Allegra @ KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital – Fancy Eating “Hospital Food” for A Change?
November 10, 2013 | 5,346 views
It’s Allegra! – From the same force behind Indulgence, Burps & Giggles and Buku Tiga Lima comes Allegra Cafe @ KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital; a most unorthodox choice of location, yet deep thoughts have gone into this daring venture
Hospitals’ cafeteria food is tasteless, scarily sterile (fingers crossed) and uninspiring. At least, that’s the general sentiment. I don’t remember ever having a delicious meal from the cafeterias of Ipoh Specialist Hospital (save for their excellent curry puffs from the 90’s), Fatimah Hospital, Pantai Hospital Ipoh or even Ipoh General Hospital (renamed to Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun).
The last one on that list did manage to conjure up some pretty strong memories from a negative aspect, no thanks to the 12 months I spent working in that hospital.
But then again, the moment I heard that Allegra has moved from Meru Valley Golf Resort to KPJ Ipoh, I was momentarily stunned. Seriously? In an environment where pain, sickness and despair lurks, you’re supposed to enjoy a freshly brewed cup of Bristot coffee and munch into a beautifully golden, flaky and buttery croissant?
Yes sirree. Plus my first ever piece of cronut (croissant + doughnut) in Ipoh. Read on.
High stools at the coffee bar for the visitors and patients seeking outpatient treatment come for their quick fix in the morning.
Occupying a small corner immediately to the left of the main entrance, Allegra started business for a few months now and doing quite well; bringing fresh and tasty pastries to the otherwise boring selection of cafeteria fares only at KPJ Ipoh.
If you have been to the Allegra at Meru Valley Golf Resort, you can imagine the exact replica of the said cafe, only on a smaller scale. Focusing on healthy, lighter bites that can masquerade as substantial brunch on certain days when you don’t feel like bingeing (I don’t expect anyone to go on a culinary tour in a hospital setting anyway).
From cakes to sandwiches, cookies to pies, Allegra rotates the menu ever so often; with only strong favourites being perpetual fix on a daily basis
An all day cafe that opens from 8.30am until 6.00pm daily, Allegra brings cafe food in hospital to another new dimension. Their variety of croissants; from plain to buttered, cappucino (which was excellent btw) to even cronuts; the latest food fad that has hit this part of the world with a bang.
The plain/butter croissants are priced at around RM4.50 – RM4.80 each, while the flavoured ones are priced at around RM6.50 – RM8.50 each.
Salted Caramel or Vanilla Bean Custard Cronuts at RM7.50 for the large ones, RM2.50 for the smaller ones.
Clockwise from top left : Pistachio Cream Croissant with Cappucino Croissant (RM8.50/USD2.80) at the background, Curry Chicken Pie (RM10/USD3.30), and Salmon Bagel (RM12/USD4)
The Pistachio Cream Croissant was flawless; filled with fragrant pistachio cream imported from France. A seasonal item though, not etched on the menu permanently. If savouries’ the way to go for you, the Salmon Bagel comprises of smoked salmon slices, cucumber and lettuce with cream cheese sandwiched between the bagel, and warmed/toasted prior to being served.
The Curry Chicken Pie with bird’s eye chillies (cili padi/cabai burung) was a welcome kick to the system; and a sure fire hit for the old timers missing the ISH (short for Ipoh Specialist Hospital or at times nicked ‘Big White Shark’) curry puffs.
As for the Cronuts, we sampled the mini ones (at RM2.50/USD0.80 each) and turned out to be very addictive; flaky and crispy layers of dough glazed and topped with either salted caramel or vanilla bean custard.
Like a mini grocery in the lobby of KPJ Ipoh, you can also choose to have imported canned soups cooked for you or your hospitalized loved ones. And they sell Haagen-Dazs ice-cream tubs and imported macarons
KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital in a rebranding drive – from Live Band on Saturday mornings (serious!), to nifty trinkets from Kristy Collection sold at Allegra, they are indeed pushing all the envelopes to reduce the stigma of hospitals being a sterile, fearful place for the sick ones only.
And in the core of Indulgence, Burps & Giggles and Allegra is their Bristot coffee, brewed and served just the way you want your morning cuppa coffee to be.
ALLEGRA CAFE @
KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital
26, Jalan Tambun/Raja Di Hilir,
30350 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opens daily from 8.30am – 6.00pm, half day on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.
Find out more about KPJ group of hospitals HERE
How wonderful to have fantastic food in a hospital!
[Reply]
[…] Continued here: Allegra @ KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital – Fancy Eating “Hospital Food” […]
Ipoh BIG TREE FOOT “liew” stall has opened a branch in SS2, PJ.
[Reply]
You’re right about the curry puffs in KPJ. They were huge and I always buy them to eat though I’m being admitted to the hospital. There was one shop near Greentown selling huge curry puffs with egg but now, it has closed down.
[Reply]