Hello, amazing foodies! If you’re someone who enjoys cafe-hopping and you’re a true coffee addict, then you’ve got to keep reading. Today we’ll be sharing one of our favourite spots in town, Macallum Connoisseurs that serves good old authentic coffee and foods.
Macallum Connoisseurs: Largest Cafe In Penang For The Coffee Connoisseurs
Macallum Connoisseurs boasts a total space of 8000 square feet, making it the largest cafe in Penang. Started in 2015, it’s a 4-in-1 spot with coffee academy, roastery, cafe and restaurant. With rustic edges and industrial style layout that’s touched with plenty of plants, this is the place to cure your lingering coffee fix. From refreshing breakfast to meaty dinner meals, let’s get started with their signature dishes.
Must Try Dishes At Macallum Connoisseurs
Breakfast Menu (9AM-11:45PM)
1. Macallum Breakfast (RM23)
If you were to say what’s the most important meal of the day, then it’s got to be breakfast, right? This is a fulfilling dish that’s got a great balance between protein and veggies for a good kick in the morning. The salad is tossed in a citrusy passionfruit dressing to give a hint of tanginess. Served with housemade sourdough toast that’s crispy on the edges, it’s a meal that makes you shout ‘I’m too full’.
2. Egg Benedict (RM18)
What’s better than a toasty English muffin that’s topped with poached runny eggs and grilled bacon? Poured over with their homemade Hollandaise sauce, it adds creaminess and buttery flavour to the dish. Served with salads at the side, there’s also a spoonful of seasoned avocado spread to add to the towering egg benedict. It’s a mouthful of deliciousness!
3. Macallum Muesli (RM17)
If you prefer a lighter meal without meat, then you should try out their rich muesli. It’s topped generously with nutritious pumpkin seed, wolfberries, mixed berries, raisins, and seasonal fruits. Mix a little and you’ll find oat pieces soaked in the berry flavoured yogurt. A rich consistency and good touch of sweetness to get your morning pumped. Recommended!
Lunch and Dinner (12PM – 9:30PM)
1. Pork Insanity Burger Wedges / Sweet Potato Fries (RM25)
The name for this burger is definitely not a lie when there’s an insanely juicy homemade pork patty sandwiched between the sesame buns. The spiciness in the homemade sauce is good, and they jam enough butterhead lettuce and the right amount of onion and tomato to keep this feeling fresh and not fatty. Served with a side of potato wedges and a secret sauce. It’s definitely worth a try!
2. Ocean Obsession (RM58)
Good food must be shared with many people. This marine platter offers cheese baked prawns on skewers, two cooking styles of squids, juicy seared tuna and an appetising bowl of garlic sauteed mussels and clams. What really impressed us is the tender seared tuna that is marinated in an Asian-inspired sauce. We would say it was a melt in your mouth encounter!
3. Grilled Marbled Pork Steak (RM27)
This juicy grilled marbled pork steak did not disappoint us at all. First bite into the marinated pork steak, it’s a familiar oriental flavour of lemongrass that rushes into every corner of your mouth. Below the meat is a fluffy cloud of mashed potato that is creamy and buttery to balance the savoury flavours. Served with a side of broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peas, and charred corn cob. We recommend this too!
Pastalicious
1. Aglio e Olio (RM19)
Aglio e Olio is probably the easiest sauce out there for a pasta dish. But to perfect a quintessential plate of Aglio e Olio that brings out a good balance of pungent flavours is not easy. In this dish, there’s the smokiness of the pork bacon and little salty bursts of capers in every bite of the pasta. Before devouring, remember to request for extra parmesan cheese to be sprinkled on your pasta. Cheesy and yummy!
2. Carbonara with Truffle Paste (RM29)
Go to a cafe and you’ll easily find a plate of Carbonara. But a Carbonara that’s topped with truffle paste? That’s quite a rare find. This pasta soaks up the creamy sauce that’s packed with smoky essence from the pork bacon. Topped with a large spoonful of truffle paste, it has a nutty mushroom aroma that is not overpowering the carbonara sauce. If we were to describe it in one word, then it’s got to be flavourful.
One Of The Pioneers In Penang’s Coffee Roastery Scene
Go to a cafe and there’s got to be a coffee menu. But a cafe that roast their own coffee bean? There’s only a few in Penang. A good cup of coffee comes from a good roasting process. Raw coffee beans are green in colour and don’t smell like coffee at all. Instead, they have a grassy smell to it. But when it’s roasted, it brings out up to 1000 types of aroma that change the flavour of a cup of coffee. That’s why coffee enthusiasts at Macallum Connoisseurs leave this important process to themselves and roast their own coffee beans.
