Motormouth From Ipoh

Breakfast Parfait (RM14.80/USD5) – Layered Greek yoghurt upon fruits and honey, topped with crunchy granola. Now this somehow lessened the CNY guilt of over-eating. Slightly.

Good Morning Ipoh!

Continuing the Ipoh Cafe Series this festive homecoming, we ended up at Something’s Brewing not once, but twice over the past 2 days. The relatively easy to access location plus ample parking spaces and short distance to home made this a no-brainer really.

Ready for the second chapter of the series? Here we go …. 

Focusing their strength on caffeine-free, loose leaf tea blends, I actually chose tea instead of coffee this time around. You must have realized that I’m a die-hard caffeine junkie, and it goes without saying that coffee would be my first choice conventionally. However, persuasive selling by the an acquaintance of ours led me to the discovery of several interesting choices like Citron Oolong, Coconut Oolong, Scarlet, Peach Blossom White Tea and Orange Blossom Green Tea.

Served in a small pot for one (RM8.90/USD3), we sampled a few of their famed selections, though the crowd favourite of Chocolate Chai ran out that evening. The Coconut Oolong was as blend of floral Bao Zhong oolong tea with artificial coconut flavour and a faint hint of lilac. Personal pick was the Orange Blossom Green Tea and Peach Blossom White Tea; both fresh infusions with a certain citrus essence; keeping the palate refreshed after serial bouts of gorging on greasy snacks.

A rather simple layout with all table stacked to the wall on one side, and the drinks and cakes counter on the other. The larger than average tables plus super fast Wifi (seriously, you have to talk to the tech geek who’s a partial owner there to fully appreciate the speed!) make surfing and working on your notebook a breeze.

Their selection of breakfasts served from 7.30 am – 12.00 pm (but served all day during this Chinese New Year break) consist of hearty platters of savouries (expect hash browns, sausages, toast, eggs etc), their signature Breakfast Parfait which should be appreciated from all stand points; flavour, aesthetics and nutrients, as well as muffins, scones and breads.

Roasted Summer Vegetables (RM13.80/USD4.50), Scarlet (RM9.90/USD3.30) is a tangy blend of organic rose hips, hibiscus and currants, Macchiato (RM10.90/USD3.60) and the front facade of the outlet with that signature, milky swirl around the brand.

Chicken and Eggs with Dill Yoghurt (RM16.80/USD5.60) consisted of a deep fried breaded fillet of chicken breast, scrambled eggs and a piece of whole grain toast, with butter and dill yoghurt

And the signature Breakfast Parfait without the creamy, decadent guilt of a sundae. A healthy dollop of Greek yoghurt layered upon cut fruits like kiwi, blueberries, strawberries and mangoes, then topped with crunchy granola and drizzled with honey, the serving was more than enough for one in our opinions.

The Breakfast Parfait was no doubt one of the more tedious item to prepare hence the slightly prolonged waiting time, but this work of art was rather gratifying, even for one who does not like healthy breakfast options like this. I, for one, was gleefully digging in and scooping up the creamy yoghurt sweetened by honey and an appetizing mix of fresh fruits, plus contrasting texture of granolas. The Chicken & Eggs with Dill Yoghurt somehow neutralized the benefit of this hearty, healthy brunch yet the breaded fillet of chicken breast was deep fried to a firm perfection, and went well with the dill yoghurt. The scrambled eggs was sadly a forgettable affair.

On this trail of balancing out the sins of homemade snacks with lighter stuff; the roasted summer vegetables in olive oil appeared to be a smart, beautiful and delicious choice. Yet, aside from the burst of colours from the carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and onions, the execution was falling behind. The carrot was not julienned or cut into strips as they appeared to be in the menu, but sliced rather thick rendering the texture to be slightly hard, akin to lightly-blanched version. Would have been better if the vegetables are roasted a little longer with a dash more of olive oil, black pepper or even salt for more flavours.

The Macchiato tasted fine; a tainted espresso with a layer of foamy milk on top. Alternatively, you can also choose to have cream instead of milk, but that’s almost sacrilegious so I refrained from ordering that despite the curiosity.  Though a touch of coffee art would do justice to the RM10.90 per cup price.

SOMETHING’S BREWING (Facebook)
19, Jalan Medan Ipoh 1B/1,
Medan Ipoh Bistari, 31400 Ipoh,
Perak, Malaysia
Opposite of Sushi Zento of Festival Walk
Open from 1pm to 11pm from Sunday to Thursday, and 1pm to 12am Friday, Saturday