Yesterday I was at Burps & Giggles for brunch and had a bit of fun with the whimsical Marilyn Monroe mural just outside.  It’s on the little lane that’s next to Burps & Giggles so don’t miss it!  

If you are seeing this picture for the first time, the mural may seem awfully realistic and popping out to life because indeed part of the mural IS popping out – look again – half of the bicycle is real while the other is within the painting! The stick that the kids use to lift up Marilyn’s skirt is popping out too!

The lane is aptly named “Monroe’s Place”, in the City of Ipoh 30,000, a nostalgic lane peeling apart with patches of remnant colors.

If you explore around Burps & Giggles a little more, there’s a huge Marilyn-Monroe-like mural within,

another Marilyn Monroe with the front part of the bicycle in the newly opened Buku Tiga Lima adjacent to Burps & Giggles.  My favorite one is still the one at Monroe’s place with the kids – I think that has captured the essence of Marilyn Monroe’s sexiness.

More 3D murals within!

When is the last time you went on a swing?

Just one shop lot away, there’s one more mural by the same artist Kareem.  I think the two ladies are salt farming?

Anyway, here is what I ate for brunch – smoked chicken sandwich, with chunky Japanese cucumber and egg (RM16).  Was stuffed!

More Info on Burps and Giggles
Address: 93 & 95 Jalan Sultan Yussuf, 30000 Ipoh Perk, Malaysia
(Behind Kong Heng)
Email:  burps.giggles[at]indulgencerestaurant.com
Operating Hours – 8am – 8pm.  Closed on Tuesdays. (But the mural is always there 24 hours as it’s outside).

Gallery Old Town in Ipoh is one of a kind on its own.  Basic, unaltered and intertwined with nature, the gallery is set up in a previously abandoned house.  The roots are finding their ways into the house through any opening – through the roof or climbing along the walls, but all of that create a yearning for the yesteryear.  Even the musty smell is acceptable in here.    

The artworks displayed mostly has “Ipoh” or “Perak” as the main subject in
light water colors.

Iconic places of Ipoh are captured in painting – the narrow concubine lane, the prosperity of Ipoh Old Town, the diligent workers at Cafe Sun Yuen Loong and the lonely Kellie’s Castle.

The gallery’s reception counter.

Adjacent to the gallery is a hotel still under renovation.  I am guessing it’s a hotel for flash packers with the quadruple beds and a lovely common area on the roof top.

The gallery is not visible on the main road.  You have to walk through a lane that’s next to Kong Heng kopitiam.  If you can find Kong Heng, you can find the gallery.

The gallery is open on saturday, sunday and public holidays, 9am – 5.30pm.

There seemed to be more renovation going on next to the gallery, all fenced up with iron fencing.  I am curious at what is to come next and I look forward to coming back here to explore more! Enjoy more photos below.

Map of Kong Heng Kopitiam

The Big Group’s Plan B has recently opened in Ipoh’s old town area! Mum and I went for an impromptu tea there, and we enjoyed our luscious red velvet cake with freshly squeezed apple + orange juice.   

The beautiful cake is alluring like a lady dressed in red with just the right amount of sweetness.  The cheese frosting with a hint of lemon and the rich chocolate in between the layers accentuate the cake very well.

Water is served in brown bottles – reminds me of iodine kept in brown bottles to prevent damage by the light! Unique as most of the time water comes in clear bottles.

The interior decor is modern in a raw way – with the ceiling beams & ducts visible, and the walls have a washed out effect with the lightly painted red bricks.  Everything is in theme with that “old-town” kinda feel with a contemporary twist – and with Kong Heng Kopitiam, Gallery Old Town , Burps & Giggles, mural paintings, Cafe All Inn and an upcoming flash packers hotel nearby, the area is forming a nice eclectic hub.

The interior is spacious with a glass panel partition that separates the space into two – an indoor space and a semi-outdoor space.  The indoor space is air-conditioned where most people chose to sit.
 The semi outdoor space gives a false impression of being outdoors because of the trees and use of translucent ceilings to allow a vast amount of natural light to beam in.  It was warm at around 4pm but would have been nice with an early morning sun or at night when it’s much cooler.  

A few cozy corners to hangout in the semi outdoor space.

Here’s a few pages of Plab B’s menu and I am already planning what to eat there – more like my Plan A rather than Plan B! I am quite sure I will get good food there, as I have always enjoyed their sister restaurants in KL like S.Wine and Ben’s.

More Info on Plan B @ Ipoh
Address: 75 Jalan Panglima, Ipoh (next to Kong Heng Kopitiam).

The Sabah Tea has made its way from the highlands of Borneo to Ipoh.  With the opening of STG Tea House Cafe in Ipoh, now we can enjoy organic and pesticide-free tea in a pristine white mansion surrounded by cooling shades of trees.   

The Pumpkin Soup (RM10) was my favorite – smooth and presented in its natural earthy yellow color with a dash of cream.

The Fresh Green Salad (RM15) was crisp and fresh though the accompanying vinaigrette was too light on flavor.

The Asian Style Lamb with Rosemary Sauce (RM38) was roasted till tender, with soft and pink flesh within.



I expected more from the Tea Smoke Chicken Whole Leg (RM25) as I thought it should carry the unique scent of a smoke.  It was the sauce that was lightly smoky instead of the chicken.  Despite that, the chicken was not too bad.

