Cafe Mangga at The Blue Mansion @ Georgetown, Penang.

Right next to the entrance to The Blue Mansion (otherwise known as Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion), a small corner of the place has been converted into a food eatery... by the name of Cafe Mangga. Cafe guests need not pay entrance fee to the cafe but may enter from the small entrance right next to the main entrance. Beyond the narrow entrance is a welcoming, cozy outdoorsy seating space before reaching to the cafe. There's an air-conditioned space for the heat intolerant but for those who prefer a more outdoorsy atmosphere, they can opt to be seated on the wooden deck. The main menu features an array of Western items, from the classic Egg Ben to Sandwiches, Toasts, Pancakes or even Pasta; while the sweets are mainly cakes. Some hits and misses for the dishes we ordered but the service needs improvements (we were there on a busy Sunday so probably they did not get used to handling such a big crowd). 

Pitaya By Juice Code @ Chulia Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Previously located at Beach Street, Juice Code has since relocated to Chulia Street and renamed as Pitaya By Juice Code. They have also expanded the food menu, offering more food and beverage options. Found at the junction to Chulia Street and Seck Chuan Lane, Pitaya has a narrow entrance, the seating arrangement is a little snug on ground floor but its more spacious on the upper floor. The indecisive would have a hard time in choosing what to order from the exhaustive list, the food menu covers from Brunch items to Pasta dishes... Pancakes, Waffles, Desserts and even Smoothie Bowls. Mid range price points but the serving portion is definitely more than generous. 

Me & U Dessert @ Sunrise Tower, Gurney Drive, Penang.

** This place has ceased its business operations since then.**

When Me & U Dessert first launched in late Dec 2019, the dessert parlor caused a stir on social media... due to its non-customary serving method. The new kid on the block pushed the boundary by having the dainty desserts served on a conveyor belt. Pre-made desserts (like Cakes, Macarons etc) are served on colored plates... which determine their prices (either Rm 8 or Rm 10 per plate). Alternatively, diners can also order on the menu, in which they will be served separately. Decent place for dessert lovers but not so much for those who seek for variety.

The Lengkuas Cafe @ Argyll Road, Georgetown, Penang.

Conveniently tucked away from the bustling Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, The Lengkuas Cafe is a great option for Muslim diners; the newly opened cafe is manned by a local Malay family. Safe in the knowledge that their offering is Halal and Muslim-friendly. The place offers a Malay-influenced menu, featuring an array of local Malay delights. Expect to see some Nasi dishes, Assam Laksa and some Noodles but the real draw is the sweet treats... available in the form of traditional Malay desserts or Western cakes. Nothing to shout over for the interior decor... basically pretty standard cafe setting but it's noteworthy that the prices are pretty wallet-friendly, considering the portion and such comfortable, fully air-conditioned environment. Find The Lengkuas Cafe at Argyll Road, adjacent to Livingstone Tower.

Hoshino Coffee (星乃咖啡店) @ Queensbay Mall, Penang.

Hailed from Japan, Hoshino Coffee has taken the town by storm since its opening a few weeks ago. The well-established Japanese brand has presence over Singapore, South Korea, China and Malaysia... with the newly opened branch at Queensbay Mall being the first branch in Penang. Apart from its highly acclaimed Japanese Coffee, the restaurant serves a variety of Japanese-Western food like Pasta, Paella, Omu Rice, French Toasts and Souffles. The overwhelming responses discouraged many from patronizing the shop, we must admit that it did take us 3 visits (absurdly long queue) before we could even enter the restaurant. Decent food with generous serving and wallet-friendly prices; we are not surprised with the constant influx of patrons keep returning for the food.

Meraki Coffee @ Island Plaza, Tanjung Tokong, Penang.

Meraki Coffee is the latest addition to Island Plaza. Unlike some hip cafes in town, Meraki Coffee keeps things simple. The interior decor with wood finishes radiates a calm and relaxing vibe while the menu offers a range of classic crowd-pleasing cafe fare and a couple of unique offerings. The menu is not exactly big but more than good enough for breakfast or light-lunches. Those with a sweet tooth would be glad to know that Meraki Coffee offers a good variety of home-made cakes and pastries. Though the menu is not really solid enough to make the cafe a place for meal, it is nevertheless, a convenient space within the mall with cozy atmosphere to hang out with friends or family. 

The Bean Sprout Cafe @ Masjid Kapitan Keling, Georgetown, Penang.

Specializing in the classic brunch items- Big Breakfast, Toasts and Pancakes; The Bean Sprout Cafe is one of the latest members to join the clamoring cafe scene in Penang. It occupies one of the lots right opposite to the few century old Kuan Yin Temple along Masjid Kapitan Keling. Both exterior and interior are rustic, it certainly matches the heritage theme well. The contrast is obvious here- young and passionate in an old-fashioned space; east (building) meets west (food); the cafe operators seem to pay great attention to details here. The heat-intolerant might be glad to know that there's a huge blower erected (though not air-conditioned), the cafe is not stuffed and the ventilation works fine. We did not feel stuffy at all, on a sultry hot afternoon. Albeit the cafe has a small menu but sipping a cup of Joe and enjoying the Toast while looking at the bustling temple-praying scene can be one of the great ways to enjoy your off day. 

Coffee And Friends Cafe @ Kimberley Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Fancy Western breakfast while visiting Chowrasta Market? More options available for early risers at the clamoring local market; Coffee And Friends Cafe is one of the new additions to Georgetown and can be found right in front of the entrance to Chowrasta Market at Kimberley Street. The one-month old cafe offers a simple and no-frills menu at present... a selection of Western Brunch items (available from 8 am to 12 pm daily) and some Sandwiches. The cafe boasts over its home-made food... all are made from scratch, in-house by their Chef using high quality ingredients. We certainly could not agree more and were more than happy with the food, but we certainly hope to see more choices in the future rather than to choose from a menu of 3 (breakfast) items only. Coffee And Friends Cafe is located at Lebuh Kimberley, right next to the junction of Jalan Sungai Ujong (opposite to Shong Hor Hin Herbal Tea).

