CINNAMON COFFEE HOUSE @ One World Hotel

Gimme that Turkey Mandy!

November 22, 2019

Just a few steps into the Cinnamon Coffee House and I stand stumped. It’s a feast for the eyes. There’s Asian, Western and local dishes, with chefs all ready at cooking stations. One problem. Where to start?

Turkey Mandy on a bed of turkey biryani rice

Carving the Turkey Mandy: The breast meat is so juicy

I take a stroll to check out what’s good. Somewhere in the middle of the coffee house I see two huge woks, one with lamb rendang and in the other, a Yemeni-style Turkey Mandy lies on a bed of fragrant biryani rice cooked with chunks of turkey and hardboiled eggs. Just from the looks alone, it titillates my senses in a way that traditional roasted turkey doesn’t. 

Of course, this prerequisite roasted turkey and beef are at the carving station, along with stuffing and all the trimmings. 

But it’s the Turkey Mandy that is testimony to the mastery of roasting and clever use of spices. 

At first, I am hesitant as turkey breast meat is inevitably dry. But it turns out to be the most deliciously flavoursome turkey breast I’ve had. The fragrant spices have penetrated deep to result in mouthfuls of moist breast meat to offer up a piece of culinary heaven. 

Roasted Beef and traditional Roasted Turkey with stuffing and sidekicks

Cold cuts and other dainty appetisers

The salad bar is alluring too, with rows of dainty creations in pastry casings, soup spoons and saucers, cold cuts, seared tuna, crisp salad leaves that make a delicious sight. The kitchen must have been busy all day to prepare these delectable appetisers. 

Seafood on ice with crab, prawn, yabby, scallop and mussel

Then there’s seafood on ice, with oyster, prawn, yabby, crab, slipper lobster and scallop, right next to the cheese board filled with cammembert, blue, aged cheddar and fruit.

Freshest sashimi choices

Sushi "Christmas Tree"

The Japanese corner has sushi arranged artfully on a five-tier “Christmas Tree”. What a lovely idea to score on Yuletide atmosphere! 

There are also sashimi cuts as well as tempura prawn, squid and vegetables.

Near the a la minute pasta station, oysters are lightly poached, topped with grated cheese and fired with a blow torch. Hmmm… good but I still prefer them raw with a squeeze of lemon or tabasco. 

There are two types of soups offered, a western-style creamy chicken leek-carrot and Chinese sweet-sour soup. 

Hot dishes are replenished often to ensure freshness. I see gulai beef with potato, asam fish head curry, opor lamb, baked seabass with garlic paste and mushroom, roasted lamb with apple-pear chutney and cranberry sauce, chicken cordon bleu with mushroom sauce and buttered brussel sprouts with baby carrot and roasted pumpkin.The seafood and turkey pizza are popular, alongside a choice of German sausages. 

Oozing with melted cheese: Chicken Cordon Bleu with mushroom sauce

Roasted Lamb with apple-pear chutney

Stirfried carrot cake

Seafood and turkey pizza

Next to the chicken rice stall, there’s plenty of action going on. You can order a la carte mee rebus or soup noodles with condiments as well as sizzling hot plates of chicken, lamb or beef. Or help yourself to stirfried carrot cake and pineapple fried rice. 

Chicken Saagwala

Prawn Tikka

The Chinese and Indian stations are at the back of the coffee house. You’ll find dim sum, poached chicken, braised tofu with seafood, kam heong clam as well as okra and green bean masala, chickpea and potato masala, dhal curry, prawn tikka, chicken saagwala and satay (lamb, chicken, beef) with peanut gravy.

From left: foccacia olive bun, black pepper chicken mushroom pie and chicken cheese bun

You’d love the bread and pastries. The black pepper chicken mushroom pie is worth savouring but there are other choices, including chicken cheese bun, focaccia olive bun and onion sausage bun.

Mini panettone, cupcakes and gingerbread men

Swiss Ring Tea Bread (left) and Hazelnut Twisted Bread

The dessert section is spread on both sides of the coffeehouse near the entrance. Three log cakes hold centrestage, along with all kinds of dainty confections.

Mini mince pies, cranberry cheese cake, a tower of cream puff, mini panettone, cheese pretzel, stand among bigger offerings of apple custard chocolate bread with vanilla sauce, hazelnut twisted bread, stolen, cinnamon bun with a delightful caramel sauce, berry crumble bread and ginger bread.

If you prefer fresh fruit, there are rose apples, grapes, oranges, strawberries, langsat, longan and banana as well as cut wedges of melon, watermelon and nangka. 

To welcome customers here, is the cutest pineapple “snowman”.

Oh, did I mention that there’s ice-cream, including house-made peach-longan ice cream? 

Or you may prefer to end the meal with a hot cuppa from the coffee/tea machine.  

phoenixbee@gmail.com

Cream Puff Tower

CINNAMON COFFEE HOUSE

(pork-free)

One World Hotel

First Avenue, Bandar Utama

Petaling Jaya

Telephone

+603-7681 1159

Opening Hours

All day

Website

Promotion

Christmas Eve/Day & New Year’s Eve Buffet: 6.30pm to 10.30pm

RM168 (adult) RM89 (child 6-12)

Christmas Day/New Year’s Day High Tea: Noon to 4pm

RM118 (adult) RM64 (child 6-12)