Caffe Bene - Redefining Cafes

With an outlet popping up almost every minute around the world, Caffe Bene is definitely the pride of the Asian household names in the casual and favorite cafe category.

Originating from South Korea, the fast-growing chain outlet is gaining its base everywhere and in the hearts of many who have developed fondness for the unique healthy multigrain beverage, unique specialty shaved ices (bingsu), special brewed coffee and Belgian Liege waffles with various toppings.

I have not tried everything on their menu yet; probably not their coffee or misugaru (the healthy concoction of black sesame seeds, black bean, black and brown rice and barley creating that protein-rich mix) which many have raved about, but I did try their other two specialties.

It is interesting to note that the Misugaru beverage is Caffe Bene's signature differentiator that sets the coffee house chain apart from its other long-established and world-famous competitors such as Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Gloria Jeans, etc and is the brainchild of the cafe to attract the coffee lovers and health wannabes to their outlets, following their establishment.

The start of Caffe Bene was conceived by their CEO and owner, Sun-Kwon Kim who had traveled to Canada and noticed the popularity of the local coffee cafes and believed that he could bring that to his own turf and create a name that would hit it off, thus giving way to the birth of Caffe Bene; a name that sounded more European than Korean.

It was meant to be that way; as Bene is derived from an Italian word to bring the meaning of good and the name of the cafe was just modeled after the al-fresco style of the European cafes.

Their interesting beginning and the background of their fascinating brand name are not the only things to put to the success of their chain; as their menu proved its worth in capturing the attention of coffee/cafe lovers who wanted something more unique besides the usual offerings of coffee and tea.

The Bingsu is testament to the unique branding of the cafe, though it is not foreign to the South Koreans as this dessert is making its way to the cafes and on the palates of its fan base and Caffe Bene has introduced this popular dessert with her very own variants.

Pretty much shaved ice as the base ingredient but with a whole portion packed with varied ingredients to shake it off and crammed into a huge glass jar, this is something you can get away with stuffing yourself with sweet iced dessert while chilling out with a friend.

This may be something you need to share with someone if you want to enjoy or think that it's going to be a small serving, for it is far away from that perception.

The Green Tea Bingsu is delicately polished with shaved ice flavored with green tea and milk, laden heavily with red beans, almond flakes, hazelnuts and green tea ice cream.

Green tea always is a perfect match for red bean, and that is no way to turn this down when you are deciding on the variants of bingsu they have; not that the other flavors of bingsu are not that good - but this should be one of the choices if you are ordering more than one.

The portion easily fills more than one person; and the composition of the intense green tea along with all its accompanying ingredients just make this a winner.

The famous Belgian Liege waffles somehow landed on the menu of this South Korean brand, although there is no wonder why and more than that, an excellent and wise choice due to the rising fame of the waffles themselves. It is a perfect treat and addition to any beverages menu and would definitely have many swooning over its crispy exterior yet soft taste paired with a good cup of beverage/dessert while relaxing in a comfy couch.

Choose from the different flavors/toppings although the original would be a good option too if one is simply lost for choice.

Waffles, is another hard to turn down and along with chilled dessert like the bingsu, it sounds like a perfect combination for an afternoon treat with the loved ones especially on a weekend.

I may not have tried everything on their menu, but I was told these were already halfway to the goodness offered by the cafe, and I could not agree more.

Whoever passed this off as just another ordinary coffee chain outlet, ought to rethink that and shaved ice dessert may have found their way into a different dimension with the Caffe Bene's version of the popular bingsu.

Another outlet is probably on its way in the world as I write this post, and any wonder why it's catapulting into the hearts of many faster than Cupid's arrow?

Take a step into cafe and say for yourself :-)

Note: I love the simple rustic and cosy interior of the cafe which just makes it comfortable and just perfect for chilling out with family and friends.

*This is not a sponsored post/review and is purely based on my personal opinions*

Starting it Early at Secawan 'n' Such on Hutton

The Cafe industry in Penang is booming, I kid you not.
Cafes are popping up all over the place, one after another in a phenomenon I would describe as a "sudden cafe rush"; trending on the popularity of coffee among the modern crowd these days.
Coffee enthusiasts are taken on a fun ride with the varied options to choose from as the cafes establish themselves in their own unique ways to outbid each other in vying for attention.
Strategy varies; from the delicate and amusing coffee art (even to the extent of 3D art), to the decadent selection of mouth-watering sweet temptations, and the cosy ambiance down to the little details of the decor, all in their efforts to create their very own identities in the niche cafe market.
Their endeavors are not unnoticed and these entrepreneurial-minded cafe owners will be pleased to know that even non-coffee lovers are attracted to the concept of their cafes; for the cakes and environment which are suited for catching up sessions though some shy away from the coffee drinking.

I, for one, can speak for that, as these cafes provide the avenue for me to relax and just enjoy a good conversation with my own company of close friends, even though I am not a coffee drinker.
The emergence of these cafes just made it easier for me; providing options for me to suggest for places to chill out whenever my friends are in town and recently, this is put to the test when a close friend is in this heritage city for a trip and we were to meet up and I was tasked to suggest a place since I was, well, the local here.