Franco @ Alora Hotel, Bukit Jambul, Penang.

Many would associate Miam Miam with Franco, an established franchise brand in Malaysia... but that is inevitable. The menu shows some form of similarities. With that being said, the first restaurant named under the brand- Franco has finally opened its doors to the public few days ago. The restaurant is housed within Alora Hotel (previously B-suite Hotel) at Bukit Jambul (right next to i-Avenue). The setting's cool and hipstery... with organized hanging light bulbs and comforting couches dedicated for group diners. The service on the other hand, was off-putting. Not only that we had to wait for an hour before the orders were served (there were only 2 tables on our visit), the cantankerous server rudely confiscated the menu after seeing me photographing some of the pages. Servers were confused and not well-trained, orders were wrongly submitted and many items were not available on our visit. On the taste, we were not quite impressed either. We wondered if the meal did not go well because we did not order the right dishes or the fact that most of the items there were not up to par. 

Garage Nine G9 Cafe @ Kampung Baru, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

**Garage Nine Cafe has since relocated to Icon City at Bukit Mertajam**

Garage Nine Cafe is a new hidden gem tucked away from the bustling street of Kampung Baru at Bukit Mertajam, the fact that it is located in a small alley makes it obscure and unseen to the public. It has a limited brunch window but don't let that deter you from trying its belly-filling Western dishes (like Pasta, Lamb Shank or Steak) and some of the locals' favorites (Nasi Lemak etc). The exterior of Garage Nine Cafe is not promising but push the doors open and you will be welcomed with a rustic, funky but cool interior with a touch of industrial vibe- hanging light bulbs attached to metal pipe, playful metal sculpture, old-fashioned window blinds and damaged red brick on the walls. While the interior decor does possess a "wow" factor, we were not quite pleased with the cold, unwelcoming service... which we thought the servers could be more friendly and accommodating. Not every dish we had was good but the menu has items that are fun and creative; do check it out if you happen to be in the vicinity. 

Hygge @ Green Hall Road, Georgetown, Penang.

Previously Kaffa... the prominent corner lot is now taken up by Hygge, a cafe cum restaurant that serves promising and mouth-watering Western-Fusion dishes. We did not expect Hygge to churn out some lip smacking dishes, probably the exterior did not seem as encouraging as it used to be- dull and not as vibrant as before (a contradiction to the name Hygge- pronounced as Hoo-Gah, which literally means cozy in Danish). They probably need to do something to brighten it up a little; never mind on that, we were more than happy with the quality of food. Prices are most affordable and wallet-friendly; their 20% opening promotion (applicable to all items) is especially note-worthy, which slashes the prices by 1/5. We had a good, thick slab of Steak for Rm 24 nett (original price- Rm 30). There are also a variety of brunch items... that seem conventional but Hygge has certainly added some interesting twists to them. The opening promotion is valid until further notice.

One Garage Slappy Cakes and One Steamboat @ M Mall O2O, Penang Times Square.

**Update: The place has since ceased its business operations.**

Slappy Cakes, a renowned Pancake specialist from Portland, has revolutionized the conventional way of serving Pancakes as breakfast. Diners are no longer being served but instead, they have to cook theirs. One Garage Slappy Cakes at M Mall, Times Square Penang is a place where the adults can enjoy traditional Chinese Steamboat while the children can partake in a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) activity by cooking their own Pancakes. Choose from the available ready-to-cook Batter and your preferred condiments to add on to the Pancakes. Next door to Slappy Cakes is One Steamboat, the concept is equally interesting as well. There are a few huge display fridges and the steamboat ingredients are well-displayed. Diners can spend some time to "shop" for their preferred ingredients to be added to the hot pot. The Pancakes are reasonably priced but not quite the case for the steamboat; service however, was attentive and we were well-taken care of. 

Das Rad Cafe @ King Street, Georgetown, Penang.

**Das Rad has since ceased its business operations.**

Position within a heritage house along Lebuh King, Das Rad Cafe is a venture by passionate cyclists but it is not your average cafe. Not only does the cafe offers a variety of  fresh bakes but also as a laid-back, informal dining destination on weekends. Das Rad Cafe's menu is interesting... with a vast selection of German-inspired dishes such as Bratwurst, Beef Goulash, Schnitzel etc but prices are wallet-friendly. It's hard to imagine that they are serving European dishes (more towards German) here with the heritage interior decor- Chinese old-school folding screen, wooden pillars adorned with Chinese-influenced patterns and the classic tiles. The fact that the owners constantly approaching customers and making sure everything is served accordingly makes us feel the presence and their sheer passion as well as superior customer service. If you are looking for scrumptious cakes, sensational German meal in a homey venue... look no further. 

Love & Latte Cafe @ Love Lane, Georgetown, Penang.

Love and Latte is a new cafe at Love Lane that has affordable all-day-breakfast dishes on its menu. Step into the cafe and you will be greeted by the resplendent and colorful chairs, the air-conditioned cafe has a cozy ambiance that seems to be the perfect location for you to unwind during weekends. The service was certainly attentive and the staff was friendly. However, I would not make a special trip here but if you are in the vicinity and in need of a good place to wind down, this is a pleasant place to enjoy a cup of coffee and to rest your feet. The place may be a little inconspicuous and can be easily missed. You can find Love & Latte Cafe beside a small alley at Love Lane, facing Reggae Mansion.