I used to get confused on how to differentiate between uptown and downtown. This is also the same when someone asked me what are the differences between Downtown Cafe and Georgetown Cafe, or even Newtown Cafe and Oldtown Cafe. The best answer to this question is to pay a visit to the cafe yourself to better understand each cafe’s uniqueness.
The weekend visit to Downtown Heritage Art Cafe gave me a detailed understanding of what makes it different compared to the rest. Sitting at the intersection of the bustling Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling and artsy Armenian Street, this cafe might have been mistaken for another “XXXtown” cafe. However, never judge a book by its cover. You might be surprised by its content.
Similar to this cafe. It might look like another regular cafe, but in actual fact, it is not. The interior of this cafe is very simple yet cosy. The ground floor is the dining area while the upper level is dedicated for gallery and private events.
There are art drawings displayed in the cafe for your viewing pleasure.
If you are interested with the drawings, you can contact Ms Mecho for price at mecholoh@gmail.com
Rose Syrup with Vanilla Ice Cream & Basil Seeds – RM7, the rose syrup was served with ice, topped with vanilla ice cream and basil seeds.
The rose syrup drink is a common local drink but in Downtown, it has been enhanced to make it more appealing. The taste was very refreshing.
Fresh Fruit Juice, Honey Dew – RM10. This is not a plain honey dew juice. Cubes of honey dew were blended and topped with a scoop of ice cream for a different feel. You can also find cubes of honey due in the drink for an additional bite.
The taste of this juice was very refreshing especially on sunny days.
Orange Lassi – RM16, a drink commonly found in Indian eateries. Fresh orange was used to blend with yoghurt to make it into lassi.
You can feel the freshness of the orange. However, the taste of the yoghurt was not strong enough. At the price of RM16 per glass, it is considered slightly on the high side.
Italian Sausage with Tomatoes Baked – RM18, the sausage was cut into slices and baked with cheese. Serving together it were some slices of garlic bread.
For those looking for a cheesy meal other than rice, this will be a great option.
Four Cheese Shrimp Sandwich – RM16, the sandwich was packed with greens and served with cheese battered deep fried shrimps. Serving with the sandwich were some lettuce and cherry tomatoes with homemade salad dressing.
The actual serving will be 3 slices of cheese shrimps along with the sandwich, the rest are for illustration purpose. The taste of the shrimps were fresh and crispy. The sandwich paired very well with the dressing.
Downtown Signature Nasi Ketuk – RM25, served with chicken rendang, a very popular native dish that is richly cooked with combinations of local herbs & spices marinated with house special rice. Serving together with a few slices of papadum, lettuces, cucumber slices and a sunny side up.
The rice was soaked in blue flower (butterfly pea flower) water and cooked together. This is known as nasi ketuk in Malay and served with delicious chicken rendang. The taste of the chicken rendang mixed very with the nasi ketuk.
Nasi Lemak Sotong – RM14, the nasi lemak was served together with boiled squid slices, topped with homemade sambal and served together with some lettuce, a sunny side up, cucumber and a slice of lime.
At first glance, I thought that the squid slices were not marinated well enough or cooked long enough to bring out its flavour. However, it paired very well with the sambal. The nasi lemak was not cooked in coconut milk, which is a healthier version. However, please be cautious if you are unable to handle extreme spiciness as the sambal is a ‘grenade’.
Lemongrass Chicken – RM12, well marinated pan-seared chicken fillet served with spicy peanut sauce & local fresh.
This is my favourite of all. The chicken was well-marinated and pan seared until perfection. It was then served together with a bowl of greens and the special homemade peanut sauce. The lemongrass seasoning on the chicken fillet was very appetizing and unique.
Chocolate Mud Cake – RM12, the chocolate mud cake was served together with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The cake was very rich and packed with chocolate flavour, it was best fit with the vanilla ice cream.
Cempedak Cake Served With Vanilla Ice Cream – RM12, the homemade Cempedak cake was served together with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as well.
The cempedak cake was heated up and served warm. You can feel the aroma of cempedak in the air even before the cake was served on our table.
Overall, the cafe serves great fusion food and the innovation of reviving nostalgic Malaysian flavours was cleverly done. It is quite difficult to find parking in that area. Also, be sure to come in the morning and afternoon as the cafe closes at 6pm. Some of the food are priced at the higher side but considering its touristy location, it is considered reasonable to do so.
Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):
| Taste |  |
| Price (more stars, more reasonable) |  |
| Food Presentation | |
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Quick Facts:
| Family Friendly |  |
| Parking |  |
| Pork Free | |
| Alcohol | |
| Credit Card | |
| Smoking | |
| Reservation | |
| Private Room (Private Area) | |
| WIFI Available | |
Operation hours: 11:00am – 6:00pm (Closed on Thursday)
Contact: 604-261 1303
Address: No. 149, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, 10200, Georgetown, Penang.
GPS: 5.4185368,100.3365353