Luckily enough, we got to see how this roasting process works in their roastery in Macallum Connisseurs and we’re going to show you. First off, raw coffee beans are poured into the roaster. When the temperature in the roaster is hot enough, the beans drop into a spinning drum and this is how it starts.
Checking the data using a computer, the coffee beans are constantly monitored to make sure it is roasting at the right temperature and pressure for at least a good 10 minutes. And after a long-awaited tossing and spinning, a sweet smoky aroma from the coffee beans starts to fill the air. And it is time to check on the flavours and colours of the beans.
From green raw beans to a darker shade of brown, the roasted beans now fill the room with nuttiness and slight bittersweetness. After making sure it is at the right flavour and colour, the coffee beans drop into a separate tray. Here, the coffee beans are constantly stirred to cool down. If not, the coffee beans continue to roast and may get burnt! These high quality roasted beans are then stored for in-house use, as well as supplied to other cafes around Malaysia.
Aside from drinking a good cup of coffee in the cafe, they also sell a bag of their freshly roasted coffee beans. From choices of Single Origin (beans that come from one country) to House Blend (mix of 3 types of beans), you can now brew your own cup of coffee at home! Furthermore, they also change these flavours every month so there’s always something new to try!
Other Must-Try Beverages & Desserts At Macallum Connoisseurs Penang
1. Magnificent Mango (RM13)
A tropical vibe to this fizzing glass of beverage, Magnificient Mango is a refreshing drink that is perfect to kick the heat off in this scorching hot weather. Featuring real mango and passion fruit flesh, it adds a slight tangy kick to this ice-cold fizzy drink. Topped with more fresh passion fruit and rosemary, it truly is a magnificent drink to try!
2. Radiant Roselle (RM13)
This roselle soda drink that fizzes up until your ears is topped with a layer of hand-shake egg white foam. Don’t fret if you worry that there might be any eggy smell to it, because there really isn’t any smell but a subtle blackcurrant flavour. We recommend you to give this creative drink a try as it adds a clean finish to your meal.
3. Gracious Grapefruit (RM15)
Served in a beautiful gradient of fizzing tonic water to aloe vera juice to grapefruit puree, this is an elegant drink that gives off a subtle bittersweet and tart taste. Stir a little and there’s no new surprise in the taste. But it’s the best combination to quench a thirst.
Desserts
1. Caramel Pancake (RM16)
Served with lashings of divine salted caramel sauce and homemade cinnamon biscuit crumbles, the pancake themselves were light and fluffy. Topped with a spoonful of smooth buttercream and chocolate wafer biscuits that sits on caramelised apple and banana slices, this is indeed a delicious pancake tower. Sweet but with touches of saltiness, it’s a perfect match.
2. Nippy Gelato
Located at the left corner of the cafe is a minimalist station that serves various flavours of sorbet and creamy gelato in a cup. Using full milk instead of cream, their gelato has a denser texture and intense flavour compared to the normal ice cream. Not to mention, Nippy Gelato has a signature black-coloured crispy waffle to top the look and makes a good Instagram photo too.
Little Spots To Shop And Look Around At Macallum Cafe
Right when you step into Macallum Connoisseurs, you’ll see a table that’s got plenty of things laid on it. This is a spot where you can try natural products from an earth-friendly brand owned by a Malaysian. From shampoos, body lotion to honey, it’s quite a new and fun experience to have in a cafe. Resting next to it, there are modern minimalist mugs to observe and if you like it, you can purchase it too.
Turning to your right and you’ll spot a Harley-Davidson store. This is actually Harley-Davidson’s first-ever premium showroom in Penang. Showcasing Harley’s signature motorcycles, merchandise, miniature toys and accessories, you’ll also find exclusive shirt designs here too.
It’s a long post, isn’t it? We’ve got to admit, there’s a long list of to-do things in Macallum Connoisseurs! From breakfast to dinner menu and coffee to shopping, it’s a new experience that can’t be found elsewhere. If you haven’t been here before, here’s a little information to guide you there!
Operating Hours: 9AM – 12AM
Location: 1, Gat Lebuh Macallum, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang.
wow! will certainly be there in late april!!!!