Cafe serves hearty dishes in eight sections

The Star Online
Central Wednesday May 27, 2009

Cafe serves hearty dishes in eight sections

By THO XIN YI

HAVING known each other for only a few months does not stop five adventurous entrepreneurs from setting up a cafe together. “We met during a motivational programme in April last year and got together to establish MM Cafe (which stands for Master Mind Cafe) in October. “We learned to trust and collaborate from the programme, and sharing the same goal - having our own eatery - makes it possible,” Chan Lian See spoke on their joint-venture.

Go Italian: The Spaghetti Carbonara (bottom) and MM Mushroom Chicken.

The outlet at Happy Mansion in Section 17, Petaling Jaya, has its charm. The green plants at the outlet entrance added a sense of cosiness while parts of the wall replaced by glass windows brightened up the entire outlet. The sofas were inviting but we opted for the tables and chairs, getting ready to have a hearty dinner. Its menu was not particularly extensive but diners would have no problem finding their own favourites in the eight sections, namely Small Bites, Hot Soup, Crunchy Salads, Pasta Fiesta, Mega Meals, Asian Delights, Desserts and Cakes. We enjoyed the Homemade Spring Rolls served with salads from the Small Bites section as an appetiser.

Fresh: Ginger Chicken Noodles (top) and Beef Stroganoff with Butter Garlic Rice.

“We wrap an abundance of shredded carrots and turnips as well as dried shrimps in the spring roll skins, before deep-frying the rolls,” Sally Jacob said.
Its Caesar’s Salad with crispy romaine lettuce, hard boiled eggs, grated parmesan cheese and croutons was a healthy and tasty choice, and the Oxtail Soup served with garlic bread was a must-try.
“We boil star anise, cinnamon, curry powder, chopped celery, onion and carrot, throw in roasted oxtail then boil for another five hours,” Jacob said.
The result was a thick and flavourful soup that warmed our tummies.
The Spaghetti Carbonara tossed in white sauce, cheese and fresh mushrooms was satisfying, while MM Mushroom Chicken was appealing both in its look and taste.
Its many textures and tastes — fresh mushrooms slices sandwiched in between two breaded and deep-fried chicken fillets, drizzled with white sauce and sauteed onion, were a delight.
If you are a fan of fresh mushrooms and beef, Beef Stroganoff with Butter Garlic Rice will not disappoint.

Yummy: (Clockwise from bottom) Homemade Spring Rolls, Caesar’s Salad and Oxtail Soup served with Garlic Bread.

The beef slices cooked in stock and cream can also be replaced with chicken, according to one’s preference.
We also sampled the Ginger Chicken Noodles from the Asian Delights section - the kuey teow drenched in thick egg and oyster sauce gravy was topped with ginger, chicken and spring onions.
It is like wat tan hor enhanced with the fragrance of ginger.
It was only natural that Chan, who had worked in the pastry department in renowned hotels in Singapore since she was 19, was the one who made the cakes, desserts and quiche in the cafe.
“Every dessert is prepared by me at home. I can memorise all the recipes by heart,” she said.
We certainly wished that we have larger stomachs as she generously served us Bread & Butter Pudding, Pumpkin Pie, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Mousse, Brownies with Ice Cream, Classic Swiss Apple Pie with Ice Cream and Melt in Your Mouth Tiramisu.
Every item was enjoyable with the Brownies emerging as top favourite with its rich chocolate taste.
Bread & Butter Pudding was also worth a mention as the vanilla sauce was made with vanilla pods instead of artificial vanilla essence.
As for drinks, the fizzy Barbican non-alcoholic beer available in six flavours — malt, apple, raspberry, strawberry, lemon and peach — is an interesting option.
The outlet has cordoned off a meeting room for group dining. It is equipped with a projector to facilitate discussions.
Free Wifi is also available.

MM CAFE, AG-1, Ground Floor, Block A, Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor (Tel: 03-7958 8728). Business hours: 11am to 11pm (daily). Pork-free.

This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
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