kenny hills bakers, bukit tunku

5:33 AM sians 0 Comments


the car turned into a street where parts of it were flanked by a corridor of trees. it was faintly reminiscent of the street in front of my home where i grew up in. while savoring the memories from my childhood, it was a little down the street when i spotted the petite cafe in the commercial row on the first floor of a dated apartment. 


the car was parked by the side of the quiet street just across the street. i found my way through the dark wooden tables and red metal chairs tucked under to get to the glass entrance of the petite cafe. on the left on the dark brick wall were stenciled in white: 

KENNY HILLS BAKERS
organic artisanal breads
patisserie coffee


as i opened the door, the espresso machine squealed as the barista was brewing a cup of coffee while i inhaled the aroma. the sights of golden flaky layers on pastries beckoned at me while artisanal breads nestled comfortably in wicker baskets and the plump, crumbly huge wedges of pies & quiches stood on pedestals under glass cake dome, enticing me closer.




"wow, i don't even know where to start..."

several minutes of ogling at the cornucopia of golden pastries and pondering my important bread choices in my head later, it was the specials on the mini chalkboard that finally caught my attention.




i wasn't half as devoted to my pick as i inched myself towards the selections of pastries again, pondering which ones would go home with me. as i browsed its menu board, the next board read:

SELF SERVICE
please order & pay
at the counter 
and we'll send 
your food to you. 
we accept cash only

"oh darn. cash only. this means.. this limits how much i can buy."

which i suppose was a good thing. or not i'd be hoarding a whole lot of pastries i just can't finish.



it was just enough space for my dining companion and i to stand comfortably in the compact lil' bakery - perhaps suffice for one additional person to join in the pastry party.

a lone diner reading his paper contently at the high industrial counter against the wall after his hearty meal. we quickly realized that we'd be taking the definition of cozy lunch way too literally if we were both sardined at the counter.


torn between a very snug lunch space but with the comforts of air conditioning and the outdoor dining where the blinding rays from the sun sneaked its way through the crevices of the wooden blinds which only highlighted the heat in the middle of the afternoon, we chose the latter after a quick contemplation. the heat was occasionally relieved by the wall fan and a cold glass of the cafe's house cooler.

house cooler :: fresh passion fruit with wild organic honey (rm 10)


the punch of tropical tartness intermingled with the whispers of natural floral honey's mild sweetness, chilling in a glassful of ice cubes, with droplets of water condensed on the glass in the warm temperatures. the passion fruit seeds rendered the straw almost pointless and after struggling for a few seconds, i took a sip straight from the glass and was surprised by the prominent tartness that begged for the addition of just a bit more honey. refreshing, nonetheless.


specials :: smoked salmon & avocado salsa s'wich | choice of croissant/bread (rm 21)



i picked up the top half of the shatter-crisp shell to unveil plump greens atop the light pinkish-orange slices of fresh smoked salmon, sprinkled with freshly cracked black pepper. i flipped the top half of  the croissant to discover soft buttery layers mimicking the honeycomb insides.


the fresh slices of the smoked salmon donned a light layer of saltiness but barely took on the smokey fragrance. the butter-like quality of the diced avocado and fresh tomatoes (akin to roughly chopped guacamole) was interjected by unripe pieces of avocado.

i frowned as i bit into one and thought, "this is a real bummer"


if not for that slight hitch, i'd say it was a pretty hearty sandwich.

brew black potion :: mocha (rm 12)


brew with a  bitter aftertaste - overdone. the cacao/chocolate - not present.

our sandwiches :: beef pastrami bagel | with mustard & gherkins (rm 21)


as i stared at the sandwich, it was as if the pastrami was taunting me like an emoticon with its tongue sticking out. i had to request a pinch of the pastrami from my dining companion (it wasn't my order) and the moist meat tasted lightly smoked with a good hint of spiced saltiness. my companion gave it an average but i guess it wasn't fair when it was compared with its counterparts from deli in nyc - it's  just no competition.

desserts :: lemon meringue pie (rm 12)


even in the midst of the many colorful sweets, my cravings called for a good ol' fashion lemon meringue. torched brown, the crown of meringue nestled upon the lemon curd that filled up the tart shell. it had all the elements and flavors but were a hint wonky in its delicate ratio - too sweet.

a more crumbly crust and a more sour disposition would have done the trick to win me over.


tldr // kenny hills bakers dishes out legit buttery tender breads and lovely pastries with a few minor snags. its coffee - hmm.. i think that needs a second opinion.

kenny hills bakers | location 
lot I-1A, taman tunku
bukit tunku
50480 kuala lumpur
{opens daily: 8am - 7pm} 

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.


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