The tea we had was the Misai Kucing Tea (RM14) which tastes like red tea.  It is also a healthy tea that has anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterol effects.

The ambiance at STG is unbeatable, set in an old mansion using two colors of green and white.
 
The interior continues with that same theme with white table cloths and green heritage floor tiles.  

The orange rattan chairs and cushions make a nice striking color palette with the green-starred floor.  Framed pictures of tea plantations and tea processing on the walls are simple decorations that tell the story of Sabah Tea Garden (STG).  

Tea is for sale here.

The menu at STG – they have simple selections of pastas, meats and local delight.


Didn’t get to try the cakes this time!
 
Overall, I thought the food portion was on the small side and some dishes need a bit more fine tuning to be perfect.  The enchanting atmosphere did make up for some of the shortcomings, making the experience an enjoyable one.

More Info on STG Tea House Cafe
Address: 2 Jalan Taman Kinta, Taman Chateau, 30250 Ipoh, Perak (in the small lane opposite Impiana Hotel)
Tel: 05 255 0188
Opening Hours : 12pm – 11pm.  Closed on Mondays.

I discovered a quaint little cafe – the Bougainvillea City Cafe that serves fine food made with passion and originality by a young chef that was trained at Le Cordon Bleu.    


Quesadilla doesn’t come with the typical filling of chicken or beef, but it comes with smoked duck, which immediately gives a gourmet twist to the Mexican favorite (RM15.9).  The dish is not accompanied by the usual sour cream or jalapeno peppers.  Instead, it is the BBQ sauce that complements the smokey duck slices extremely well.

Check out the juicy duck slices intertwined with cheesy mozzarella here!

The White Coffee BBQ Bacon & Chicken Sandwich (RM16.9) sound bizzare to me at first because I just couldn’t imagine how do coffee and chicken sandwich make a compatible pair? I gave it a try nonetheless and thought that the sandwich turned out to be a delight with the unexpected faint taste of white coffee.

The souped up potatoes came with two sinful ingredients of chunky bacon and copious amount of melted mozzarella cheese.

The delicious salad makes use of seasonal blueberries and with the cheesy balsamic dressing, the salad is as exquisite as it can be.

The dessert is a fun variation to the classic tiramisu.  It is delectable with layers of mini crepes, smooth mascarpone cheese and sprinkles of chocolate chip & walnut atop.

There are more treasures to be found within – blueberry and peach bits that add a fruity sweetness to the dessert.  The dessert reminds me of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream that puts a happy medley of all sorts together, alluring me to dig in to see what’s hiding in my next scoop!

Lovely fruit juice.  Love the bottle too.

The most impressive piece of decor would definitely be the mural, depicting the cafe in black and yellow with a nostalgic charm.

Bougainvillea City Cafe’s coffee menu.

The atmosphere of the cafe is warm with simple decorations.  Most importantly, the chef is really passionate about his food as he introduces his items on the menu to us.  I could totally feel the love in his food, where extra touches are added, turning simple dishes from plain to gourmet.

More Info
Address: 21 Jalan Lau Ek Ching, 31300 Ipoh, Perak (Opposite Bricks & Barrels)
Tel:  05 241 3782

I first saw this lion dance mural during Chinese New Year this year and thought how wonderful it was that Ipoh is going to have its own mural street!  The murals are located on a little lane off Jalan Dato Onn Jaafar, on the back walls of a row of shoplot.

The murals are painted by an art teacher, Eric Lai and his students as all the murals had their names on them.

The murals have three remarkable themes of cultural arts, child’s play and traditional occupation.  The weathering walls provide an unique medium for every piece of art, making every piece of mural one and only.

The spatial use for this hide and seek mural is superb! One child plays “ghost” whereas the others hide in different corners, all hush-hush and giggling away!
 
A frolic in the waterfalls is so vivid where the mottled walls give a natural rocky appearance and sprouting leaves mimic the lush forests of Malaysia.

The child’s play murals brought back a lot of childhood memories. I remember this game when I was a kid ! The eagle and the chicks!

The bubble-blowing game, easily achieved with a mix of washing powder and water.

I had one of these battle fish too though I don’t quite remembered what happened to the fish.

Childhood buddies and partners-in-crime!

The traditional occupation murals include – pottery making,

rubber harvesting

and sea-salt harvesting.

This is the little lane where all the murals are.  Surprisingly, there was hardly anyone there.

The murals are located near the intersection of Hugh Low Street and Jalan Datuk Onn Jaafar.  If you are coming from Hugh Low Street, you won’t be able to turn into Datuk Onn Jaafar as it’s a one way street.
 
You can keep going straight on Hugh Low Street.
 
Turn left into a small lane before passing the bridge.

You will find the murals in the little lane near the mosque.  

Alternatively, you can go to Jalan Dato Onn Jaafar via Olympia College.  Enjoy your visit !

PS:  If you love murals, more Marilyn Monroe murals can be found in and around Burps & Giggles.

