The Mugshot Cafe, Chulia Street – The Excellent Bagel Maker

Bagels??? Never heard of that. If you tell me beggar then I know it means the person who begs for money. Or burger as two pieces of round-shaped bread with fillings in between. If you are having the same thought as me, you are not alone. Actually, bagel is a bread product famous in US/Europe and is gaining popularity in Asia. There are only few places in Penang that sell Bagels like Coffee Bean. Another place that makes and sells quality bagels is The Mugshot Cafe.

It is not hard to locate the Mugshot Cafe. If you are at the heart of Georgetown, ask around and you will know where is Chulia Street. If you are turning in Chulia Street from Penang Road, look for your left hand side. Just a few houses down from Yeng Kheng Hotel, you will see The Mugshot Cafe just next to their own Rainforest Bakery.

The concept of the ambiance old, classical and a bit “run down”. The crowd who visited this place consisted a lot of Caucasians and backpackers. It makes you feel like you are in one of the cafes in Italy.

There are 2 dining sections at this place. The front portion will be a cafe style where the main counter is situated along with small tables and chairs for the customers.

The other section will be an open structure concept. If you’ve been to an old pre-war house, this shouldn’t be foreign to you. You may enjoy natural air and sunlight from this section. Either place of selection will be just as cozy and comfortable provided it’s not too hot in the afternoon.

Signature of this place is the wood fire oven where the bagels are being heated. From the oven you can see the bagels are out from the oven one at a time.

Bagel, a rounded bread that looks like donut but instead of hollow hole in between the bread, it is just a small rounded curve on top of the bread. It is then covered with black and white sesame and sliced into 2 pieces and stuffed with option of stuffing.

Bagel Muffin:

• Cream Cheese – RM5
• Cream Cheese & Smoked Salmon – RM10
• Bacon & Egg – RM10
• Turkey Ham & Cranberry Sauce – RM10
• Corned Beef & Rocket – RM10

Cream Cheese & Smoked Salmon – A slice of smoked salmon was placed in between the bagel. It was then cushioned with a layer of cream cheese.

Bacon & Egg – The bacon was baked in cup shape and an egg is placed inside. The scent of the egg and bacon were so nice and it really blended well with the bagel.

Coffee:

• Black – RM6
• Espresso – RM6
• Cappuccino – RM10
• Latte – RM10
• Mocha – RM12
• Hot Choc – RM10
• Soft Drinks – RM5
• Juices – RM10

Tea:

• English Breakfast – RM5
• Earl Grey – RM5
• Camomile – RM5
• Wild Berries – RM5
• Green Tea – RM5

The food here was good, the coffee here was even better. I just love the latte here. The coffee aroma filled the air of the entire cafe.

Yogurt:

• Jackfruit & Gula Melaka – RM10
• Kiwi & Honey – RM10
• Mango & Walnuts – RM10
• Walnuts & Raisins – RM10

Besides famous for their bagels and coffee. Another signature dish here is their fresh homemade yoghurt.

Kiwi & Honey Yoghurt – The Kiwi was pickle with honey and then placed on top of the plain yoghurt. The taste of the yoghurt was delightful and appetizing.

Mango & Walnuts Yoghurt – The crunchiness of the walnuts blended very well with the refreshing mango cubes. This is my pick from their many selection as it was not too sweet as compared to the kiwi + honey version.

Another specialty about this place is there is a corner for you to take a “mugshot” of yourself. You get to be the “most wanted” for the day.

Overall, this place was very cozy and the food here was very unique. The drawback is the difficulty to find parking around here and also the each of the foods item is priced at RM10, which is a bit on the high side.

Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):

Taste
Price (more stars, more reasonable)
Food Presentation
Service
Overall

Quick Facts:

Family Friendly
Parking
Pork Free
Alcohol (beer)
Credit Card
Smoking
Reservation
Private Room
WIFI Available

Operation hours: 8:00am – 9:00pm (Open Daily)
Contact: 012-405 6276 Jesse or 016-482 5501 Tristan
Address: 302, Chulia Street, 10200, Penang
GPS: 5° 41′ 86.04″ N, 100° 33′ 58.65″ E