Jam & Kaya brings the Klang Valley's best year yet for independent cafes to a triumphant close; visiting this winsome venue is a potent reminder to value the people who pour their hearts into creating these places. Dismissing these cafes without knowing their stories is blatant disrespect.
Jam & Kaya represents the friendship of Janice & Karen, who studied in Melbourne this past decade & left with the dream of running the kind of cafe they cherished there. Janice's subsequent stint learning the art of pastry-making at Le Cordon Bleu Paris supplied the culinary foundation for the two to open Jam & Kaya this month by the pool of PJ Palms Sports Center.
Brunches are a treat here; the Eggs Royale (RM21) feature irresistibly delicious poached eggs, resting atop thick slices of smoked salmon & crisp leaves in a croissant.
Available through 5pm, so late risers like us can mercifully still have breakfast for lunch.
The menu remains a work in progress, but it's excellent to see these baked eggs that borrow inspiration from the Tunisian-origin recipe of 'shakshouka' ...
... creamy with a thick, tomato-rich base that conceals soft chunks of eggplant. RM18.90. Dinner specials include chicken ballotine, beef stew with potatoes & salmon with couscous.
Pancakes are a pleasure here: try the one with salted caramel & macadamia nuts (RM16.50). Other varieties come with caramelized bananas & yes, even jam & kaya.
Save space for dessert; these babies are a star attraction in their own right.
Praline cheesecake, very rich, sumptuously smooth. Gotta try the tarts next time.
Coffee's constructed with Colombian beans; not a bad latte, definitely.
Love the hot chocolate here, mixed with tiny, crispy chocolate balls for extra enjoyment.
One of Jam & Kaya's charms: It isn't trying to be cool. Its musical selection of Peabo Bryson & All-4-One might send hipsters screaming out the exit.
All in all, Jam & Kaya has the potential to become a firm favorite, surmounting its relatively hidden location & avoidance of advance publicity. It's our top cafe recommendation for December (followed extremely closely by Damansara Uptown's Ecole P).
Jam & Kaya Cafe
PJ Palms Sports Center, Lorong Sultan, Petaling Jaya
Open 10am-10pm, Tues-Thurs, 8am-11pm, Fri-Sun
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