JJ Cafe is a chic cafe adding to the ever-expanding cafe scene in Ipoh.    Before I even made it to the counter to order my food, I was already taken away by the tasteful use of clashing yet vibrant colors, that would totally have everyone’s adoration.   Every corner has its own style in the cafe.  Sitting at a different spot within the cafe might make you feel that you are sitting in a different cafe all together, yet all the eclectic corners merge together to give you uniquely JJ Cafe.

This is the “homey” corner with the basket, the decorations, the books and the throws.

This is the sweet corner with the sky blue wall, the flowers and the plush toys.

This is the cafe’s ordering counter where I thought the brightly lit sign of “JJ Cafe” is chic and glam!

The cafe may have different concepts within, rest assured that JJ Cafe brims with life and rainbows of colors where corners are filled with the owner’s personal touches like teddy bears, funky yellow piano, travel books and souvenirs from overseas.

   Even the walls are cute too!

My favorite part is the cafe’s tables and chairs.  This long table is actually made of a wooden plank (previously a door perhaps?) and steel piping.

And I love these awesome leopard-print, zebra-print and dalmatian-dots cushy chairs! You might notice the dalmatian-dots chairs are piano chairs as they are adjustable according to the height of the person sitting on it.  I think I would have loved playing the piano much more if I had these cool chairs when I was younger!

Cool chairs and tables are on the ceilings too!

Here is the cafe’s interior.

Food-wise, the cafe serves simple food ordered at the counter with the items all under RM 15.

Our salad was hearty though the dressing could do with a bit of taste adjustment to make it less sour.

My pulled pork bamboo charcoal burger was moist and savory. In fact, the pork was slightly too watery with juices trickling down as I worked my way through the burger.  Thought the burger would have been perfect if the pork had been cooked slightly longer to concentrate the juices which will also make the burger more aromatic.  No biggie, I still enjoyed the burger.  For those that have not tried bamboo charcoal bread, the bread doesn’t taste like charcoal or anything; it just tastes like normal bread but just more eye catching when it’s black!

The chicken stew was a bit peculiar because it was cooked with black vinegar.  Now the pork knuckles in black vinegar sauce is a common dish in Malaysia but I just haven’t really seen “chicken in black vinegar sauce”.  I suppose if you can do it with pork knuckle, there’s no reason you can’t do the same taste with chicken – just a matter of acquired taste.

Gary’s coffee.

We chose a not-your-daily-cake as dessert – mille crepe cake with walnuts.  The smooth crepes were thin and layered delicately over one another with crunchy walnut bits and walnut cream in between.

Here is more of JJ Cafe’s cake selection.

The cafe is located along Jalan Kampar, not too far away just across from The Store.  Check it out to enjoy a cozy meal on a lazy day:)

More Info JJ Cafe
Address:  Jalan Kampar, Housing Trust, 31250 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : Mon – Tues 10 am – 6pm.  Thu – Fri 10am – 6pm.  Sat – Sun 9 am – 7pm. Close on Wed.
Tel : 05 241 2972

The newly opened Patisserie Boutqiue is such a lovable cafe, adding another charming cafe to Ipoh.  The Parisian-themed cafe serves simple appetizers (RM8 – RM13), pastas (RM14 – 16) and of course cakes and pastries!    

The cafe has all sorts of Parisian elements, the obvious one being the Eiffel Tower that appears in and out of the cafe.

The less obvious element is the climbing plants outside the cafe that’s a common scene along the streets of Paris in the summer.   Summer in Paris is very colorful with flowers everywhere and vines all over the walls.

Can’t imagine what Paris is like in summer? Here is the lovely Hotel Du Nord that we stayed in,

and Restaurant Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole, which had blossoming flowers just outside the cafe!

The restaurant’s interior is in sophisticated with black frames and white walls, which has a big French word “Gateaux” (meaning “cake”) written on one of the walls to remind you their specialty!

The cafe has 2 dinning areas, one is the main one with the black and white theme.
  

The other is a smaller space which seats about 3 tables with worn walls.  The stripy colors add a cheery mood to the room but I think the colors would have been even better in blue, white and red – the color of the French flag!
 
With such a lovely interior, the food was just as good! I had Granny’s Chicken Lasagna (RM18), which was absolutely decadent and one of the best lasagnas I’ve had in a long time.

The lasagna came with such a beautiful presentation I almost didn’t want to break it apart. It was buried in brilliant tomato sauce with a drizzle of cream and a sprinkle of freshly ground herbs.  The spots where the red and the white overlapped had a gorgeous salmon-pink hue.  The sauce was rich and flavorful with thinly grated Parmesan cheese melting within, complementing the copious amount of chunky minced chicken.

For my dessert, I curiously picked an unusual pumpkin chocolate cake.  The cake was moist and easily mushes up in your mouth when you take a bite.  I liked the texture though I thought it was a little too sweet and heavy for me – probably best when shared so you are sharing the calories too; and I am still wondering where the pumpkin comes in!
 
The cafe’s work station.

 The cafe is located on Jalan Sultan Yusof (near the bank area in Ipoh Old Town, just a few doors away from Burps & Giggles, or behind Plan B) so look out for the yellow building as you drive along the road.

Enjoy!

More Info
Patisserie Boutique Website
Patisserie Boutique Address: 103 Jalan Sultan Yusof, 3000 Ipoh, Perak (few doors away from Burps & Giggles)
Opening Hours: Daily 11am – 6pm
Tel: 05 – 241 1385

The El Negra Distro & Studio is a cafe that will make Ipoh night owls happy as it observes a different opening hours from standard cafe timing, closing at either 1 am or 12 am depending on which day of the week.  

