per set. The sambal petai "patty" strikes a balance between sweet and spicy flavors. Vegetarian meat imitates the texture and savory taste of dried shrimps. The burgers also contain romaine lettuce and hard-boiled eggs.
Moving on to desserts, Mango Grapefruit Sago (RM10.00) is essentially mango-flavored yogurt with chunks of mango, grapefruit and translucent sago pearls. The gentle sweetness of this chilled dessert is punctuated by the grapefruit's piquant taste.
Fei Brew Cafe offers homemade cakes like Lemon Poppyseed Cake (RM12.00). I enjoy the refreshing scent of lemons as the cake makes its way to my mouth. The cake's crumbly texture makes every morsel scrumptious indeed.
Combining great taste with reasonable prices, Fei Brew Cafe is a great eatery for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. The food menu is somewhat limited as the café is barely open for 2 months. However, more dishes will be introduced in due time.

Name: Fei Brew Cafe (啡)
Address: 17-1-29, Medan Kampung Relau, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 016-496-8085
Business hours: 11:00am-9:30pm, closed on Tuesdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/FeiBrewCafe
Coordinates: 5.33317 N, 100.29434 E
Directions: From Jalan Kampung Relau, drive along the front of Alora Hotel, then turn around to the next row immediately behind the hotel. Fei Brew Cafe is located on the left side of this road. Private parking spaces are available along both sides of the road.

Meet Up

Hutton Terrace is a row of refurbished shophouses along Hutton Lane (Jalan Hutton). Occupying two shop units is Meet Up Café & Bar.
Meet Up brews coffee beans from Catunambú, a coffee roaster from Spain. A cup of Cappuccino (RM10.00) contains a single shot of espresso. I love the bold flavor of coffee. Steamed milk blends well with espresso to produce a creamy consistency.
Address: 158, Jalan Hutton, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-226-6388
Business hours: 8:30am-1:00am (Monday-Thursday), 8:30am-3:00am (Friday-Sunday)
Taste
Presentation
Ambience
Hospitality
Value

San Francisco Coffee

Special thanks to San Francisco Coffee for extending this food review invitation.

San Francisco Coffee has several outlets in Klang Valley, but currently has only one café in Penang. Located at the exterior section of Gurney Plaza, this outlet is sandwiched between Starbucks Coffee and Hoshino Coffee.
Stepping into San Francisco Coffee, the most prominent feature inside is a large, painted mural. Meanwhile, dining tables are placed sparsely from one another, giving the café a spacious appearance. There are also outdoor tables for customers who prefer al fresco dining.
The bestselling beverage here is the Golden Gate (RM12.30). Named after the famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the drink is concocted from espresso, milk, chocolate and orange. On the other hand, Bay Bridge Sunrise (RM14.20) is served iced and carries substantial notes of citrus. Its name refers to another bridge in San Francisco which connects it to Oakland.
San Francisco Coffee has a collection of merchandise on sale. Shown here are special edition tumblers designed by Marty Woods, a local Malaysian artist. Customers who use a San Francisco Coffee tumbler enjoy RM2.00 discount for every handcrafted drink.
As for food, San Francisco Coffee serves sandwiches, pastries and breakfast. Unfortunately, I am not able to sample these food items yet. As for coffee addicts from Seberang Perai, the staff has hinted that San Francisco Coffee will be opening another outlet in Auto-City soon.

Name: San Francisco Coffee
Address: 170-G-40, Plaza Gurney, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: N/A
Business hours: 8:00am-12:00pm
Website: http://www.sfcoffee.com
Coordinates: 5.43780 N, 100.31001 E
Directions: San Francisco Coffee is located at Gurney Plaza's outdoor piazza, directly facing G Hotel. Gurney Plaza has basement and multi-level parking garages.

Frank Laurent

Frank Laurent Coffee Roasters has two outlets in Penang: Udini Square and Gurney Plaza. The latter is located at Level 7, right in front of Go Noodle House. As a roastery, Frank Laurent also sources and roasts its own coffee beans.
I ordered a cup of Mocha (RM12.00), which is essentially two shots of espresso with steamed milk and chocolate syrup. In hindsight, I should have ordered Cappuccino or Caffe Latte instead as the chocolate's sweetness masks the coffee's flavor.
Several types of waffle are available at Frank Laurent. The Caramel Charcoal Waffle (RM19.00) is black in color because it is prepared from batter that contains bamboo charcoal. The waffle is topped with vanilla ice cream, strawberries, kiwifruits, bananas, almond flakes and caramel. In my personal opinion, I think the waffle is too dry to be enjoyed properly.
Address: 170-07-16, Plaza Gurney, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-370-2591
Business hours: 10:00am-10:00pm
Taste
Presentation
Ambience
Hospitality
Value

Ome By Spacebar Coffee

One should be forgiven for overlooking Ome By Spacebar Coffee. The narrow alley at which it is situated, Lorong Toh Aka, is narrow even by George Town's standard. To make matters worse, there are no visible signboards on the café's facade.
Brick walls line both sides of this secluded place. The barista counter in front has only a several seats while the back section provides marginally more space. Nevertheless, be sure to check out the specially carved coffee table here!
I ordered Coffee With Milk (RM13.00), which is essentially caffè latte. Served in a 9-oz. cup, the drink contains two shots of espresso. Fresh milk lends its soothing sweetness, making the coffee satisfying indeed.
Besides espresso, the café also offers Hand Brew Black Coffee (RM18.00) through drip brewing or AeroPress techniques. Compared to espresso, these techniques usually result in clearer brews.
Ome By Spacebar Coffee is considered a more "traditional" café in the sense that it does not serve cooked food. This allows customers to focus their attention on coffee and only coffee.

Address: 1, Lorong Toh Aka, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 019-309-1450
Business hours: 8:00am-6:00pm, closed on Thursdays
Taste
Presentation
Ambience
Hospitality
Value