Written by Kim Jaeyoung | BSc Real-Estate Part 3
Congratulations to all of you who came back to the University of Reading Malaysia. I know that not all students live around campus, but for the students who decided to come back to campus, I hope the three cafes that I’m recommending will be helpful.
Give one of these cafes’s a try next time you’re in the area! Most importantly, don’t forget to follow SOPs and stay safe!
- Off Day
Photo by @offdaycafe
Unlike other cafes, Off Day Cafe is a minimalistic cafe in Eco Botanic. They had some difficult times during the FMCO period in Malaysia but now they are fully back on their business with some new menus.
Off Day Cafe consists of Australian-inspired brunch and Korean-inspired desserts. Personally, I would recommend the creamy tomato pasta and egg mayo croissant. The creamy tomato pasta uses a sweet and creamy sauce. Unlike other cafes that we might find around, Off day uses one that is homemade!. Top it off with tomatoes, basil, and shrimp, so the texture and aroma are alive. The egg mayo in the egg mayo croissant is delicious! Not excessively creamy, not ridiculously greasy and pairs perfectly with that crispy, light croissant. It’s not greasy, it’s appropriately creamy, and the croissant is crispy and light. I recommend that you try the tiramisu and strawberry shortcake for dessert. The tiramisu has a good combination of flavours. Not too bitter from the coffee, not too heavy from the cream and the biscuit is kept perfectly moist. Strawberry shortcake goes well with strawberry freshness and soft cake.
The only unfortunate thing is the price. Personally, I feel that the price is slightly disproportionate to the portion sizes. Don’t get me wrong… the food is great but expensive!
Status: No Pork No Lard
Operation Hours: 10am – 6pm (Monday to Sunday)
Address: 57, Jalan Eko Botani 3/7, Taman Eko Botani. Gelang Patah, Johor
- Lacuna Space
Photo by @lacuna_space
Are you a matcha lover? If you are, I highly recommend you visit Lacuna!
Lacuna is a minimalistic cafe that gives a cosy feeling. Many people are unaware of this place because they are located on the second floor. This cafe is owned by A lovely married couple. Not only is this a great place to enjoy matcha, inside the cafe, but there is also a small flower workshop run by one of the owners
On the menu, you will find many different drinks such as Matcha, Genmaicha, Genmai, and Houjicha. The drinks I would personally recommend are the Genmai Latte and Matcha Latte. Genmai is roasted brown rice, which has no caffeine and offers a savoury taste of grain. They only use the brand called Niko Neko. Niko Neko is one of the best Matcha brands you can find in Malaysia. They produce the purest matcha powder sourced from Japan. Before the lockdown, they had a brew and taste session with the owner. They will guide you on how to hand brew your tea, and also you can experience a few different types of their green tea product. It’s such a unique experience to be a part of and hopefully, they will run this again soon.
Lacuna also has some matcha based desserts such as matchamisu and cheesy matcha cake!
Aside from tyring their drinks and dessert, you can even make your own cups of matcha drink! They also sell the powers and some equipment to make a perfect drink by yourself!
Status: No Pork No Lard
Operation Hours: 12pm – 7pm (close on Tuesday)
Address: 9A Jalan Eko Botani 3/5, Taman Eko Botani, 79100 Iskandar Puteri, Johor
- The Gellee
Photo by @the_gellee
The Gellee is a cafe run by a Korean family. It doesn’t look different from other cafes on the outside, but there is a cosy interior which can be an excellent environment for studying. I always studied here before lockdown.
This is an excellent cafe to go to for dessert after your meal. The most recommended desserts from me are croffle and corndogs. Among Croffle, I recommend the apple cinnamon flavour. The combination of sweet apple pulp and the aroma of the cinnamon powder goes perfectly well with croffle. Croffles are made like waffles using croissant pastries. Unlike waffles, it is characterised by crispy outside and chewy inside. Among the corndogs, I recommend a mixture of cheese and sausage. Try a Korean-style corn dog that is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside!
When you’re hungry and looking for snacks, make sure to try this place out!
Status: No Pork No Lard
Operation Hours: 11pm – 7:30pm (Monday to Saturday) / 2pm – 8pm (Sunday)
Address: 23 Jalan Eko Botani 3/5, Taman Eko Botani, 79100 Iskandar Puteri, Johor
Interested to share your experiences with the rest of the UoRM family? Craft a contributed blog post and email it to us at secretary@rumsa.my!