Cakes in Johor Bahru at Niniq Bistro and Bakery

Rachel from Niniq Bistro and Bakery invited me to visit their outlet at Taman Setia Tropika. (Niniq's first outlet is at Taman Pelangi which opened in 2002.)



Inside Niniq Bistro and Bakery at Setia Tropika, the décor is simple yet elegant. The wood and marble furniture are heavy and of classic design - the type seen in well appointed Indonesian homes. The comfortable environment is very clean and air conditioned.

Niniq's owner Angela's mum is from Surabaya, Indonesia and hence we can see many Indonesian touches in the bistro.

The name Niniq comes from the word ninik, the endearing Indonesian term for "little girl".

As Christmas Day was around the corner, Christmas trees and Yuletide decorations were up in Niniq along with heart warming Christmas songs about winter and snow playing softly in the background.



This is the café at the ground floor level. There is a second level which is for private parties hosted at Niniq. 



At Niniq, they pay attention to even the small details like the menu cover. The custom hand carved wood inlays on the menu cover is a nice, elegant touch.

In this post, we shall focus on Niniq's popular cakes. We had just tasted Niniq's Christmas turkey in the morning, so we only had stomach space for cakes and coffee. Which was great because we enjoyed chatting with Angela for over 2 hours :D (Niniq also serves Indonesian dishes which I look forward to coming back for).


Chocolate Decadence RM6.20

This is Niniq's top selling cake, their unique CCTV. Niniq actually named it Chocolate Decadence but customers called it CCTV because of the way it looked, and the name stuck. Deep rich chocolate mousse on a spongy base to indulge the decadent in you :P


Durian Strudel RM6.40

This is a Must Try - Niniq's durian strudel using Angela's mum's recipe. Made with fresh D24 durians with no preservatives.



Creamy chilled fresh D24 durian between fluffy flaky crispy crust sprinkled with fine sugar crystals. Just RM6.40 for a little bit of durian and strudel heaven. 


L'opera RM5.80

I love this L'opera because I like foods with a mix of flavours and textures. Niniq's L'opera is a blend of sweet-bitter flavour with interesting mouth feel of fluffy sponge, creamy chocolate and nutty almond bits.  


American Apple Pie RM6.80

My friends know how much I love apple pies, especially freshly baked ones with buttery crust and chunky cut apples :D


Matcha Indulgence RM6.80

For matcha (Japanese green tea) lovers.

The following are other almost too-beautiful-to-eat cakes at Niniq :D It's always a struggle admiring how lovely the cakes look and chomping down on them to enjoy the inviting taste.









Niniq's famous tiramisu which I didn't taste because I have no more stomach space. Will come back for this.



Smile inducing cupcakes - just looking at these cupcakes makes me happy :D

Niniq has a good range of coffees, teas and juices to complement their cakes.



My usual order of cappuccino.



This is the interesting tasting Niniq Earl Grey Tea Latte (RM8.80). Earl Grey Tea lovers, give this aromatic latte a try :D

Niniq Bistro and Bakery is a nice place to enjoy excellent cakes, good coffee and tea at reasonable prices. Niniq also serves Indonesian dishes which I must come back for :D 



Restaurant name: Niniq (Taman Setia Tropika)
Address: 52, Jalan Setia Tropika 1/24. Taman Setia Tropika, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/YQ7Il
GPS: 1.545787,103.713547
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Restaurant name: Niniq (Taman Pelangi)
Address: 65, Jalan Perang, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/zv6a0
GPS: 1.482152,103.774914
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 25 Nov 2013

Rachel from Niniq Bistro and Bakery invited me to visit their outlet at Taman Setia Tropika. (Niniq's first outlet is at Taman Pelangi which opened in 2002.)



Inside Niniq Bistro and Bakery at Setia Tropika, the décor is simple yet elegant. The wood and marble furniture are heavy and of classic design - the type seen in well appointed Indonesian homes. The comfortable environment is very clean and air conditioned.

Niniq's owner Angela's mum is from Surabaya, Indonesia and hence we can see many Indonesian touches in the bistro.

The name Niniq comes from the word ninik, the endearing Indonesian term for "little girl".