The cafe might be easy to miss because it’s on the first floor but I think the neon calligraphic chalk board will capture your attention, inviting you to go upstairs for a cuppa.

The cafe is bright and spacious with a mixture of contemporary and DIY furnitures.  I love the huge windows which were surprisingly open, and I really mean open all the way so you don’t just see what’s happening down there through the windows, you also hear what is happening down there.

It was a bit hot despite the air-con was on as the windows were open.  I like it that way because it gives you a semi-open-air environment, where you experience Ipoh in a different way – you are sitting upstairs, but it feels like you are sitting on a sidewalk and you can do a bit of people watching.  If you visit the cafe during rush hour like I did, you will literally feel the earth move under you feet as a result of loads of cars and lorries passing by.

El Negra has really simple menu with only two choices – Roast Chicken (RM12) and Alfredo Beef Spaghetti (RM10).  I was kind of surprised but not really because I’ve seen a restaurant in Penang serving only one dish.

The chicken was roasted long enough to tear apart easily, yet at the same time the chicken remained moist and juicy within and at only RM 12, it’s a colorful dish accompanied by a handful of nutritious vegetables.


There were more dessert choices like creme caramel, bred & butter pudding, tiramisu and cupcakes.  The cheese cake (RM7) was lightly cheesy and lemony though I thought the base could be made of a more buttery and more solid cookie crumbs.

Plenty of drinks on the menu to choose from.

The cafe has its cute corners.

I left the cafe at dusk, when nightfall began to slowly seep in.  Illuminated by soft lights, the cafe became much more demure and I think I look forward to my next visit to experience the cafe at night.

More Info on El Negra
El Negra Website
Address: 121 First Floor, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, 3000 Ipoh.
Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs 4 pm – 12 am.  Fri 4 pm – 1am.
Sat 12pm – 1am.  Sun 12 pm – 12am.
Tel: 05 -241 2544

The cafe within the Happy 8 Retreat Boutique Hotel in Old Town Ipoh is designed with retreat and nature in mind, where you can fall back and relax in forest-like tranquility.    

Before you enter the cafe, you are welcomed by Happy 8′s mascot – a green and queer creature painted on the floor.

The cafe has a back-to-basics feel with the use of wood elements like gigantic nest and little wooden cubes dangling on the ceilings.

The cafe is a wonderful place to explore because a good portion of the cafe is hidden beyond the reception counter.  The long corridor that leads you from the reception counter to the back of the cafe is a pleasant walk decorated with beautiful plants in stony pots, wooden walls and exotic masks.
  One section of the corridor, where the bamboo-enclosed private room is even has water underneath it.  You hear the sound of water and you feel the slight drop in temperature change, creating a false illusion that a river is just around the corner.

As you reach the back of the cafe, it is a magical kingdom surrounded with enchanting trees and birds.

Since Christmas is just round the corner, if you are planning to kiss anyone, there is a nice spot in the cafe for you to do that!

Use of wood elements is consistent at the back of the cafe as well.

The wooden chairs are pretty unique looking with only three legs.

Even my table number is made of wood too!

Since everything is so nature-themed, it made sense when my chicken burger (RM18) arrived in a leaf-shaped plate.

The burger was tall so I split it into half, like eating two mini burgers.  The combination of browned, juicy chicken patty with cheesy egg was a sumptuous delight.

The carrot cake was fluffy, lightly spiced and adorned with cream cheese and nut crumbles. Generous amounts of ingredients were used where every bite came with plenty of visible shredded carrots and a sweet kick from the raisins.  The quality of the cake is totally reflected in the price too at a whopping RM18.90 per piece that is even more expensive than my chicken burger – definitely not wallet friendly but go for it if you feel like splurging.

More cake selections at the cafe. 
  
When you are done eating, don’t forget to check out the little lane that’s also part of the cafe.

The lane has simple yet creative tables, making use of sewing machine parts.
  
And I love the printed leaves on the cement floors and tables which is really clever!

      

The cafe doesn’t have any obvious signs that says “Happy 8 Retreat” except the “8″ made of concrete, which can be blocked by cars.  You can look out for the mural painting that’s on Jalan Market if you are looking for the cafe.

Enjoy!

More Info
Happy 8 Retreat Cafe Address: 46 Jalan Market, 30000 Ipoh, Perak.
Happy 8 Official Website
Tel: 05 – 2438388

“Roquette” makes a sound name for a cafe as roquette is often used in salads and I totally see the relation with a cafe.  When I drove past Roquette Cafe in Ipoh Old Town for the first time, it was paired with the DAP rocket logo which made me turn my head again just to make sure whether it’s Roquette Cafe, or DAP Service Center.  

Peculiarly, it’s a harmonious combination of both - a service cafe where assemblyman YB Nga Kor Ming and Check Hup Coffee have teamed up, giving Ipoh’s blossoming cafe scene yet another lovely surprise, providing a leisure space for the constituents and coffee lovers. YB Nga is at the center every Tuesday to handle matters.

Looking at the walls with photos of coffee and DAP event pictures, I never thought coffee and politics could be linked up so easily just like that.

