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...

Food, drinks and fun on Sunday

Last Sunday night, dinner was with a bunch of friends cum ex-colleagues at Station One, Queensbay Mall to celebrate a friend's birthday as well as catching up with each other after some time.

Honestly, this is my first visit to this chain cafe outlet although they seemed to be hitting it everywhere in town and their presence is constantly publicized through the radio commercials. I used to think that they were no different from any of those coffee shops turned bistro cafes or something along that line, but I was amazed with the wide variety they have on their menu as I was browsing through the pages.

I love the bottles used to serve the large-sized juices/drinks (MYR6.90)



(I am always fascinated with bottles like these, or large jars :-)

Put them together and what do they remind you of??




The food; Grilled Fish Fillet (MYR26.90)




Portion was a little lesser than what I would have expected for the price charged, to be frank.

Chicken Chop (MYR15.90)





Deep Fried Fish Fillets ( I can't remember the exact price, but I think it was around MYR17-19.90)



A sandwich; I am not sure which one as this was ordered by one of them at the table





Overall the food, was just average for my personal tastes but hey, the day is not about me as it was more of a gathering and also, the objective is to celebrate our old friend's birthday, so here comes the Tiramisu cake which we surprised him with





A slice for you?



A post which I had nothing much to write about as the photos are just what meet the eyes and they are nothing that rank that high on my preferences list so I let the photos do the talking and focus on the mood of the celebration/gathering :-)

Have a great weekend everyone and Happy Friday!!

Hard Rock Monthlyversary Lunch

We have so many dates to celebrate now, after our wedding...hehe, from our first date, to our proposal, then our ROM and wedding, we are just a celebration couple, and I am NOT complaining.


Hubby planned our Sunday lunch at Hard Rock Cafe, which is located in the first ever Hard Rock Hotel in Penang.

The cafe, though, is not the first as the first outlet opened in the city of KL long ago.


The sun was blazing out there, and it was a nice welcome stepping into the dimly lit and cool environment of the cafe restaurant.





Most of the crowd, as we have noticed, are the guests staying at the hotel.

We started with our choices of cold drinks; an escape from the heat out there.

Iced Lemonade (MYR9.00)

This is a very sour and at the same time, fizzy drink as I think they mixed it with soda but it was a refreshing drink for lemonade lovers like me :-)

Iced Lemon Tea (MYR9.00)


Snapshots of the cafe environment, and their interior design


The cafe was adorned with the legendary and iconic designs of Hard Rock Cafe worldwide; with the musical instruments and pop icons dating back to the 70's.

Our Appetizer; Santa Fe Spring Rolls (MYR17.00)

Served in a little glass, this packs a whole lot of goodies to make it so tasty and at the same time, boosting with energy.

This is stuffed with spinach, black beans, cilantro, corn, jalapenos, diced Red peppers and Jack cheese. It is served with freshly made Hard Rock salsa, Guacamole, Chipotle Ranch dressing.


Love the mix of spinach, and all the tasty ingredients that make this irresistible and one roll is simply not enough! (I am still thinking of the unique taste of the rolls as I am writing this)


After we finished our appetizers, we waited for quite a while for our plates to cleared and the wait for our mains took even longer!
With all the time in my hand, I started, you guessed right, snapping photos of the environment again!
The changing colors of the iconic logo





Iconic suits on display


Our mains, finally arrived after a really long wait, no kidding.

Hickory-smoked Pulled-Lamb Sandwich (MYR28.00)


This is tender and juicy due to the fact that it's hand pulled and Hickory-smoked as it was described in the menu.
It is served with either one of the two choices; authentic vinegar-based or Hickory BBQ sauces and topped with marinated slaw. There is also a side serving of seasoned fries, ranch beans and fresh coleslaw.



Fish and Chips (MYR25.00)


Fillet of fish dipped in special batter and deep fried to golden brown and served with fries.



Honestly, this reminded me of the deep fried Chinese crullers, or also known as 'Yau Char Kwai' as there was just so much batter in this rather than the fish fillet.
In fact, it tastes more of the thick flour batter that my mouth was filled with the taste of the flour rather than the fish fillet.
Not my type of Fish and Chips, I must say (sadly!)

We were just a little stuffed from the large portions of the meal, and had no room for desserts at all.

I find the food here is just average; and I don't really find it to be anything to shout about despite the ambience.
The service was really slow, and I kinda felt that they only paid more attention to the hotel guests who dined there rather than other customers which is quite peculiar as Hard Rock Cafe around the world welcomes dine-in guests anytime; regardless of whether you stayed in their hotel or not, or so, I thought.
Perhaps it is the fact that this cafe comes with the hotel, compared to most of its counterparts around the world?


Maybe I should try their cafe counterpart in KL as well? Do you think?