Special thanks to Garden Moment for extending this food review invitation.
Update: This business has ceased its operations.
Icon City is an upcoming commercial area with several interesting restaurants and new ones mushrooming every week. One of these eateries is Garden Moment Coffee Bar, which is a short distance from Starbucks Coffee.
This month-old café has one and a half floor of usable space, giving customers a spacious atmosphere to relax in. At the center is a pebble walkway similar to a zen garden.
The partial-floor at the upper deck serves as overflow dining space. This section is usually open at night when there are more customers.
At the front of Garden Moment is a wall mural with flowing water. Besides serving feng shui harmony, it also provides an iconic landmark for passers-by.
As a café, majority of the menu is dedicated to various types of hot and iced coffee. Fruit juices and English tea are also available. In addition, Garden Moment has a handful of food items as light meals, such as rice, pasta, chicken and fish.
Garden Moment Nasi Lemak (RM12.90) is one the restaurant’s bestselling dishes. As soon as the plate is set on the table, my sense of smell is greeted by lovely fragrance of curry and coconut milk. This piece of chicken leg is marinated by home-made blend of curry gravy. The spiciness of chicken is moderate, but I am blown away by the flavorful taste imparted by its marinate!
Served on the side are rice with coconut milk, boiled egg, anchovies, roasted peanuts, papadom (பப்படம்) and cucumber slices. In consideration of the scrumptious chicken and overall food portion, I must say that this dish is worth every sen!
As for drinks, the recommended choice is Hot Coffee Latte (RM8.90). Extracted from a special blend of medium-roast coffee beans, a shot of espresso is infused with steamed milk of creamy consistency. This cup of coffee is smooth with each sip, certainly compatible with my coffee preference.
If coffee is not your cup of tea, there are a number of premium-grade English tea too. Earl Grey and Chamomile are some of the popular choices for tea.
Not many customers are aware that Garden Moment is more than a coffeehouse. Therefore, the restaurant is offering a lunch promotion from 11:00am to 3:00pm every weekday. For mere RM3.00 addition to any food item, customers enjoy a glass of juice and an ice cream dessert.
The unforgettable gratification from Garden Moment Nasi Lemak convinced me that this restaurant is not your average Starbucks-style café. It is also a great place to get a decent meal!
Name: Garden Moment Coffee Bar
Address: 8, Jalan Icon City, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 11:00am-12:00am (Monday-Friday), 11:00am-1:00am (Saturday-Sunday)
Business hours: 04-505-7160
Website: https://www.facebook.com/GardenMomentCafe
Coordinates: 5.34456 N, 100.43455 E
Directions: From the North-South Expressway, take the Bukit Mertajam exit and head east. Turn left at the next traffic lights. Turn left into Icon City on the left, using Starbucks Coffee as a landmark. Garden Moment is located on the left side of the road from this direction. There are ample parking spaces in front of the restaurant.