Tasting Monroe

Santa Claus has come and left the town, but Marilyn Monroe came and…stayed? 

Okay, bad joke. But in all seriousness, Monroe Cafe and Lounge has opened its doors in Penang and we knew we had to try it out!

Located in front of Heritage 1926 hotel along Burmah Road, Monroe Cafe and Lounge is exactly as its name describes -a cafe and lounge with a Marilyn Monroe theme. 

Upon stepping into the place, one can easily spot various photos of the blonde icon from the 50’s. Except that not all of them are photos. 

Would you believe me if I told you that the ones framed up against the wall in the photo above are hand-painted portraits? Very well painted images indeed; I was really impressed.

If you remember the previous blogpost where Monroe Cafe was introduced, we mentioned that their coffee is made using Premium Italian Musetti Grand Cru coffee. 

We could tell that the owners are very proud of this, as they were eager for us to try their signature drinks.

The first drink that we tried was the Cointreau Souffle Café (RM 25.90). 

Unlike your usual cup of coffee that is usually held in a mug, this one was presented in a cocktail glass and garnished with a strawberry. 

I suppose it made sense as this is one of the coffees on their menu that includes alcohol.

I took a sip. 

It was sweet with a slight tangy edge and I could definitely taste the alcohol. Even though I don’t normally drink my coffee with any sugar, I could tell that their coffee was good.

The second drink we were presented with was the Prince’s Frappetini (RM 15). And a prince it was! 

This glass felt more like a dessert than a drink to me. It had a mountain of cookies and cream ice-cream in the middle that was then surrounded by the delightful Musetti coffee. Within the first scoop, I was hooked. 

The Prince’s Frappetini was exactly what I needed on that hot day. 

What is more, if you love Oreos, that is what the ice-cream tasted like. It was really good, the entire thing: taste, texture and all. 

Nevertheless, if you are not a fan of fancy coffees, Monroe’s Chocolate Kiss Iced Coffee (RM 25.90) might be the thing for you. 

This humble glass wore an elegant rim of cocoa powder, but as we have all heard, things can’t be judged solely on looks alone. The coffee, tinged with alcohol, was pure quality. 

We also had the opportunity to taste Monroe’s Chocolate Moist cake. 

The slice that came was a pretty large one packed full with chocolaty goodness -and not for the faint-hearted. 

Being the chocolate-lover that I am, I tucked in immediately and was glad that it lived up to its name as a moist cake. 

However, what they recommended was the Tiramisu. 

It arrived in an overturned pyramid glass, which looked way better than many that I had seen that were just a piece of cake on a plate. 

I soon found out that this was because Monroe’s Tiramisu had a lot more cream to it. I think I would personally have preferred a little less cream and a bit more… substance? 

Lastly, we also tasted a glass of Iced Cappuccino (RM 9). 

Even though it isn’t on Monroe’s list of Specialty Drinks, it remains one of their recommended ones –as labelled by the lips next to its name on the menu. 

The Cappuccino was flavourful and a more authentic coffee experience which I believe will suit the more hardcore coffee fans who prefer to have their coffee ‘untarnished’.

Enjoying our drinks and dessert :) 

The environment was one for chilling with friends and I was already planning the visits that I could bring my friends on in my head.

Besides those that we tried, Monroe also serves an array of cakes, Sri Lankan tea, non-coffee beverages including smoothies, milkshakes, sodas and frappes.

Monroe also has a bar that serves various alcoholic beverages including Haig Club, Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve and Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose. 

But it isn't just cakes and drinks that Monroe serves... 

Moving on to the food, we had the pleasure of tasting several main dishes that they serve. 

The first dish was a plate of Chargrilled Cajun Spiced Chicken. This was served on mash potatoes with sautéed vegetables and the chef's homemade brown sauce. 

The chicken was very tender and oozed with flavour. The chef explained that he had marinated the chicken before chargrilling it, so it didn't rely on the brown sauce for its taste. 

The mash potatoes was also very smooth and tasty, and the sautéed vegetables complemented the whole dish. 

The second dish that was brought out for us was the Deep Fried Breaded Fish Fillet. The same sauteed vegetables came with this, and instead of mash potatoes, this one had wedges. 

The fish was very crispy, but it was the tartare sauce that impressed me. I thought it tasted slightly better than the ones I usually had, so I asked them if they had made it themselves -to which they said yes! All their gravies and sauces are homemade. 

Good stuff. 

Next, we tried some Seafood Aglio Olio. 

I liked the way they decorated it with the scallop shells. My tastebuds, on the other hand, found that it was slightly spicy (chilli flakes), but I'm sure Malaysians can handle this, right? 

The spaghetti was well-oiled (who likes dry Aglio Olio?!) with olive oil, so you can put your health concerns aside and enjoy the dish. Together with it was prawns, scallops, and squid. 

If you are more of a meat-eater, you might prefer their Grilled Strip Loin Steak. 

Similar to the Chargrilled Chicken, this one was served with mash potatoes and sauteed vegetables. Its gravy, however, was grained mustard sauce. 

It wasn't raving good, but for the price and portion, it's a pretty decent meal.  

Seeing as Monroe advertises itself as an American-style cafe and lounge, I suppose that they had to serve at least one burger. This was the Chicken American Burger, a classic bun with a chicken patty, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, served with a side of french fries and sauce. 

The chicken patty was very tasty and had a rather strong spice/herb smell to it. The french fries were also dusted with some seasoning which made it nicer than the regular plain ones. 

Finally, the highlight. 

Simple in looks, the Pan-seared Salmon with Passion Fruit Sauce was definitely something very unique. It was similarly served with mash potatoes and sauteed vegetables, however, it was the passion fruit sauce that stood out. 

Yes, salmon tastes good even on its own, but this sauce complemented it well. It was sweet and full-flavoured, and I would definitely recommend trying this if you don't mind having sweet instead of savoury sauce with your main meal. The chunk of salmon was also a rather large one, so don't worry about not having enough to fill your stomach. 

All of these are served as set meals during lunch at Monroe. 

Set meals include a soup of the day + a dessert of the day. 

The soup of the day when we visited was onion soup. It was very simple, with herbs and pepper, but good to kickstart our lunch. 

It was the dessert that was more special: Mango Pudding. 

Unlike the usual 'mango pudding', this one was layered -mango jelly on mango pudding with a dollop of whipped cream and strawberry on top. I also found pieces of mango inside as I scooped, which I enjoyed. 

To round it up, here is a short list of reasons for you to try Monroe: 

1. Value for money (set meal for less than RM20, including soup + dessert)

2. Relatively large portions 

3. All food, including gravies, sauces, and desserts are made on their own. 

Needless to say, I left a very happy customer. They may be new, but Monroe’s coffee, food, customer service, and atmosphere is something you’ll want to return to. 

Photos + writing by,

v

Monroe Cafe and Lounge 

227 Jalan Burmah

10050

Georgetown

Penang 

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