As Christmas Day was around the corner, Christmas trees and Yuletide decorations were up in Niniq along with heart warming Christmas songs about winter and snow playing softly in the background.



This is the café at the ground floor level. There is a second level which is for private parties hosted at Niniq. 



At Niniq, they pay attention to even the small details like the menu cover. The custom hand carved wood inlays on the menu cover is a nice, elegant touch.

In this post, we shall focus on Niniq's popular cakes. We had just tasted Niniq's Christmas turkey in the morning, so we only had stomach space for cakes and coffee. Which was great because we enjoyed chatting with Angela for over 2 hours :D (Niniq also serves Indonesian dishes which I look forward to coming back for).


Chocolate Decadence RM6.20

This is Niniq's top selling cake, their unique CCTV. Niniq actually named it Chocolate Decadence but customers called it CCTV because of the way it looked, and the name stuck. Deep rich chocolate mousse on a spongy base to indulge the decadent in you :P


Durian Strudel RM6.40

This is a Must Try - Niniq's durian strudel using Angela's mum's recipe. Made with fresh D24 durians with no preservatives.



Creamy chilled fresh D24 durian between fluffy flaky crispy crust sprinkled with fine sugar crystals. Just RM6.40 for a little bit of durian and strudel heaven. 


L'opera RM5.80

I love this L'opera because I like foods with a mix of flavours and textures. Niniq's L'opera is a blend of sweet-bitter flavour with interesting mouth feel of fluffy sponge, creamy chocolate and nutty almond bits.  


American Apple Pie RM6.80

My friends know how much I love apple pies, especially freshly baked ones with buttery crust and chunky cut apples :D


Matcha Indulgence RM6.80

For matcha (Japanese green tea) lovers.

The following are other almost too-beautiful-to-eat cakes at Niniq :D It's always a struggle admiring how lovely the cakes look and chomping down on them to enjoy the inviting taste.









Niniq's famous tiramisu which I didn't taste because I have no more stomach space. Will come back for this.



Smile inducing cupcakes - just looking at these cupcakes makes me happy :D

Niniq has a good range of coffees, teas and juices to complement their cakes.



My usual order of cappuccino.



This is the interesting tasting Niniq Earl Grey Tea Latte (RM8.80). Earl Grey Tea lovers, give this aromatic latte a try :D

Niniq Bistro and Bakery is a nice place to enjoy excellent cakes, good coffee and tea at reasonable prices. Niniq also serves Indonesian dishes which I must come back for :D 



Restaurant name: Niniq (Taman Setia Tropika)
Address: 52, Jalan Setia Tropika 1/24. Taman Setia Tropika, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/YQ7Il
GPS: 1.545787,103.713547
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Restaurant name: Niniq (Taman Pelangi)
Address: 65, Jalan Perang, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/zv6a0
GPS: 1.482152,103.774914
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 25 Nov 2013

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Johor Coconut in a Lorry on Taman Pelangi

In tropical Johor, nothing is better than cold fresh coconut juice in beating the often sweltering heat. Fortunately for JB folks, there are street side coconut stalls offering instant relief from the scorching sun at an affordable price. My foodie buddy Kumes showed me his regular coconut lorry in Taman Pelangi. He has been getting his coconut fix from this lorry stall for over a decade.

Restaurant name: Borong Kelapa Pandan (street side, lorry back)
Address: 71, Jalan Kuning, Taman Pelangi (just outside Thong Yee Thong reflexology centre), Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/UYvXn
GPS: 1.483533,103.775386
Hours: 12:00noon to 10:00pm (but often sold out by 6:00pm)
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

The coconuts on display on a simple makeshift wooden stand waiting for customers.



Besides those coconuts on display, there are plenty more at the back of the lorry.



Place your order at RM3 for a coconut and go back to your plastic chair and flimsy folding table by the roadside. The worker will open the chilled coconut with a couple of quick slashes and deliver the neatly opened coconut to you in a minute :)



Both of these coconuts are the same price (RM3:00) though they look like big and small brothers. Kumes said we can choose the particular coconut that we want, if we are concerned about the size. In the end, size didn't really matter because both coconuts have about the same volume of coconut juice :)



The precious chilled sweet nectar - good to the last drop. We really enjoyed this.