The menu is on the black board with an extensive selection of coffees. For paper drip coffee, there are coffee beans from various regions you can choose from.  Most coffee beans are from Indonesia being Rasuna, Mandheling, Toraja, Lintong and Luwak; whereas a few others are from Columbia, Ethiopia and Brazil.  On the ordering counter, there is a chart which characterizes the coffee by aroma, flavor, acidity and sweetness to help you choose your favorite.

I chose the fruity Rusina beans, which came freshly ground with a captivating aroma (RM12 – 14 per serving, depending on which coffee you choose; coffee luwak is RM28 per serving).

A lot of apparatus came with the paper drip coffee set – an elegant kettle, a small espresso cup, a glass coffee jug and ground coffee beans in filter paper.

My coffee is now dripping in action and all the fancy apparatus yielded a tiny precious cup of warm aroma with a sweet lingering after taste.  The staff explained that the portion is only one serving and the level of the water should not be above the “1″ on the glass jug because that will dilute the taste.  Being curious, I poured more water into the filter for a second portion and yes she was right – quite blend indeed.

While I am in love with the coffee, the food on the other hand did not give any surprises. Sandwiches are basic with 2 choices of filling including ham & cheese and tuna which can be paired with one of the breads – panini, multi-seed, baguette or croissant.  Other items on the menu include bratwurst sausage croissant, chicken pie and waldorf chicken sandwich.  In retrospect, maybe I should have chosen the waldorf chicken sandwich as it looked pretty good on another person’s table.

The oreo cheese cake (RM 14) had an original cream cheese flavor that was almost too original I did feel like I was pretty much eating right out from a packet of Philadelphia cream cheese – not my favorite but some cheese lovers might like it.

More cakes and cookie selections at the cafe.

If you have a bit of time to spare, the cafe has a selection of books and magazines to enjoy your coffee with

More Info
Roquette Cafe in Ipoh Echo
Roquette Cafe Address: 101 Jalan Sultan Yussuf, Ipoh Old Town (behind Kong Heng Kopitiam, in the same area as Burps & Giggles, Patisserie Boutique Cafe and Plan B)
Tel: 05 – 241 2616
Opening Hours: Tuesday to  Thursday (9am to 6pm), Friday and Saturday (9am-7pm) and Sunday (11am to 5pm).  Closed on Mondays.

Vanity Haus Cafe in Canning Garden Ipoh is run by a Dutch family who’s stayed in Ipoh for a long time.  The cafe is set in a midst of residential housing area that doesn’t stand out too much exteriorly but the delectable food is definitely worth a mention.  With “vanity” as its name, it actually sounds more like a beauty salon rather than a cafe – which is exactly the case – it’s a cafe cum salon/beauty house, and the full name is Vanity Haus Boutique Cafe & Spa Salon. The cafe folks in Ipoh are getting more and more creative here.  If Roquette Cafe has combined politics and cafe together, I guess the unconventional pairing of cafe & salon may not seem so unusual after all.

The front part of the cafe is bright and immaculate with a simple white theme. With only one table, one counter looking very much like a hotel check in counter, one customer (me), I almost thought maybe it’s a hotel and not a cafe.

Rest assured, the cafe is functional with the inner part decorated with eclectic and European elements.  The overall European atmosphere is mostly contributed by the palatial, extravagant wall paper, the masquerade masks, and the most sexiest lamp I’ve ever seen.

Before the building became a cafe, it was a hair salon.  The wall used to have a few mirrors but only left with one now, which echoes with the theme of “vanity”, the past and present connection with a salon.

The rest of the cafe is more eclectic with travel-themed and vintage items with the small private room that looks rather Thai, and a few other items like Aboriginal masks, Balinese puppets, etc.

Most of the time I drink warm water as my drink, but the staff mentioned that their juices have no added water and besides the usual fruit selection of orange, carrot, apple, they have kiwi and strawberry, so I decided to mix the two fruits together.  At a first glance, I thought the juice was a strange two-toned juice then I looked again, before realizing that it was an reddish-orange colored juice in purple glass.  So I guess red + green = yellow does not apply in the world of fruits.

The mixture of kiwi and strawberry (RM12) was an adventurous mix that was lightly sour with a sweet tingle.  The juice was intensely fruity, and unbelievably viscous I felt a little filled up just by drinking the juice.


My main was the baked salmon bathed in parsley cream sauce (RM24).  Everything on the plate was presented to please.  The broccoli wasn’t just plain blanched broccoli but topped with grated parmesan cheese; mashed potato wasn’t simply dunked in onto the plate without love but shaped to look a bit like volcano, sprinkled with chili powder atop.

And lastly, the salmon was browned nicely, accompanied by cream sauce with a strong herbal essence – only made possible with the use of freshly chopped Italian parsley. 
  
The baked brownie with marshmallow was a piece of beautiful art and it was DI.VINE.  The warm ensemble was immersed in milky sauce with the nutty brownie topped with so many goodies – chewy marshmallows, crisp almond slivers and chocolate chips – the combination was almost too good to be true.

It would have been perfect if the cake used half less the sugar, and brought up the milky sauce to the same temperature as the baked dessert – I’m just being picky here but I think most of the people would love this dessert.

