In 2014's most miraculous F&B coincidence so far, two invitingly distinctive cafes opened this week on the same street of Taman Bukit Desa: The Soda Factory, launched by the folks behind The Tapping Tapir sodas & The Potong artisan popsicles ...
... & Encore, the inceptive overseas spin-off from a Sydney-based patisserie of the same name.
First up, The Soda Factory, where the offerings seem both thoughtfully & playfully conceptualised. Nice work, folks.
Check out the delicious sourdough pizzas; the best bet is copiously crowned with spinach, an egg, olives, garlic, tomato sauce & parmesan cheese for only RM15. It's a terrific representation of how a pizza should taste, with toppings that complement each other beautifully & a crisply smoky, fresh-tasting base that strikes that not-too-thick, not-too-thin balance.
The Soda Factory's sourdough waffles might prove polarising though; we like how they're discernibly dense in the vein of the Liege variation, but some patrons might prefer fluffier waffles. Enjoy with Nutella sauce, strawberries & vanilla ice cream (RM15); even though both the pizzas & waffles could be calorie bombs, they somehow feel light enough to be low-guilt pleasures.
Floats are fun here; customers can mix & match sparkling soda flavours with a variety of ice cream. Our combo: Lemonade & lengkuas with a scoop of pistachio ice cream (RM9). No worries, not too sugary in the least.
(Former) President Bartlet's beloved beverage _ egg cream (RM9) _ is also available here: Freshly mixed milk, soda water & maple syrup work together to form the ideal beat-the-heat refreshment.
And with that, we segue into Encore, only a thirty-second stroll away.
Encore taps the skills of Australian-based pastry chef Barry Symington to blast out sweet treats like the St Honore dessert of puff pastry with chiboust cream, as well as slices of luscious-looking mille-feuille ...
... plus almond meringue tortes loaded with hazelnut chocolate whipped cream, vanilla eclairs & rum-tinged mud cakes. The preparation & storage of these could be fine-tuned for better taste & texture; there's strong potential here, certainly.
Many of the pastries cost RM14 each, on the higher end of expectations, though it's probable that pricey ingredients went into producing them. Savoury specialities like beef pies & mushroom quiches are also available.
And yep, Encore serves coffee (it comes from a land Down Under). Expect to hear a happy amount about The Soda Factory & Encore in the weeks to come; both will inexorably attract curious cats & eager beavers throughout this inaugural quarter of 2014.
The Soda Factory
15, Jalan Bukit Desa 5, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur.
Same row as Sanuki Udon. Seems to currently open only on weekends, 11am-10pm, but will surely change that later. Call 016-682-2221 to confirm.
Encore Patisserie Cafe
1, Jalan Bukit Desa 5, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur
Open 10am-10pm daily
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As a separate initiative, the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites for January-March 2014 is now online, featuring 100 pretty nice eateries, including more than 20 new entries for this quarter. This eBook of restaurant recommendations is available for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Jan-March-2014 (This link expires March 31, 2014; see blog entries after that date for new link).