I love scrapping the pearly white and creamy coconut flesh off the inside of the coconut. The flesh of the bigger coconut was a little harder while that from the smaller one was smoother and more tender. I had to literary dig the flesh off the bigger coconut while the meat of the smaller coconut come off like fine shavings when I scrapped it with the spoon. Both types of flesh are enjoyable in different ways.



The workers were super friendly. This pose was completely unplanned and spontaneous. I was making my request in painfully intelligible Bahasa but the workers instantly understood and obliged cheerfully. Made my day :) Terima Kasih Bang!

Date visited: 20 Oct 2013

In tropical Johor, nothing is better than cold fresh coconut juice in beating the often sweltering heat. Fortunately for JB folks, there are street side coconut stalls offering instant relief from the scorching sun at an affordable price. My foodie buddy Kumes showed me his regular coconut lorry in Taman Pelangi. He has been getting his coconut fix from this lorry stall for over a decade.

Restaurant name: Borong Kelapa Pandan (street side, lorry back)
Address: 71, Jalan Kuning, Taman Pelangi (just outside Thong Yee Thong reflexology centre), Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/UYvXn
GPS: 1.483533,103.775386
Hours: 12:00noon to 10:00pm (but often sold out by 6:00pm)
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

The coconuts on display on a simple makeshift wooden stand waiting for customers.



Besides those coconuts on display, there are plenty more at the back of the lorry.



Place your order at RM3 for a coconut and go back to your plastic chair and flimsy folding table by the roadside. The worker will open the chilled coconut with a couple of quick slashes and deliver the neatly opened coconut to you in a minute :)



Both of these coconuts are the same price (RM3:00) though they look like big and small brothers. Kumes said we can choose the particular coconut that we want, if we are concerned about the size. In the end, size didn't really matter because both coconuts have about the same volume of coconut juice :)



The precious chilled sweet nectar - good to the last drop. We really enjoyed this.




I love scrapping the pearly white and creamy coconut flesh off the inside of the coconut. The flesh of the bigger coconut was a little harder while that from the smaller one was smoother and more tender. I had to literary dig the flesh off the bigger coconut while the meat of the smaller coconut come off like fine shavings when I scrapped it with the spoon. Both types of flesh are enjoyable in different ways.



The workers were super friendly. This pose was completely unplanned and spontaneous. I was making my request in painfully intelligible Bahasa but the workers instantly understood and obliged cheerfully. Made my day :) Terima Kasih Bang!

Date visited: 20 Oct 2013

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Cakes and Coffee at Passionfood in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru

I am quite familiar with Passionfood now, being invited by Chi Ling (the boss) for the third time. This time, Chi Ling wanted me to try her famous house baked cakes. I think Chi Ling's passion for baking is the passion in the name Passionfood :)



Coming to Passionfood reminds me of going to my friend's house during my childhood - my friend Ah Mun would bring out all his favourite toys and treasures to share and enjoy them together with me :)



Chi Ling brought out her favourite cakes (just like Ah Mun bringing out his favourite toys) and we enjoyed them together over a nice coffee and latte art which she made herself :) We had so much fun.



The first cake we had was the Chocolate Chestnut Truffle (RM8.90).  The cake contains dark cherry with brandy and an Oreo bottom.



The second was Passionfood's signature White Forest (RM 8.90) which was made of vanilla sponge with strawberry light cheese cream and has a white chocolate coater outside.



The dark chocolate log (RM7.50). No sugar added and has a chocolate cookie bottom.

 

The dark Cherry Cheesecake (RM7.90) with cookies bottom.



This is the Strawberry Paradise (RM12.90). The cake has a pie layer, baked almond cream layer, custard with strawberries and sponge cake topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries.



 
Passionfood's unique Bailey's-misu (RM9.90) was tiramisu with a Bailey's twist. As Bailey's is one of my fav before-bed liquors, I like this tiramisu very much.

 

Saving the best for last. The lastttt oneeeee.. Chi Ling's personal favourite Salted Caramel (RM 7.50) consists of chocolate brownie bottom, dark chocolate cake, almond flakes, salted caramel, dark chocolate mousse and dark chocolate ganache! So, complicated. For me it was "just eat lah!" yum, yum :)

Whenever I need to chill or have a tête-à-tête with friends, Passionfood would be one of  my top choices. Great cakes, good coffee in a clean, cheerful and comfortable setting.