Check out a few more of the cafe’s decorations below.  Enjoy

More Info
Vanity Haus Cafe Address : No 8, Jalan Keliling, Canning Garden, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
Tel:  05 541 2047
Opening Hours: 10.30 am – 10.30 pm.  Closed on Wednesdays.

Stan & Brew Roast Coffe is located in the newly built Soho Complex (next to Sam Tet School) and carries an extensive menu with breakfast, salads, soups, pasta, sandwiches, entrees and even vegetarian.   The best part is, you can grab a quick bite anytime from  7.30 am – 12.00am.   

Some of the dishes have cute names like the “Play Along” lamb chop (RM22), and that was partially the reason that I ordered the dish because I liked the name!

The dish came with a generous portion and it was more like a “mountain” of lamb chops because there were three pieces that were piled on top of each other.  The well-marinated lamb was mostly lean with just a bit of fat that had mostly sizzled away during the cooking process, resulting in a deliciously lightly greasy lamb with extra shine. Unfortunately the lamb was too well done for me so the meat was a bit chewy and tough.  If you love your lamb chops well done, it’s a fulfilling meal with crispy potato wedges and grilled tomatoes.

The cutest plant dessert was my favorite.  The dessert is made to resemble a small potted plant with chocolate cookie crumbs as “soil”, mint leaves as itself and even the “pot” is made of chocolate.  The plant dessert is rather intriguing because with the dessert looking so much like a plant, it was fun to dig in to find out what’s underneath the “soil” – mascarpone cheese and custard.

Another dessert which I found unique is the macarons (RM4).  It may seem like a normal macaron in the picture here but it’s actually a golf-ball-sized macaron that’s twice the size of standard, delicate macarons.

I was stoked when I saw the macarons because it reminded me of the macarons  we ate in Apt Market in the Provence region of France – where everything came jumbo sized – macrons were more like macaron sandwiches, nougats were presented in its original bulk, and cheese were in units of “wheels” instead of tiny wedges.

The macarons at Stan & Brew Cafe are big enough you can even see the filling in between.  I tried the lemon macaron and I was only half as stoked.  The macaron was too sweet for me and I thought the lemon filling tasted very similar to the filling in Julie’s lemon sandwich cookies – it’s not a bad thing to taste like that but I guess I just didn’t expect the delicate macarons to taste so commercial.

Stan & Brew Cafe’s cake selections – tiramisu, red velvet cake, fruit tarts, rainbow cakes + mms ad more.

The cafe’s clean cut and simplistic interior.

There’s still certain things to be fine-tuned at the cafe but I had an overall pleasant dining experience and totally loving the plant cake.

Enjoy!

More Info
Stan & Brew Cafe Address: Block C, G8, Soho Ipoh, Jalan Sultan Iskandar Shah, 3000 Ipoh.
Opening Hours : Daily 7.30 am – 12.00 am
Tel: 05 2559722

Cafe Pronto in the Old Town area of Ipoh is pretty eye-catching with its Tiffany blue facade, aligned plants, wooden signboard and wooden fences.  It’s located directly across from the Happy 8 Cafe – looks like competition among cafes in the old town area is getting steeper and steeper.


The interior is a continued usage of simple wooden blocks and the color of green.  The “grass” on the ceiling is a nice touch to the otherwise plain ceiling.  The cafe interior is not too fancy but if you need something undistracting, the earth-toned cafe is a comfortable place to dine.

The cafe has 2 sections.  The non smoking ection is a bit more up scaled with cushioned seats and leather chairs.

The casual smoking section.

While Cafe Pronto’s menu carries the expected cafe food – sandwiches, pasta, cakes, chicken chops, etc;  it also carries more gourmet selections like angus beef sandwiches and even foie gras and lobsters.

I ordered chicken roll (RM 25), which essentially was cheese and ham wrapped in a piece of boneless chicken leg.  The chicken had a lovely golden skin with sesame seeds sprinkled on top, and the ham added a hint of smokiness to the chicken.  The tomato-based sauce was savory but it could have been reduced more for an enhanced flavor.

The chocolate indulgence cake (RM 8.90) was of course everything chocolate – from chocolate ganache, chocolate sponge cake and chocolate cream.  I liked the chewy chocolate ganache which was the sweetest part of the cake and I enjoyed nibbling on this part of the cake bit by bit.  But the overall cake was just ok for me – it was overwhelmingly sweet and I didn’t like the thick layers of cream too much.

So here is another cafe to add onto your cafe-hopping list in Ipoh! Enjoy!

More Info on Cafe Pronto
Address:  55 Jalan Market, 3000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Opening Hours : Daily 11.30 am – 4 pm, 6 pm – 10.3 pm.
Cafe Pronto Facebook Page
Tel: 05 241 3648

With K-pop music in the background, pastel-colored walls and dainty embellishments, Coffee At 91 exudes a dreamy, Korean ambiance.  Serving mostly desserts and coffee, Coffee At 91 is located in the same complex as Tambun Inn Hotel.     

Cozy corners in the cafe.

Cakes and desserts at Coffee At 91 are smaller relatively compared to other cafes, but the price is about half the price too (ranging from RM 4 to RM 8).  Being a dessert a cafe, that’s a good thing, because girls being girls, we will always have an extra stomach for all things sweet, and with the cakes being smaller, we can try more flavors without over stuffing ourselves.  The cake selection varies according to season.