Secawan is the new cafe along Hutton Lane which came to my mind; and to my rescue, thankfully for their early hours which start from 8.00am and suited my traveling friend's schedule perfectly, besides giving us that extra span of time of banter.
This is definitely one of the rare cafes which opens at that early hour; which delights the early birds up since the break of dawn :-)

The cafe is still fairly new; evidently seen in the limited choices on the menu particularly in the food category though the brew section strives to impress with their modest list of coffee and tea, alongside their homemade smoothies.
The breakfast menu is on the way; as we were informed and the only options available at the moment are sandwiches and also the cakes on the counter.



There are two choices available (at the time of posting) for sandwiches

Chicken Avocado Sandwich (MYR14.00) is a serving of thick slices of wholemeal bread with lettuce leaves plastered on a bed of cheese spread and chicken alongside fresh vegetables drizzled with vinaigrette dressing.




Salmon Sandwich (MYR16.00), served with thick grainy slices of bread with lightly smoked salmon wedged between the bed of lettuce polished with cheese alongside the fresh vegetables in the same vinaigrette dressing is another of the option available.


The sandwiches are designed with the concept of starting the day healthy with the heavy use of wholemeal and grain-laden bread alongside fresh and crunchy vegetables with light dressing; which may appear as slightly ordinary or bland for those craving for flavorful tastes in their first meals of the day. This was addressed with the creative use of the colorful and raw vegetables enlivened up by the exciting tinge of the sourish note from the vinaigrette dressing to revitalize that notion to kick start the day the healthy way.

Non-coffee drinkers like us are also spared the judgment of mandatory coffee orders with their fruit-flavored smoothies:-

Apricot Strawberry Smoothie (MYR13.00)

Mango Passion Lime Smoothies (MYR13.00)

The smoothies lacked slightly in the fruit flavors, which were hidden beneath the stronger essence of the vanilla which overpowered the combination of the taste of the fruits. The smoothies did contain bits and slices of the fruits as one sipped through the frothy texture laced with the scent of vanilla.

Breakfast was part of the reason we were there; and the limited options on the menu did not bother us much as we engaged in our lively banter accompanied by the conducive and welcoming ambiance designed with simplicity and warmth in mind.



While many are drawn to the famous wall arts on the heritage streets of Georgetown in Penang; all works of the famous Ernest Zacharevic, fans will be entertained to more artistic works here as Secawan has also enlisted the help of Mr Gabriel Pitcher, a close associate of the former, who contributed to the two gigantic murals to grace the interior of the cafe.

Brightly lit interior and the minimalistic concept of the entire cafe created a vibe of comfort and ease to match that mood of catching up and relaxation of the patrons; besides enjoying a good cup of coffee for the coffee loving community as it is after all, the very core of the cafe's foundation.



Secawan is off to a good start with the ambiance, and it is fair to say that they need the time to build up their reputation and hopefully, improving on their options in their food and beverages menu.
Their breakfast selection will be starting this Wednesday (11th June); offering additional options for the morning crowd on the hunt for a place for chit chatting over breakfast.
The owner and staff are all friendly; which adds additional brownie points to the cafe.

Perhaps coffee fans will enjoy their brew, and I can only comment on the non-coffee options which we have tried during our visit; though I should arrange for a coffee fan to join on my next round, and maybe, indulging in their cakes as well.


Now, any taker?

Address: 205, Jalan Hutton, 10500 Georgetown, Penang
(Along the row of shophouses behind the New World Park; and a few shops away from the House of Udang Galah)


Note:
*Secawan means "A Cup" in the local Malay language*
While the main concept capitalizes on coffee brews, there is no hindrance to non-coffee lovers like me either and that is also the reason they named themselves "Secawan 'n' Such" to remind that they do have other offerings besides coffee, though limited at the moment? Just a thought...

Original Taiwanese Desserts at Ice Bowl

The trend of themed-tea/beverages/drinks and desserts seem to be in the air lately as one after another of these cafes pop up around the major cities and towns in Malaysia.
I have to admit, they do interest me; especially when they have creative stuffs to offer.

Focusing on the concept of healthy goodness and yet maintaining that yummy factor is the theme behind Ice Bowl; a new cafe spotted in Mahkota Cheras town (right opposite Aeon Mahkota Cheras).
Specializing in Taiwanese desserts, their menu is none like any other I have seen so far in their choices.



They have the sets which combine three ingredients; or you can opt for the regular types of dessert soups or even drinks.

We chose the bowl sets; priced at MYR6.50 each and thankfully we opted to share, for the portions were generous!

Set B: Green Bean + Lotus Seeds + Grass Jelly + Black Pearl toppings 




Served chilled with slightly sweet soup, this is my favorite combination and this bowl can be quite filling too!



Red Bean + Grass Jelly + Cream + Black pearl topping



Pour in the milk to make it richer in texture.



Finally, this is another of my favorite:

Aiyu Jelly + Bird's Nest + Lemon + Black pearls toppings



My family and I loved the desserts and I am glad I dragged everyone there to try out their desserts after the celebration lunch at Dragon-i.
This is not the first Ice Bowl outlet; as there is another outlet in SS2. I do hope they would launch an outlet in Penang soon as I do enjoy their healthy desserts.
Now I know where I am heading to when I am back in the city and looking for a place to chill, with good and healthy desserts too! :-)