CỘNG CAPHE @ 1Utama

 

More than just a cuppa

January 20, 2021

I still remember my first taste of Bac Xiu or Coconut Milk With Coffee, so naturally I am excited when My Best Friend tells me that Cong Caphe (pronounced Kerb Café in Vietnamese) has opened a second outlet in 1Utama, which is considerably closer to home for me.

Bac Xiu (top) and kaw-kaw Hanoian Coffee

Bac Xiu (RM12.90/hot; RM13.90/iced) has a mild coconut aroma that adds a second layer to the coffee flavour. It’s a lux treat, whether you’re having it hot or cold.

Purists may prefer the more “kaw-kaw” taste of Hanoian Coffee (RM10.90/hot; RM11.90/cold), served with condensed milk. Just a sip or two and my senses perk up instantly.

These 2 items are in the Vietnamese “phin” (filter coffee) selection, brewed with beans imported from Vietnam. Of course you can get regular stuff such as latte, Americano, cappuccino and espresso but nay, nay… the main reason we are in Cong Caphe is for its phin coffee.

Colourful chairs and tables with sewing machines for legs

When I walked in, I was surprised to see that the outlet in 1Utama was very different from that in Nu Sentral, Kuala Lumpur. By the way, I was there before MCO 2.0. To help flatten the Covid-19 curve, Cong Caphe will deliver your food and drinks to your door.  To order, go to http://www.congcaphe.com.my/webstore and get RM5 off your order with a minimum purchase of RM20!

Collection of antique sewing machines

Restaurateur Peter Tan told me that all Cong Caphe outlets reflected the childhood memories of its founder, performing artiste Linh Dung. While the outlet in Nu Sentral is all about school and learning, this new outlet in 1Utama has woven into its decor the many facets of textile factories; after all, Vietnam is the fourth largest exporter of textiles and clothing in the world. 

Spools of colourful thread hang on the feature wall just inside the entrance

Cosy dining area on the first floor

Just inside the entrance, my eyes were drawn to a wall decked with spools of colourful thread. Most of the tables had bottoms made of sewing machines. Old sewing machines too sat on shelves of a wall divider. Seats of chairs were upholstered in cloth, some in floral designs of bright, cheerful colours. 

It’s fascinating. Peter said all décor items were imported from Vietnam as these were more easily available there. Indeed, the café oozed nostalgic charm from every corner and I found that this soothed and calmed the soul.

Croissant and cakes. Right: Light and flaky Almond Bar

We hadn’t had breakfast, so My Best Friend and I decided to give the pastries a try. We ordered a flaky croissant (RM6.90), served the way Vietnamese folks liked it, dipped in condensed milk. A new addition to the menu, Almond Bar (RM8.90), is my new love. With a crisp exterior dotted with crushed almonds, the pastry was delightfully light and airy.

Chicken Ham Bahn Mi

We also shared a Chicken Ham Bahn Mi (RM13.90), stuffed with thick slices of house-made chicken patty, a slather of pate, onion, freshly julienned carrots and coriander. I do love the freshness of the baguette at Cong Caphe – crispy and crusty, the way the French make it.

Coconut Green Rice smoothie (left) is made with cooked green rice (right)

When two more friends joined our table, we orderred more drinks. I remember well the Coconut Milk Coffee Smoothie but this time, my eyes locked on a new item, Coconut Green Rice (RM17.90). I took a sip and immediately thought of it as “boba in Lilliput” (of Gulliver’s Travels). Embedded in the coconut nut smoothie were bits of chewy green rice. Yes, rice!

With my curious mind working overtime, I asked Peter to show us the raw rice and he obliged. According to Wikipedia, “green rice or cốm, is immature rice kernels (hence the natural green hue) pounded until flattened”.

Passionfruit (left) & Fresh Lime smoothie

We also ordered 2 smoothies: Fresh Lime (RM13.90) and Passionfruit (RM15.90). The lime was refreshing with citrusy notes but the passionfruit just zapped me away! The perfume of passionfruit reminded me of both citrus and ripe mango, a powerful combination in one tall glass.

