i have been told that cafe scene in Malacca is pathetic . how can! exploring cafés in Penang was my favourite passtime! I guess it’s the different yumcha culture here.. perhaps Malaccan prefers mamak stalls over café?

anyway, Malacca does have few decent cafes (and abundant of below par ones *wails*). and Orang Belanda Café is one of the better one!Orang Belanda Cafe is located at Jonker Street, at Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. parking is usually limited during the day, so good luck ar wtf. we did manage to find one lot not far from the café though *smirks*.Orang Belanda Cafe was previously run by a foreign couple; a Dutch husband paired with a French wifey. and only recently that a lovely local girl, Lysa, took it over. the decoration is maintained as it used to be. even the menu and the cooking style are preserved too! the food served are authentically influenced by Dutch and French!okay I know, the décor might be a lil’ bland compared to Penang’s. but I like how they use bold purple on the wall, contrast with black and white photography and polaroids dangling on the wall!Summer Smoothie | RM 12; (hot) Chocolate “Orang Belanda” | RM 6.50 {highly recommended}
Summer Smoothie is a concoction consisting peach, strawberry, orange and banana! indeed summer-ish with balanced blend of sweet and sour fruits! simply refreshing on a sunny day! it has been rainy these days so glad that yesterday was a sunny day

Chocolate “Orang Belanda” is something more than your usual hot chocolate! saw the powdery residue on the surface? it’s cinnamon! added for extra kick! i normally can’t finish up whole cup myself because it gets jelak after few drams, this, i happily hogged it.Crepe Antillaise | RM 13 {recommend}
light and airy French crepe folded in caramelized banana coated with cinnamon (not pictured), dribbled with chocolate sauce, served with fresh banana and whipped cream! the thickness is just right for my liking, not overly thin nor thick!

it’s a sweet crepe, but i understand that some might prefer savoury crepes, and you can find them at Orang Belanda Cafe. i find savoury crepe errr.. weird. but the lady boss, Lysa, begs to differ! she’s a big fan of salty crepe, “just imagine roti canai, it’s weird to have it with banana right?”

who say so.

banana and roti canai can be perfect match too whaaat!

see, one man’s meat can be another man’s poison. taste is such an interesting thing.Sandwich Bacon | RM 12 {highly recommended}
bread with bacon, seasoned mushroom, caramelized onion, cheddar cheese and green salad, served with mayonnaise.

porky lover (me!) would happily immersed in this Sandwich Bacon, i swear! worth every penny! just loook at the amount of smoky bacon. homemade bread is beautifully studded with sesame seeds. the sandwich itself is juicy and luscious enough, the mayonnaise is merely a decorative item.

Orang Belanda Cafe is a cosy cafe which is a great hangout place. i heard that angmohs (Caucasian) love spending a quiet afternoon there, reading book and sipping coffee ^^. seating is limited though. food is above par! definitely will be back again to try other items on the menu!

most of the cafes along Jonker Street closed at time 1700 or 1800. whaaat! the night is still young the night is not even here! that’s because the shops in the vicinity close after 1700, and robbery happened at the area before so it’d be dangerous to operate at night!

however, Orang Belanda Cafe does operate at night if there’s a group of more than 5 person, reservation is mandatory.

a day before departing to Shanghai, Kaiye brought me to one of his favourite makan place in SS2 since we were there to run some errands. the last time we dined together was at a Chinese restaurant in Sungai Buloh 3 months ago!

i love food hunting with Kaiye because he advocates healthy food! even though he and kaima eat out most of the time, they usually patron makan places which the food contains less MSG or less oil or less processed.Restoran Prosperity Bowl is a Chinese restaurant which their main selling point is *points at the wall*, chicken! not your usual chicken though..it’s garden chicken 菜园鸡 which is free from growth hormones/vaccines, and their flesh is meaty and lean because they get to roam around instead of being coop up in narrow fences. i suppose it’s considered as free-range poultry, correct me if i’m wrong.menu on the wall and also their slogan, sort of, which literally translates to

we don’t want to be the biggest (in the market), but we want to be the best!

that’s the spirit huh!attached their menu here (click it to a bigger photo size) because i wasn’t the one paying heheVillage Chicken (thigh part) {highly recommended}
no one should walk out Restoran Prosperity Bowl without ordering their signature dish! NO ONE. the meat texture is exactly what they claim, lean, meaty (yet tender), succulent. you can have it as it is, or complement it with a plate of rice (chicken + rice only RM 6). we weren’t in the mood for rice..so Kaima had dry koay teow,while Kaiye and i had soupy koay teow.

the noodle was like hor fun, same thing as what you’ll get in Ipoh, smooth and silky.