The cafe serves two very light meals- mushroom soup and Korean Maggie Mee (Shin Ramen with kimchi).

The mushroom soup (RM 6) was made from real mushrooms so it had a moderate viscosity with grainy bits of mushroom.

My mocha came with a cute (Hello Kitty?) coffee art.

And it was the first time that I was able to fit 2 desserts in a cafe – tiramisu in shot glass (RM 5) and macarons (RM 5 for 2 pieces).  The tiramisu had a strong dose of coffee and it was a spoonful of wonder with mascarpone cheese and cocoa powder.

The macarons were delicate and even lightly dented when you pick them up.   The filling though could have been better as the chocolate filling in the yellow macaron had hardened slightly and the berry filling in the pink macaron  had an extra taste which was not quite berry.

Check out a few more photos of Coffee At 91 below

More Info on Coffee At 91
Coffee At 91 Facebook Page
Address : 91 Jalan Raja Dihilir, 30350 Ipoh, Perak (end of Tambun Inn Building)
Opening Hours : 11.30 am – 6.30 pm.  Closed on Tuesdays.
Tel: + 6012 576 1687

Zakka Loft is an artsy cafe that is spreading the love of crafts, holding regular DIY classes that teach the making of sock toys, clay figurines, book binding and even holds session for ukulele lovers.  

“Zakka” (杂货) is originally a Japanese term which means “all sorts of things” or “many things” that has evolved into a fashion genre of its own, where ordinary things are given a new life and become unique with the addition of DIY touches.  ”Zakka” involves a lot of DIY but today many zakka-like items have been mass produced to give that DIY feel.

The cafe has a lot of “zakka” corners with “many things”.

Zakka bags are common items in the world of zakk; a lot of them being made from scratch.

Socks too, look much more adorable when they are made to look like horses and pandas!

Oooh ! You can even bind your own notebook too!

Zakka Loft has a simple menu that has packaged traditional Hakka dishes like pickled vegetables with pork slices (梅菜扣肉), yam with pork slices (芋头扣肉) and vinegared pork knuckles (猪脚醋) into bento boxes (price ranges from RM 9.9 to 13.90).

The pickled vegetables with pork slices had always appealed to me and it’s a dish that I never get tired of.  The dish with the additional flavor of “mui choy” is a perfect dish to go with rice – though I’ve found the dish at Zakka Loft to be inconsistent in terms of saltiness. 

My lavender rose tea (RM 5.9) was lightly floral with the natural sweetness that came from stevia leaves, which also gave the drink its characteristic pale green color.

The rainbow cake is one of Zakka Loft’s signature cakes along with the durian cake.  The colors of the cake is also arranged in the order of rainbow, each with a distinctive flavor- red for berries, orange for orange, yellow for lemon, green for pandan, blue for mint and purple for bubble gum grapes.   It was a whole lot of fun eating the cake  because each bite was a different flavor.  Sometimes, it was the mint flavor that stood out, sometimes it was the pandan flavor that stood out, which were eventually mixed into a rainbow of flavors.
 
Zakka Loft’s menu is a little different from others as the food photos are taken with the raw ingredients, breathing some life into the photos. 

Zakka Loft has recently expanded, taking over two shoplots next to it.  The new section has less zakka elements, one being the cute polka dot curtains at the ordering counter.

The new section is accentuated with rainbow curtains and looks very cosmic with textured blue paint and the way the lighting has been arranged reminds me of orbital paths.
 


The new section is also spacious with many games scattered around  to enhance interaction between people and yes there is no wifi, so talk to each other ! 

Enjoy
 

More Info on Zakka Loft
Zakka Loft Facebook Page
Address: No 2, Jalan Medan Ipoh 1C, Medan Ipoh Bistarim 31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Opening Hours : Closed on Mondays.  11 am – 9 pm.
Tel : 6013 488 8503

The cakes from Espresso Lab are a real charmer for me.  On top of classic cakes like tiramisu, cheese cake, they have a trio of liquored cakes, namely whisky salted caramel chocolate cake, kahlua tiramisu with caramelized almond and Baileys chocolate mousse with caramelized hazelnut.   

The evocative whisky salted caramel chocolate cake has completely won my heart over.  I chose this cake over the other two because I could sort of  imagine what the other two would taste like.  But whisky, salt, caramel and chocolate?

 I had no regrets because the cake was simply opulent.  The chocolate cake had soaked up some whisky so it was extremely moist with the distinctive oaky flavor of whisky, complemented by the springy, salted caramel custard that filled in between the cake layers.  Together with the smooth, salted, toffee-like icing flowerets in undulating ripples, I wiped out the cake and made sure no remnants went to waste.

I’ve fallen in love with this cake and definitely going to try the whole family of liquored cakes.

The seafood cabonara on the other hand, was bland. Sufficient amount of seafood like mussels, prawns, white fish came with the pasta but it was the sauce that was a let down, possibly prepared from a commercial pre-made sauce, tasting rather unloved.

My latte was rich and aromatic and besides the standard selections like cappuccino, mocha etc, Espresso Lab has hand brew coffee (chemex and syphon) as well.

The interior of the cafe.