Restaurant name: Passionfood Café and Bakery
Address: 14, Jalan Perang, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/SS9N3

GPS: 1.481626,103.773679
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm (Monday to Thursday); 11:00am to 11:00pm (Friday); 10:00am to 11:00pm (Saturday); 10:00am to 10:00pm (Sunday) Closed on Tuesday
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Date visited: 16 Nov 2012, 12 Jun 2013

I am quite familiar with Passionfood now, being invited by Chi Ling (the boss) for the third time. This time, Chi Ling wanted me to try her famous house baked cakes. I think Chi Ling's passion for baking is the passion in the name Passionfood :)



Coming to Passionfood reminds me of going to my friend's house during my childhood - my friend Ah Mun would bring out all his favourite toys and treasures to share and enjoy them together with me :)



Chi Ling brought out her favourite cakes (just like Ah Mun bringing out his favourite toys) and we enjoyed them together over a nice coffee and latte art which she made herself :) We had so much fun.



The first cake we had was the Chocolate Chestnut Truffle (RM8.90).  The cake contains dark cherry with brandy and an Oreo bottom.



The second was Passionfood's signature White Forest (RM 8.90) which was made of vanilla sponge with strawberry light cheese cream and has a white chocolate coater outside.



The dark chocolate log (RM7.50). No sugar added and has a chocolate cookie bottom.

 

The dark Cherry Cheesecake (RM7.90) with cookies bottom.



This is the Strawberry Paradise (RM12.90). The cake has a pie layer, baked almond cream layer, custard with strawberries and sponge cake topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries.



 
Passionfood's unique Bailey's-misu (RM9.90) was tiramisu with a Bailey's twist. As Bailey's is one of my fav before-bed liquors, I like this tiramisu very much.

 

Saving the best for last. The lastttt oneeeee.. Chi Ling's personal favourite Salted Caramel (RM 7.50) consists of chocolate brownie bottom, dark chocolate cake, almond flakes, salted caramel, dark chocolate mousse and dark chocolate ganache! So, complicated. For me it was "just eat lah!" yum, yum :)

Whenever I need to chill or have a tête-à-tête with friends, Passionfood would be one of  my top choices. Great cakes, good coffee in a clean, cheerful and comfortable setting.



Restaurant name: Passionfood Café and Bakery
Address: 14, Jalan Perang, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/SS9N3

GPS: 1.481626,103.773679
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm (Monday to Thursday); 11:00am to 11:00pm (Friday); 10:00am to 11:00pm (Saturday); 10:00am to 10:00pm (Sunday) Closed on Tuesday
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Date visited: 16 Nov 2012, 12 Jun 2013

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Passionfood Café and Bakery in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru

Chi Ling invited me over to try out her new menu at Passionfood. This was my second visit to Passionfood at the invitation of Chi Ling, the owner. I was excited about this visit as I had a very good experience at Passionfood during my first visit.

 

Chi Ling is one of the new blood of Johor F and B entrepreneurs who are driven by passion. Chi Ling is a medical bioscience professional who couldn't resist dumping her white lab coat for her pink apron to pursue her passion for baking and cooking.

 

Oh, on that pink apron - pink is the theme of Passionfood, so you can see the feminine colour in their decor, furniture and even in their food.

 

I asked Chi Ling how the name Passionfood came about. Chi Ling said she was in Vietnam and the Vietnamese fruit passion fruit gave her the "ah ha moment". She like the name because passion is what Passionfood Café and bakery is all about.

Creamy Ebiko Crab Meat Pasta RM18.90

First to arrive was the Creamy Ebiko Crab Meat Pasta. The thick el dente pasta was smothered in a homemade savoury white cabonara sauce with white wine and crab meat.

 

The tiny savoury ebiko (Japanese prawn eggs) popping in your mouth added an interesting mouth feel and flavour to the whole dish.

 

Cheese Chicken Burger RM17.90

Next was Passionfood's Cheese Chicken Burger. I heard my friend Bryan spoke highly of Passionfood's chicken burger before and was looking forward to try this.