we also ordered a few side dishes..Braised Chicken Feet with Mushroom | RM 6 {recommended}
these were well-braised! flavourful and suck-culentFish Balls | RM 3 {recommended]
springy balls. not fishy at all.Bean Sprouts | RM 3
of course i would prefer Ipoh’s stubby and juicy bean sprout anytime! hehe

i don’t know the total amount paid for this meal, but judging from their menu, it’s pretty reasonable. better quality poultry is used here and price is not compromised. surprisingly not many bloggers blogged about this eatery before.

it’s one of those houses-turned-shophouses. during the day, it looks like an ordinary terrace house, and as the night falls, pork-lovers herd together at the car porch. there’s no signage or whatever, you might overlook this gem. i’ll provide the address below, make sure you have your gps or google maps ready.Mushroom Soup | RM 3 (ala carte)
served with a crispy garlic wholemeal bread. it’s not your ordinary can food soup, of course. don’t be surprised to feel those tiny bits and occasional huge-yet-bite-sized mushrooms lingering in your mouth, dancing intimately with the tongue, great time i assure you.

again, it’s not your ordinary can food soup, so don’t expect the sodium level will be the same. however, you might wanna dash some pepper in it to give it a lil’ more oomphTomato Plum Juice | RM 3.50
a glassful of fibres, 100% tomato blended with sour plum, no additional sugar, water or nonsense. even the boyf loved it! it acts as a appetiser so that our stomach and mind are prepared for the next.a slice of creamy cheese + homemade pork patty + slices of tomato, lettuce and onions sandwiched between two toasted sesame buns.

i remembered the very first bite was HMMMM followed by a satisfied look. i rushed out and saw homies were having the same expression, we then sang praise to the burger. not too meaty, the flavour is just ngam ngam hou. not too overwhelming nor bland.

black pepper sauce and barbeque sauce are also available with additional of 50 cents while double trouble is priced at RM 8.Egg Pecah Toast | RM 2
it’s like a slightly runny spicy scrambled egg served with a toast (the scallion atop was removed rightaway after this picha was taken. if you don’t know me, i hate scallion, parsley or similar glass). i thought it’s an innovative way of having toast!

so pork burger, anyone?

43 Cafe
43, Jalan Sungai Dua,
11700 Penang,
Malaysia
+0164307009
https://www.facebook.com/43Cafe

the first time i came across ChinaHouse was when my friends brought us there during our cycling-around-George-Town time on the first day of year 2013! we parked our bikes in front of the cafe, and made ourselves at home, toured around ChinaHouse.

ChinaHouse is a traditional compound which makes up of three heritage buildings, linked by an open air courtyard and converted into 14 spaces comprising Food + Drink (Kopi C. Espresso, Beach St. Bakery, BTB & Restaurant, Vine & Single, 14 Chairs, The Canteen & Bar, and Courtyard Cafe), Shopping (Reading Room, The Study, Bon Ton Shop II & III), and Art +Theatre (Art Space I & II, Artist’s Dorm, The Loft, and Upstairs)

it is a looooooong colonial shop lot that has two entrances at Victoria Street and Beach Street respectively. if you enter from Beach Street’s you’ll be instantly mesmerized by the lovely coffee aroma that lingers in the room, which we did. and i’m not even a coffee person. i fell in love with the vibe. hipster, unpretentious and rugged. didn’t stay on for makan because my friends wanted to try GohKaki Cafe which was fairly new in town then. but i made a mental note to self that i WILL be back.

fast forward months later,

i strikethrough ChinaHouse off my list as the birthday girl requested ChinaHouse! and us being the best bffs, granted her wish! ChinaHouse it was!from the entrance (at Beach Street), the first compartment is Kopi C. Espresso which smells heavenly! and walk further in, it’s Beach St. Bakery where you’ll be greeted witha table-ful of cakesss!
this’s what lured me to come back too, apart from the coffee aroma.

we were ushered to be seated at Reading Room which was a smoking area. we didn’t made reservation that’s why. but luckily there’s only 1-2 smokers throughout that night!

beside Reading Room, it’s Vine & Single which is more to fine dining kinda style. i saw there’s wide array of wines available. we were this close to dine there as it’s full house at Reading Room! we were definitely no fine dining materials as pathetic portion couldn’t feed us well and prim and proper ain’t our th’ng! we are bubbly and LOUD! luckily few person left in time {Penang} Dinner @ ChinaHouse, Victoria Street & Beach Street

BTB & Restaurant on the other hand serves Asian & Middle Eastern cuisine while American and Mexican cuisine can be found at The Canteen & Bar.

since it’s our first time here, one of the berry accommodating and friendly male wait staff recommended us few dishes.Crushed Mint & Lime Soda | RM 10; Pineapple, Ginger & Lime | RM 10; Pineapple Mint Tea | RM 10

my suggestion, just go straight with Pineapple, Giner & Lime next time. this pineapple juice was so refreshing with fade hint of sourness (lime) and spiciness (ginger). i didn’t know pineapple and ginger would work so well together!

