Haikara Style Cafe and Bakery @ E-Tiara, Subang Jaya

Posted by : MeCoffeyJourney April 02, 2014

~ Fashionably westernized Japan ~

Plants furnishing outside the café .

Environment:

Café culture is exploding. Amidst the industrial chic wasteland, the homely and colourful Haikara Style Café stands out. This Japanese family run café and bakery tucked away from the hustle and bustle of major town centres is an almost hidden and private affair.

Celebrating its 6th year (2014), Haikara Style features colourful Japanese influenced interiors with a touch of nature to bring calm and peace of mind. Little pieces of décor build a perfect blend of homeliness and charm. This is a big difference from the hard brick, concrete and steel affairs popping up all over the place. And it makes a big difference when all you want to do is wind down.

Perfect blend of homeliness and charm.

Japanese influenced interiors.

Watching the husband and wife team bustle about with their Japanese efficiency and waiting on tables with their straight-backed upright posture tends to bring to mind all those Japanese anime and movies we watch. It is different.

Hug salt and pepper shakers. Everyone needs a hug sometimes and these quirky salt and pepper shakers help remind us of this ~

Food & Beverage:
No espresso here. All coffees are prepared by siphon and a wide array of single origins and signature coffees are featured. Of particular note is the Floral Coffee which is prepared with rose petals. This infuses floral notes and lends a mild sweetness to the deep, smokey and fruity flavour of the Ethiopia single origin.

Floral infused Ethiopia Single Origin Premium Coffee.

Cappuccinos here feature whipping cream in place of foamed milk and black coffees come with a side of French full cream. However, do note that the style of coffee served here is different from the Starbucks and other espresso based styles most are used to – flavours are milder and more complex.

Cream Cappuchino.

Here we see Kato-sensei preparing coffee by siphon. Kato-sensei participated in this year’s Siphon Championship 2014 at the Café Expo in Singapore. It was a pleasant surprise to see my neighbourhood café owner participate on an international stage. Overheard feedback from the judges was that his floral infused signature coffee was clever and had a good nose.

Master barista in action! We are fortunate enough to have the sensei himself demonstrating the preparation method for his signature floral infused coffee.

Haikara Café has recently begun roasting green beans in their shop using a small Gene Café home roaster machine. For coffee aficionados who have never seen the roasting process, this is an interesting curio... mildly hypnotic as it goes round and round.

Gene Café home roaster machine.

One of the best things about this café is the food and baked goods. Until recently, this family from Nagoya had been baking their cakes and bread on the premises of this cafe. With a recent expansion, they have moved their baked goods production to another location while expanding their kitchen. And they produce some fine quality meals.

Try their Cheese Omelette. Most hotels use milk or water in the egg mix to give it a more creamy texture. Haikara uses Australian Mozzarella cheese and full cream milk which really kicks it up a notch in terms of creaminess. Served with a dash of special brown sauce, you won’t need additional salt or seasoning.

Cheese Omelette.

The Chicken Katsu is tasty and has that homely quality; slightly different from other restaurants.

Chicken Katsu Rice.

The beef stew is a famous dish among regulars. This is a slow cooked stew using red wine and a bone stock reduction. A most divine meal that is a definite must try.

Beef stew rice.

Another great dish is the Black Chili Hotdog in a black charcoal bun. The chili sauce just hits all the right notes of flavour and chili hotness.

Black Chili Dog.

As mentioned, Haikara is also a bakery. And their range of cakes and desserts are done in a “home-made” style. This translates well in taste as fussy patrons will find a lack of shortening in the baked goods and good quality ingredients all around.

A range of cakes and desserts.

Haikara Cheese cake.

Full of character, great coffee and amazing food, Haikara Style Café is definitely on the café coffee map for the Klang Valley.

Verdict:

From Sumiyaki 'house special brewed' Coffee and Cream Cappuchino to the premium beans coffee, all are quality coffee served to you at reasonable prices. And when you think of having a Japanese meal, forget sushi or sashimi, but come to Haikara Style Cafe for some Japanese/Western fusion! Recommendations are Black Chili Dog, Cheese Omelette, and Beef Stew Rice.

Writings contributed by: Roy Goh

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