 

The thick chicken patty was sitting of a bed of fresh tomato slices, cherry tomatoes and sauteed onions. The chicken patty is blanketed by a layer of soft melted cheese that flowed down the sides of the patty. And, everything is held together between Passionfood's own fluffy charcoal bun, made right here at the cafe from scratch.

 

This is no industrial mass produced patty at average hamburger joints. Passionfood's thick handmade patty is made with hand chopped chicken thigh and breast meat with some herbs and condiments mixed in. The meaty, tightly packed patty had little grease or fat. You will never find bits of bone or rubbery sinews in Passionfood's handmade patty. 

 

 

French fries with ketchup are always simply, special to me :P

 

Passionfood has many interesting drinks on their menu. This is the signature Passion Paradise (RM7.50) - passion fruit syrup with soda water and rainbow jelly.

 

The Mango Tango (RM7.50). Mango syrup with soda water and mango puree.

 

I will be coming back soon to try Passionfood's cakes and pastries from Chi Ling's passion for baking.

 



Restaurant name: Passionfood Café and Bakery
Address: 14, Jalan Perang, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/SS9N3

GPS: 1.481626,103.773679
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm (Monday to Thursday); 11:00am to 11:00pm (Friday); 10:00am to 11:00pm (Saturday); 10:00am to 10:00pm (Sunday) Closed on Tuesday
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Date visited: 16 Nov 2012, 12 Jun 2013

Chi Ling invited me over to try out her new menu at Passionfood. This was my second visit to Passionfood at the invitation of Chi Ling, the owner. I was excited about this visit as I had a very good experience at Passionfood during my first visit.

 

Chi Ling is one of the new blood of Johor F and B entrepreneurs who are driven by passion. Chi Ling is a medical bioscience professional who couldn't resist dumping her white lab coat for her pink apron to pursue her passion for baking and cooking.

 

Oh, on that pink apron - pink is the theme of Passionfood, so you can see the feminine colour in their decor, furniture and even in their food.

 

I asked Chi Ling how the name Passionfood came about. Chi Ling said she was in Vietnam and the Vietnamese fruit passion fruit gave her the "ah ha moment". She like the name because passion is what Passionfood Café and bakery is all about.

Creamy Ebiko Crab Meat Pasta RM18.90

First to arrive was the Creamy Ebiko Crab Meat Pasta. The thick el dente pasta was smothered in a homemade savoury white cabonara sauce with white wine and crab meat.

 

The tiny savoury ebiko (Japanese prawn eggs) popping in your mouth added an interesting mouth feel and flavour to the whole dish.

 

Cheese Chicken Burger RM17.90

Next was Passionfood's Cheese Chicken Burger. I heard my friend Bryan spoke highly of Passionfood's chicken burger before and was looking forward to try this.

 

The thick chicken patty was sitting of a bed of fresh tomato slices, cherry tomatoes and sauteed onions. The chicken patty is blanketed by a layer of soft melted cheese that flowed down the sides of the patty. And, everything is held together between Passionfood's own fluffy charcoal bun, made right here at the cafe from scratch.

 

This is no industrial mass produced patty at average hamburger joints. Passionfood's thick handmade patty is made with hand chopped chicken thigh and breast meat with some herbs and condiments mixed in. The meaty, tightly packed patty had little grease or fat. You will never find bits of bone or rubbery sinews in Passionfood's handmade patty. 

 

 

French fries with ketchup are always simply, special to me :P

 

Passionfood has many interesting drinks on their menu. This is the signature Passion Paradise (RM7.50) - passion fruit syrup with soda water and rainbow jelly.

 

The Mango Tango (RM7.50). Mango syrup with soda water and mango puree.

 

I will be coming back soon to try Passionfood's cakes and pastries from Chi Ling's passion for baking.

 



Restaurant name: Passionfood Café and Bakery
Address: 14, Jalan Perang, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/SS9N3

GPS: 1.481626,103.773679
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm (Monday to Thursday); 11:00am to 11:00pm (Friday); 10:00am to 11:00pm (Saturday); 10:00am to 10:00pm (Sunday) Closed on Tuesday
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Date visited: 16 Nov 2012, 12 Jun 2013

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