however, if you’re a mint lover, you might prefer Crushed Mint & Lime Soda, because it’s berry minty (certainly not for me) and if you don’t quite like the idea of having ginger in your drink, Pineapple Mint Tea might be right for you. but it’s just tea with slight hint of pineapple, in our opinions.Grilled Prawn Salad | RM 38

the wait staff told us that the portion was good for sharing, so we ordered a salad and two main dishes to be shared among four of us as we wanted to save our stomach for desserts!

this salad had grilled prawns, cherry tomatoes, mango & avocado cubes, pistachio and drizzled with basil dressing.

one of the best salad i have ever had!

it’s everything what a salad should be, light and appetizing! i love how they have multiple texture on the plate, mushy soft (mango & avocado) interlaced with hard (pistachio) & crunchy (leafy vegetables). and the serving was generous! prawns were fresh as well.

the price was on the high side obviously, but they were pretty generous with the ingredients! just that we can’t really come here frequent. our wallets would wail in blood wtf.Ginger Bud Pesto with Grilled Chicken Breast Spaghetti | RM 30

one of the main dish we had was chicken spaghetti tossed in spicy ginger bud pesto and topped with grilled chicken breast.

this dish was a mistake. biggest mistake of that night. my eyes skipped the word ‘bud’, i thought it’s spaghetti with ginger pesto =.=. to me, ginger bud is as smelly as parsley, basil, coriander, and chives (i know these smell heavenly to you, but it’s atrocious to me) :/ that’s why i rarely eat asam laksa.

all four of us thought that ginger bud was too overpowering, and my gfs are those who love smelly grasses. it’d be better if they tone down the ginger bud as i like the spiciness (my tolerant to spicy is high though) in this pasta.

however if you’re a ginger bud avid lover, you might wanna challenge this dish.

the chicken breast was tender and not dry!Chicken and Mushroom Pie | RM 30

chicken and mushroom pie served with mashed potato and mixed leaves.

glad that this dish made it all up! the pie itself was crisp and airy! and the filling inside was creamily tasty, loads of mushroom and chicken chunks. mashed potato was good too! not berry smooth and creamy, but i like it this way. i couldn’t remember what’s the reddish sauce and how it tasted like though.

another main dish that the wait staff recommended was Chicken Schnitzel (RM34) which we didn’t order. you can try ordering that if you likey fried chicken chop!

and then it’s dessert time! we had such a hard time choosing two cakes out of the many cakes on the table =.=

SeakFen & i chose this as we wanted something light and not cloyingly sweet. our Passion Fruit Coconut Butter Cake came toppled {Penang} Dinner @ ChinaHouse, Victoria Street & Beach Street

it was buttery and had desiccated coconut all over it.. it’s not really soft, a little stiff for a cake. it was all good for the first few mouths and it gets more and more jelak after that as it’s cloyingly sweet =.=. even the sourish passion fruit couldn’t neutralize the sweetness

the other cake that we ordered however..Italian Cream Cake | RM 12

was good! doesn’t looked appealing but it’s a better choice, by HuiKee & LeeChing! the cake frosted with cream cheese was airy and not overly sweet!

in merely 4 weeks time, we will be celebrating Chinese New Year again! *throws confetti*

other than spring cleaning, mami (the kiasu aunty) has been busy ordering cookies and stock up dried (sea)food before the price hikes up! speaking of cookies, pineapple tart is one of my favourite and this whitish cookies that will melt in your mouth one, call what ar?

Gartien, a pineapple tarts cakes manufacturer based in Penang, has just revamped their packaging design to welcome the auspicious festival. elegant-looking box in red with gold stamping with individual packages wrappers painted with Peony 牡丹花, also colloquially known as 富贵花, flower of wealth! even comes with a 红彤彤 ang tang tang paper bag! it sure looks presentable as a gift to your relatives and friends. and confirm they will gladly receive this gift because pineapple is ‘ong lai’ in Hokkien, which literally translate to prosperity come.there’s 10 individual exquisite packages in a box. and each box is priced at RM 45 (available till January 26th, 2014).

i heard that it’s selling like hot cakes (pun intended)! 500 sets have been pre-booked by their loyal customers and friends! thus only limited quantity left! 250 boxes are up for grab every week from December 31st onward.

BUT…

if you pre-book NOW, each box only costs you RM 38!! promotion valid till December 31st 2013!

additional bonus! buy every 10 boxes and you’ll get either a box for free (if you’re collecting them yourself) OR delivery fees waived (for those residing within Peninsular Malaysia only).do you know why Gartien only offers such limited quantity? that’s because each and every pieces is handmade with loads of love with absolutely NO preservative and artificial flavouring added! each pineapple cake is compact yet soft. crumbles and melts in your mouth. and the filling.. not cloying to my liking! Gartien uses homegrown pineapple for the filling, and instead of puree, the pineapple was diced, textually contrast with the buttery soft pastry. ooh la la.

faiiiitit go grab few boxes before they run out of stock. you may book yours HERE!
http://www.gartien.com/products-page/