Breakfast at ACME Bar and Coffee, The Troika, KLCC, Malaysia

Cappuccino

Farmer's Breakfast Hash

Salted Beef Eggs Benedict

Crunchy French Toast with White Peaches and Pomegranate Syrup

Pear and Buckwheat Pancakes

Organic Poached Egg and Avocado Salad

Fresh Fruit with Mint Yoghurt Topped with House Made Toasted Muesli

Pisang Goreng Fried Ice Cream

Pisang Goreng Fried Ice Cream

Breakfast at Acme Bar and Coffee, The Troika, KLCC by Kristin Cosgrove

Acme Bar and Coffee

The Acme Bar and Coffee (ABC) has a newly implemented weekend breakfast menu, which is thrilling news for those of us who pine for the comforts of western breakfast food enjoyed over a lazy cup of really, really good coffee. 

Open since December in the stylish Troika building just off Jalan Ampang and Tun Razak, the chic restaurant boasts a non-smoking dining room and a promise of outdoor seating which should be available within a couple of months.

Upon arrival, expansive floor to ceiling windows and pipe art crawling up the brick wall makes one feel like they’ve entered an ultra-cool loft in New York City.  Yet the sterility of the industrial design is expertly warmed with a beautiful art deco tile, rustic wooden tables, leather seats and objets d’art that come mainly from the U.S. adding an almost farmhouse-chic flair.  Tiny fresh floral arrangements on each table give a homey burst of color and the unobtrusive jazz on the sound system completes a hip and relaxed atmosphere.  

Interior

Like the décor, the breakfast menu is simple yet intriguing, unique yet comforting - a symphony of textures. 

The Crunchy French Toast (RM23) was unlike any I’ve had before and thoroughly delightful.  Corn flakes encrust thick slices of ABC’s “own made” brioche bread leaving it light and crusty on the outside and soft and moist inside.  Fresh, sliced peach on the side added a tangy punch and the sweetness of the pomegranate reduction syrup tied it all together for an amazing blend of tastes and textures.

For another tasty - and healthy - twist on a breakfast staple try the Pear and Buckwheat Pancakes (RM25).  Grated pear adds sweetening moisture to the graininess of the organic cakes, which are dense with a little healthy grit to them.  The dash of nutmeg in the pancakes and a generous topping of a luscious cranberry butter added a sweet sentimentality to the dish, catapulting me back to my grandmother’s house on a cold Christmas morning.  The sliced pear on the side was perfectly cooked, still very crisp and not at all mushy.

The Salted Beef Eggs Benedict was also enjoyable.  Making salted beef is an arduous process and one ABC is proud to do in-house.  They do it well.  The flavorful, tender beef and the silky smoothness of the egg combined beautifully with the creamy hollandaise and the English muffin, thought the bread was a little dry and much more dense, more like a bagel. 

Flat White

Our group loved the Farmers Breakfast Hash (RM23), a savory blend of potato hash with peppers, sweet onion and mushrooms served with eggs.  The eggs come poached, but the kitchen is happy to substitute eggs well done (fried) and though I didn’t ask, I suspect they’d even scramble them for you.  The highlight of this dish is the turkey ham, chopped into tiny strips and cooked into a crispy tangle of salty deliciousness.  The sweetness of onions and peppers balance the salt of the turkey bacon to make this dish my favorite of the morning.

On the lighter side, ABC’s Bowl of Yoghurt and Fruit is much more sophisticated than the menu implies.  The honey mint yogurt is made in-house, and though not sweet, does not have a bitter aftertaste found in some plain yogurts. Mixed with sweetness of the rock melon, papaya, watermelon and mango, and chopped mint leaves, the silky smooth yogurt is completely refreshing and honestly, fantastic.

Cempadak

Though satisfied from breakfast, the tantalizing cakes displayed on the bar tempted us to try dessert.  We indulged by ordering three to sample. The Cempadak or Jackfruit Cake (RM 15) was moist and pleasantly spongy, and the sweet and light icing didn’t leave that oft-found sugary aftertaste.  If you’re a fan of the pungent fruit, I’d recommend trying this intriguing cake, but no one in our party was clamoring for more.

We also sampled the “White Brownie,” which I found a misnomer.  Though it had a slight taste of white chocolate, the texture was pasty, and the consistency resembled more a rectangle of marzipan than a brownie.  As a pairing with a cappuccino or a long black, this might entice, but it didn’t thrill any of us.  

White Chocolate Brownie

Our party unanimously agreed that of the three desserts sampled, the Goreng Pisang Ice Cream (Fried Banana Ice Cream) was the only dessert we would order again.  The outer shell was beautifully crisp and the inside wonderfully chewy, causing us to dissect the coating to determine its contents.  Perhaps desiccated coconut?   We were puzzled the ice cream didn’t taste at all banana-like, but finished it happily all the same.  If you’re a jackfruit lover, you might try the Goreng Cempadak Ice Cream, which I noticed was also on offer.

Reason to visit: Hip and homey ambiance with a menu to match, wholesome comfort food with a twist, good service and great coffee.

Breakfast is served Saturday 9:30am – 1pm and on Sunday from 9:30am – 12pm.  Ample underground parking is available.

ACME Bar and Coffee

Unit G1 The Troika

19 Persiaran KLCC

50450 KL

Malaysia

+603 2162 2288

+603 2162 2288

Email: mailbox@acmebarcoffe.com

Website: http://acmebarcoffee.com/