So here’s another cafe for cake and coffee lovers

More Info
Espresso Lab Facebook Page
Address : 105 Jalan Canning Estate, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
Opening Hours : Mon – Thurs, Sun 10 am – 7pm. Fri & Sat 10 am – 10pm.

A little tucked away in the back lanes, Ben & Lynette Maison Patisserie is set in a colonial mansion serving pasta, pizzas, desserts and with a pick-your-own salad bar, you can easily customize salads and sandwiches to your liking, any time from 9 am to 12.30 am.

The ordering counter oozes an elegant atmosphere in black & white and thanks to the three bagful of coffee beans, a rich coffee smell permeates the room.

The DIY salad bar which allows you to design your own salads and sandwiches.

The signature dishes – Sandwich Train (RM 38.90) and Charcoal Burger Tower (RM48.90) look really tempting but that will have to be saved for next time when there’s more people to share the food.

I went with the 8″ Hawaiian Chicken Pizza (RM 22.90), topped with an array of colorful goodies – chunky chicken pieces, cherry tomatoes, green olives, yellow pineapples, purple onions and all three colors of capsicums in green, yellow and red.

The pizza was delightful and I was glad that I felt full after the meal because some cafes have rather “light” meals such that I still feel kinda hungry after eating my main course (or am I just a big eater? LOL!) If the pizza bread was fluffier as it was a tad too dense for me, it would have been a perfect gourmet pizza.

In layers of raspberry jelly, moist sponge cake with nuts and mascarpone cheese, the raspberry dessert was light and refreshing because it was not overwhelmingly sweet.

No coffee for me this time but being a patisserie, coffee’s one of the best drinks to go with pastries and Ben & Lynette is of course not missing out on the coffee selection.

The cafe has two dining areas – a vintage indoor area where the old green tiles still remain,

and a casual dining area at the roofed patio, accentuated with cute wall arts.
   Behind the mansion, there’s a small building with a lighthouse mural which is where the kitchen is.  

Looks like a Japanese barbecue place is in the midst of setting up just in front of the mansion too?

Will have to be back another time to try the charcoal burger tower and see what’s cooking!

More Info
Ben & Lynette Maison Patisserie Facebook
Address : No.42, Lorong Cheah Cheang Lim, 30350 Ipoh, Perak (right next to Secret Garden).
Opening Hours : Daily 9 am – 12.30 am.

Old Town White Coffee is catching up with the “Boutique Cafe Trend” in Ipoh with its latest signature branch connected to M Boutique Hotel.  When I stepped into the cafe, I thought, my, my, is this really the Old Town White Coffee that I know?

The signature branch still bears some similarity to the standard branches in terms of layout, use of marble table tops but everything else is more plush, with the addition of colonial and heritage touches.

Coffee beans on display.

 These old coffee weighing machines look pretty nifty!

The items on the menu remain more or less the same as the standard branches but I think the standard ones are easier to read because they have more food photos on the menu for easy visualization.

Chicken curry is not a common dish in my household, so I usually end up ordering chicken rendang or nasi lemak for my curry fix whenever I visit Old Town White Coffee, which is also my choice of food at the signature branch (RM 15.90).  Food preparation is standardized so the dish still tastes the same, but just more souped up with the addition of kangkong vegetables and fried fish cakes.

The foamy white coffee is still the good old white coffee as always with a lightly “burnt” aroma (RM 4.20).  While the food is similar to the standard branches, the food do look prettier in a different light.  The yellow light is more romantic and I love the effect of the candle-like chandeliers which reflect onto the marble tables, literally adding extra “bling bling” to my food, seen as sparkles on my food photos (not photoshopped!).

The food is a little bit more expensive compared to the standard branches by a few ringgit for the main dishes (RM 3- 5 I think), but still at an acceptable range.  Being more comfortable too the signature branch is an alternative for a deluxe version of Old Town White Coffee.

Oh, and by the way, if you are visiting the cafe, do check out the M Boutique Hotel too because the interior decor is lovely there.

More Info
Address : No. 2, Hala Datuk 5, 31650 Ipoh, Perak (in the same building as M Boutique Hotel).
Tel: 05 2413004

I drive pass the M Boutique Hotel almost every single day being on the way home and saw the gradual development of the hotel.  During the early stages, the building was all transparent glass which was later on covered by a lattice structure.  The hotel also has two cafes in the same building – Myth Eatery & Bar and Signature Old Town White Coffee.  

I popped in the lobby after my meal at Old Town White Coffee and the lobby is stunning!

With wild animal motifs, rusty suitcases, sand colored sofas, it feels like a luxury base camp for a safari expedition.

Formaldehyde jugs for animal specimens?

Gas containers for a jeep? Just letting my imagination run wild here!

Here’s a few more corners in the lobby.  Somehow I thought the interior of the hotel must have been designed by the same person that designed Jose and Deli Eatery and upon asking one of the hotel staff, indeed it is the same interior designer.

There’s a lifestyle store at the lobby too.  Perhaps the robes, towels and toiletries sold here are also the ones used in the rooms at the hotel?

Very cute items at the lifestyle store

More Info
M Boutique Hotel Facebook
Address : No. 2 Hala Datuk 5, 31650 Ipoh, Perak.
Tel : 05 255 5566