Fruit juices are also a hit. We had watermelon (RM10.90) and ambarella (RM13.90). Both drinks came in bottles, with ice in a glass offered separately. With the ambarella, the rim of the glass was flecked with bits of crushed sour plum.

Meanwhile, our morning tete-a-tete edged its way to the lunch hour, so we perused the menu once more. Cong Caphe has made substantial additions to its Vietnamese Specialty Food section with rice noodles (from RM13.90) and “instant noodles” (from RM7.90).

Noodles, spring rolls and bahn mi from Cong Caphe

The rice noodles are served cold, with shredded vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, carrot, mint, coarsely chopped nuts and a slightly tangy nước chấm dressing.

Rice noodles with chicken ham and fresh salad

Bouncy instant noodles with smokey tofu, egg and salad

Instant noodles are really Hao Hao instant noodles. I usually balk at the thought of instant noodles when dining out but when I pinched some from MBF’s bowl, I was pleasantly surprised at how palatable this was. Despite tasting it 30 minutes later, I found that the noodles maintained the bouncy texture instead of turning soggy. Noodles were topped with shredded lettuce, sunny side egg and marinated tofu while lime, pickled carrot and radish came in a side plate. I’ve always loved the soya-sauce marinated tofu at Cong Caphe. It’s firm in texture, with a robust, slightly smokey flavour.

Apart from tofu, customers have a choice of toppings such as chicken ham, beef ham, egg and spring roll (which is also available as a snack).

Lunch over, we craved some cakes (RM8.90) as we’d seen some in a display counter earlier. While the chocolate cake was rather mundane, Cong Caphe did offer an old-fashioned orange poppy seed cake that we enjoyed thoroughly, much more than the earl grey which had but only a mild flavour of tea.

phoenixbee@gmail.com

 

 

CONG CAPHE (pork-free)

G130A, 1Utama Shopping Centre

Bandar Utama

Selangor, Malaysia

 

Telephone

03-7732 9280

 

Opening Hours

Sunday to Thursday: 10am to 10pm

Friday & Saturday: 10am to 10.30pm

 

Website

www.congcaphe.com.my

 

Deliveries during MCO

Cong Caphe delivers! Make your orders at http://www.congcaphe.com.my/webstore and get RM5 off your order with a minimum purchase of RM20! 

Fresh new flavours

Pluck your own fresh basil leaves 

AN VIET 

My Best Friend wants to know why I keep going back to An Viet when there are so many other Vietnamese restaurants in my neighbourhood. I guess it’s because I’ve always enjoyed my meals here, especially knowing that An Viet is not just about profits. 
Its owners are genuinely concerned about food wastage and hope to create awareness about minimising wastage. So they encourage diners to choose how much rice and noodles they want. 
It also uses the freshest ingredients; indeed, at its outlet in Sunway Mall, diners practically pluck basil leaves off plants in pots. It can’t get any fresher than this. 
The mains are always cooked to order as the owners and chef Tuyen believe nothing beats the taste of freshly cooked food. Recently,  An Viet had made some updates to its menu. I couldn't wait to get over there for a taste. 

Deepfried spring rolls

Rice paper & mango salad served in a glass jar. Add condiments, shake well and
pour everything into a bowl to enjoy the multi layers of textures and flavours

We start with Cha Gio (RM7.90) deepfried spring rolls with vegetarian option available and Banh Trang Tron (RM13.90), a rice paper and green mango salad. The latter is a lot of fun. Diners add lime juice and a chilli sauce to ingredients in a glass jar, seal it close and shake to mix everything together. Then pour it out into a big bowl and eat. Lovely flavours in a shareable portion. 

Fat and juicy sugar cane prawn

MBF is always on the look-out for Chao Tom (RM11.90) but I usually find this to be too dry to enjoy. Fortunately for An Viet's version, the grilled minced prawn paste wrapped around sugar cane sticks is thick and juicy. 

