For over a decade, Chinami Date honed her skills at bakeries in Osaka and Singapore, working toward her dream of someday running her own place that offered fresh-from-the-oven buns and bread. This month, Chinami has reached that milestone: Walk through the noren at the entrance of Hachi, and you'll find a bakery-cafe with plenty of heart and passion, promising specialities with a distinctively Japanese touch, tinged with traditional European craftsmanship.
Hachi's shelves carry close to 40 types of temptations; favourites might include the Melonpan, the classic melon-resembling sweet bun with a lightly crisp cookie dough exterior (RM3.40), the Curry Bun with a savoury minced beef filling (RM5), and the Earl Grey and Apple Bun, coupling the fragrant subtleties of tea with the tangy uplift of Japanese apples (RM3.60). The buns are fairly dense and pleasantly firm to the bite, with mellow but unmistakable flavours.
The bakery's reliance on quality ingredients is clear; its target is customers who care about wholesome, preservative-free nourishment. While KL has no shortage of bakeries on every block, it's nice to see one where flavours inextricably linked to Japan's culinary heritage shine: Try the roll that combines green tea cream with red bean paste for a delicious duet (RM3.60) or the mentaiko baguette that beautifully conveys the nuances of marinated cod roe via bites of crunchy bread (RM 4.40).
Even plain bread is worth enjoying here: Hachi's signature sliced bread (RM7.40 per loaf serving) is smoother than the norm, with a mild, natural-tasting sweetness. It'd go great with some good butter.
Hachi's dine-in selection will commence on Christmas (Dec. 25); we managed to preview a couple of its hot dishes, which take on familiar crowd-pleasers. The Croque Monsieur satisfies with its ham and gooey cheese, while the French Toast feels lovingly homemade. Both come with salads to balance out the carbs for a complete light meal in their own right.
Christmas will also be Hachi's official grand opening - to celebrate, the bakery will hand out 100 Snowman Buns for free to the first visitors on Dec. 25 who like Hachi's Facebook page or follow the bakery on Instagram. The buns will be handed out starting at 10am on Christmas morning. Check out https://www.facebook.com/
Many thanks to Hachi for having us here.
Hachi Bakery Cafe
P-07B , Plaza Damas, Hartamas Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur. Beside Starbucks. Daily, 8am-8pm. Tel: 03-6206 2668
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