My food hunting has led me back to 43 Cafe, a humble and cozy cafe which was actually one of the first few eateries to serve pork burgers (before a whole plethora of pork burgers flooded the dining scene). While their pork burgers were immensely enjoyable, the chef at 43 Cafe has been busy experimenting with various cooking techniques. After much fine tuning, they have whipped up a few innovative dishes which are now available in their new revamped menu.
To go along with their revamped menu, the cafe has also undergone a face-lift and now boasts more seating in a relaxed cozy ambiance.
Dry Aged Pork Steak RM28.80
43 Cafe’s signature dish
Kicking off our meal was their signature dish – Dry Aged Pork Steak
The chef at 43 cafe tells us that they spent 6 months in R&D testing over 140 pieces of pork steaks to find the perfect cooking technique and flavour combinations. He tells us that dry aging the meat results in a greater concentration of flavours. He then cookies it via sous-vide method to seal in the juices and finally basts the pork steak in hot oil for caramelization of the meat.
The pork steak we tried was thoroughly enjoyable as it had a firm bite yet tender. The pork steak itself is just lightly seasoned with salt and pepper for the meats natural flavours to shine through (not to be mistaken with the ‘porky’ gamey-ness, of which there were none detected). The accompanying sauce (which is also homemade – a creamy decadent onion sauce) further elevates the pork steak. Served with a side of potatoes and salad, this makes a hearty meal indeed.
Sous Vide Chicken RM22.80
For those who are not so pork inclined, the Sous Vide Chicken is an excellent choice. The chicken breast is cooked in a water bath with controlled temperature for a minimum of 2 hours. Resulting in fork tender chicken breast that melts in your mouth. Served with homemade creamy onion sauce, potato salad and veggies.
Fresh Mushroom Spaghetti RM19.80
Pastas are also the star of this cafe, with a few varieties available. Every now and again, the chef also whips up ‘today’s special’ depending on the fresh ingredients available. I’ve had on occasion, tried one of these chef specials which include curry leaf and chorizo! But I digress…. back to the Fresh Mushroom Spaghetti – the pasta was cooked al-dente and comes with a raw egg which will cook and coat the spaghetti once you mix it all up. Peppered generously with mushrooms, this pasta was rich, smooth and comforting. Oh, and I must also add that the chef cooks each plate of pasta to order!
The Chef also uses less oil and no MSG in their cooking with most items made from scratch.
Sesame Salad RM8.50
The cafe also serves a delicious Sesame Salad which makes for a healthier appetizer. The vegetables are fresh and crisp. And we thought that the addition of homemade oat crunch was a nice surprise.
Egg ‘Pecah’ RM3
43 Cafe still retains some of their old favourites, including their Egg ‘Pecah’ (literally translated to mean broken eggs) This egg on toast may seem deceptively boring, but this ain’t no boring scrambled eggs. This humble dish was inspired by the chef’s favourite dish while in secondary school. Homemade chilli paste is added to give it a spicy kick.
Nom Nom Nom (Satay) RM1.20/skewer. Minimum order 5 skewers
Nom Nom Nom is another old favourite – an ode to Batu Maung satay, these delectable pork skewers are chock full of flavour. Although a tad bit on the sweet side, this is nevertheless one of my favourite dishes at 43 Cafe (I can easily polish off 6 skewers on my own!! shhhhh!!)
Chilli Fork Pork in a Blanket RM17.50
Next, we tried their Chilli Fork Pork in a Blanket burger. The shreds of pork meat were tender and cooked with Mexican style flavours and then topped with a blanket of bacon! Truly a bacon lovers paradise. Would have loved a sturdier bun though.
43 Cafe Signature Ice Scream
And of course one cannot pay a visit to 43 Cafe without trying their homemade ‘ice scream’. These are hands down the best home made ice creams I’ve ever had. Which would also explain why I ‘die die’ also have to have them despite the weather being so cold due to the pouring rain on our visit. 😛
Ice cream flavours differ daily. But we managed to try (from L-R) Black Dog, Pomegranate, Salted Red, Milk candy Rosemary and Bailey’s Irish Cream
The Bailey’s Irish Cream flavour is like eating Bailey’s & Cream made into ice cream form. The flavours are light, creamy and comforting.
Black Dog (intense dark chocolate & Guiness) is intense and perfect for those who like an alcoholic kick to their desserts. Meanwhile the Pomegranate was refreshing and tangy.
The Salted Red, made with red sugar and himalayan pink salt has its own unique flavour which I personally really enjoyed. Another favourite was the Milk Candy Rosemary. Rosemary ice cream sounds rather odd, but works in this case because the rosemary flavour is light and lingers at the end.
Another unique experience that you must try at 43 Cafe is… eating your ice creams with sprinkling of pink salt and home made chilli flakes! Yup, chilli flakes! And I promise you its not as weird as it sounds! Do give it a try when you’re at 43 Cafe 🙂
Essentials:
43 Cafe
43, Jalan Sungai Dua, 11700 Penang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 5.30pm-10pm
Telephone: 016-430 7009 (Jacgy)
Corner house opposite USM gate, just before the row of shophouses with KFC
GPS : 5.353324,100.303812
