KEN HUNTS FOOD: Jawi House Cafe Gallery @ Armenian Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Jawi House Cafe Gallery @ Armenian Street, Georgetown, Penang.

A stone's throw away from the tourist hot spot (mural art) of Armenian Street, there is an unassuming cafe cum art gallery. Stepping into the cafe is like going through a time portal where it reminds you of the Peranakan culture, every spot here can be a photo opportunity. Jawi House offers Jawi-Pernakan dishes with a touch of Western-fusion, some of the worth-mentioning signature dishes are Nasi Lemuni, Laksa Lemak and Roti Jala; for full menu, you may click here. Ambiance is cozy and laid-back while the dishes are priced reasonably and not too grueling on the wallet; we were also impressed with the genuine service offered by their eloquent staff, it feels like an intimate cafe to us. After the meal, traipse up on second floor and you will be greeted by some of the art pieces which are available for sale. Do check out the place if you are around the vicinity, a charming spot to enjoy a meal and to have a cup of coffee/tea too.

One of their best-sellers and signature dishes will be this Herbal Lemuni Rice (Rm 15). For the uninitiated, the medicinal Lemuni leaves or known as Vitex Trifolia are used traditionally as natural remedy to ease headache, Mosquito diseases; Nasi Lemuni has been a traditional confinement dish to many Malay women too. The medicinal leaves are believed to enhance blood blow and heal digestive system. The dish is not commonly found in Penang; as for the Herbal Lemuni Rice set of Jawi House comes with a bowl of Chicken Curry, some crisp and crunchy deep fried Anchovies, Hard Boiled Egg served with their home-made Sambal Chili Paste.

The Basmati Rice was first cooked with Coconut Milk and flavored with the Lemuni leaves. The rice was robust in Coconut flavor with a gentle leafy-green aroma from the leaves, just as good as Nasi Lemak, a healthier version that is. The soul to this dish was their thick, rich and creamy Chicken Curry. The Chicken Thigh was tender and the dish was well-executed. Little effort was necessary to detach the meat, a lovely accompaniment to the flavorful Nasi Lemuni.

Their Braised Brisket Sandwich (Rm 15) served with fresh Greens is a safe bet. Beef Brisket and julienned Carrots as well as some fresh Greens were sandwiched between two toasted Baguette. The buttered and toasted Baguette was crisp but slightly a bit chewy in texture, it was also slightly too thick to my liking. It requires quite some effort to divide the sandwich. Weight-watcher might be delighted to see the healthy fresh Greens placed aside, they were dressed with their home-made dressing and I was amazed by how fresh were the greens. However, I thought the Braised Brisket was slightly salty on its own, although it was perfectly okay with the Baguette. Nevertheless, the dish is a decent option for the health-conscious.

No meals are completed without desserts. We had their Yogurt Cheese Cake (Rm 12) for dessert. A thin layer of Yogurt Cream was smeared on top a Cheese Cake. The body of the Cheese Cake is no ordinary "Cheese Cake" either, it was premixed with some Yogurt too. However, the lack of the sourish tinge from the Yogurt makes it as though we were having Yogurt Cheese Cake but more like an ordinary Cheese Cake instead. Yogurt-aside, the Cheese Cake was beyond amazing. It was cheesy, creamy and rich in flavor and best of all, not overly sweeten. The moist and light Yogurt Cheese Cake is a best complement to a cup of Coffee or Tea.