'What is your favourite past time?', i'll usually answer that with an indoor activity, either watching my favourite TV shows while lazying in my comfortable bed, or baking with a mess in my kitchen. Call me an introvert, unadventurous and perhaps boring. In my past twenty something years, i've been so caught up with life's business and have such little time to myself. Therefore, whenever i have the luxury of time to myself, i will prefer to spend it with myself, close friends and family.
There is this sister from another mother of mine that i'll always find time for her. Similarly, she is also a superwoman with unending work on her shoulder. Whenever we meet, it is always so fun and relaxing. I'm talking about cousie Caryn who came back for vacation in Penang a while ago. Coincidentally, i was around during that moment. We all know what that means next--Cafe hopping and girls' time!
We visited Kota-When Francis Meets Rempah, a freshly baked Penang Cafe that opened within the vicinity of the famous Penang attraction--Fort Cornwallis. Fort Cornwallis is a historical fort, when the famous Francis Light, the discoverer of Penang back then established this wall to protect against foreign forces. It has now transformed into a tourist attraction where visitors can study and understand more about our Penang's history.
Since Kota is situated inside the compound of Fort Cornwallis, one has to pay for the admission fee of RM 10 per person. A wrist tag will be given to you. Don't worry because as long as you spend more than RM 20 in KOTA, they will refund your admission fee by deducting it from your total bill.
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| I suppose this is Francis Light reading some cooking recipe? |
KOTA is a little glasshouse on the far left corner of the Fort. The interior is in my favourite white, dressed in both modern and antique scent, evident from its comfortable and sleek furniture to the old English emerald green coffee bar. The design of all glass wall provides abundant natural lighting to illuminate this beautiful space, perfect for photo-taking.
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| Papadum |
We were greeted by warm and welcoming staff with their simple few pages menu and complimentary starter--Papadum, an Indian cracker. After considering the recommendation, we've decided to order a glass of Honeydew Sago Drink to cool down the summer heat, followed by Hokkien (Hokkien Noodle/Prawn Noodle inspired pasta dish) and Nyonya (Peranakan-inspired rice dish). For desserts, we ordered the Parfait for sharing.
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| Honeydew Sago Drink--RM 16 Honeydew ice blended drink, served with sago |
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| Hokkien--RM 25 Hokkien mee/Prawn noodle inspired angel hair pasta cooked in prawn broth, served with quail eggs, sambal, prawns and caviar. |
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| A closer look at this beauty |
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| Nyonya--RM 25 Baba Nyonya inspired 'Nasi Lemak' with otak-otak (fish cake) as base, topped with coconut rice and 'rendang chicken'. |
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| #flatlays |
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| Parfait--RM 19 3 frozen mousse-like dessert with the flavours of: 1. Pandan topped with gula melaka infused coconut flakes 2. Black sesame topped with glutinous rice ball filled with black sesame paste 3. Nangka/Jackfruit |
From the outlook of it, i guess it is pretty obvious that KOTA adapted the concept of fusion between Western and local Malaysia cuisines in producing their menu. My favourite is the Hokkien dish. I thought it was pretty brilliant and innovative in combining our Penang's pride--Hokkien Mee/Prawn Noodle and everybody's favourite--Italian pasta into something so unique and delicious. The broth was incredibly rich and packed with the flavours of Hokkien mee's goodness (prawns). The sambal was mixed with some dried shrimps, further enriching this dish. The angel hair was cooked to perfection and the addition of prawns, quail eggs and caviar accentuated the quality and elegance of this pasta, making it a wonderful dish at the level of fine dining.
However, the Nyonya dish fell a little bit under the shadow of Hokkien. The portion was too small, we only got 2 pieces of tiny chicken breast. Otherwise, there are no major issues with the flavours and seasoning, very Malaysian and unique in a way. In the end, i don't quite get the idea of adding a layer of 'otak-otak' as the base of the rice tower, as the flavor did not go well with the rest of the body.
Lastly, our drink and dessert were just alright, nothing too significant to me. The only problem with the 'parfait' was the interpretation of the menu doesn't seem to fit into the product. Parfait in my understanding is layered dessert or frozen dessert (something like ice-cream) in French. What we received instead was 3 mousse-like cubes that stood in between pudding and frozen mousse. Flavors wise was the same Malaysian-inspired local flavours such as pandan coconut, black sesame and jackfruit. It surely doesn't worth the RM 19 judging from its size and material.
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| My cafe hopping partner--Caryn |
More Information~
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KotaPenang/
Address: Kota Cornwallis Dine & Coffee-When Francis Meets Rempah, Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah, Georgetown, Penang.
Business Hours: 10am-10pm, Daily