Pork belly and hard-boiled egg braised in coconut juice, served with rice

Then it’s on to the mains. Oh, so many to choose from. Luckily, we are joined by a couple of friends, so we can afford to try more of the new items. 
I have my eye on Lo’n Kho Nu’o’c Du’a (RM17.90; RM19.90 with rice). This dish of pork belly and hard boiled egg braised in coconut juice is so yummy. Reminiscent of tau eu bak, the tender meat with layers of fat sandwiched in between, comes in a lighter sauce with sweet hints of coconut. 

Catfish cooked with fresh dill, Hanoi-style. Eat with vermicelli, herbs and fish sauce 

The staff recommends Cha Ca La Vong (RM23.90). This Hanoi-style fish with turmeric and dill is said to have originated from the Cha Ca La Vong restaurant in Hanoi, which has been named by US MSNBC as  5th in top 10 places to dine at.
Served in a cast-iron skillet kept hot over a portable gas stove, the chunks of catfish are cooked with fresh dill, turmeric, onions, chilli and scallions with a scattering of roasted peanuts. Comes with vermicelli, herbs and a tangy fish sauce. To eat, put herbs, lettuce and vermicelli in a small bowl. Add the fish and herbs from the skillet and pour in some nuoc cham (fish sauce with lime juice, chilli etc). 

Special Pho Bo Dac Biet with sliced raw beef, shank, tripe, tendon and beef balls 
served with lime, bean sprouts, chilli sauce and cruellers on the side

MBF is having Pho Bo Dac Biet (RM23.90), a Vietnamese national dish of beef noodles soup with sliced raw beef, brisket, shank, tripe, tendon and house-made pure beef balls. The soup, made by simmering beef bones with 18 herbs, spices and other ingredients for 12 hours, is both rich and complex in flavours. Add side condiments of beansprout, chilli sauce, fried cruellers, fresh basil (from the plant) and a squeeze of lime juice for added oomph.

Vermicelli in soup with pork ribs and bamboo shoot . Pluck fresh basil leaves and add. 

I don’t eat beef, but I am more than contented with Bun Su’on (RM19.90). This soupy vermicelli dish is topped with tender pork ribs and sliced bamboo shoot. Again, I add basil leaves, chilli sauce and a squeeze of lime juice. I must admit I was a little apprehensive about bamboo shoot but the one here is tasty without that strong pickled aroma. According to the staff, this is because the kitchen uses fresh bamboo shoots, not pickled.

Grilled lemongrass chicken and rice paper on Vietnamese vermicelli

Those who enjoy dry tossed noodles will love Bun Ga (RM16.90). The special Vietnamese vermicelli is springy with a certain resilence. It’s topped with grilled lemongrass chicken, shallots and roasted peanuts. Pour in some light, piquant nuoc cham and toss before eating. 

Banh mi chay with tofu patty and mushroom pate. It's so delicious
you wouldn't believe it's vegetarian

That ubiquitous Vietnamese sandwich, banh mi, is another favourite. This time, however, I notice that apart from fillings of pork chop and lemongrass chicken, there’s a vegetarian option. Banh mi chay (RM14.90) comes with tofu patty and a scrumptious mushroom pate to give it earthy notes. But to make a good banh mi, you need excellent bread and I’m pleased to find the baguette so light and crusty it crumbles at the slightest pressure of the teeth. 
The smooth, silky caramel pudding (RM6.90) is a fitting finale to our sojourn of Vietnamese flavours. 

phoenixbee@gmail.com

AN VIET (not halal)
Vietnamese Casual Dining 
LG2-127 Sunway Pyramid
Bandar Sunway, Selangor
Tel: 03-5611 2226
Website: www.anviet.com.my

OPENING HOURS 
Monday to Friday: 11am to 10pm
Saturday, Sunday, Public Holiday: 10am to 10pm