Roast Factor Glee at Bandar Utama: 2016 menu review

This review is brought to you in part by Roast Factor Glee.

Over the past two years, Roast Factor Glee has evolved into one of those rare destinations with a real difference, with food and beverages that showcase a personal, perceptive and persuasive touch. This suburban cafe offers something special for everyone – if you relish baked goodies, you’ll want to try Roast Factor Glee’s beautifully made levain-raised bread and pastries.

If you’re intrigued by Scandinavian cuisine, you’ll find a smattering of that here too – it’s a forte of the cafe’s Malaysian founder Shyue Chin and her Danish husband. If you’re enthusiastic about food prepared from scratch, this place will welcome you with everything from its own smoked pork to artisanal ice cream. And if you’re into coffee, Roast Factor Glee’s is top-notch – Shyue Chin began roasting coffee on her apartment balcony, and the cafe continues to hand-roast speciality beans in small batches.

Pizza temptations

You’ll want to linger here, soaking in the serenity and savouring each bite of the painstakingly crafted temptations. Pizzas are constructed with house-made dough, promising a crunchy, crusty and substantial base for creatively selected toppings.

A vegetarian pizza capably balances the sweet earthiness of beetroot with the peppery crispness of arugula and the soft creaminess of brie (RM22 for the half-portion pictured, or RM38 for a full serving), while other options target meat lovers (smoked streaky pork bacon with caramelised pineapples and thyme), seafood devotees (garlic prawns, squid and salmon with capers and coriander) and cheese worshippers (mozzarella, cheddar and brie with cherry tomatoes and basil).

All-day brunch

All-day brunches here prove memorably distinctive too – the Scandinavian-style big breakfast is a marked departure from the typical Melbourne-inspired platters, protein-packed with plenty of pork – a long, fat sausage, ham and smoked back and streaky bacon – plus a soft-boiled organic egg, pineapple slice, rustic bread, assorted cheeses and butter, and a house-made ‘Mues-Glee’ that comprises a granola of rye oats with sunflower seeds, cranberries, almonds, and yoghurt or milk (RM26).

Try the French toast, triumphantly built with thick slices of the cafe’s brioche (which takes two days to make), richly eggy, perfectly partnered with toasted walnuts, caramelised pears and an espresso-chocolate sauce (RM16) – each component plays a role in elevating the entire ensemble. Or if you just want bread, pure and simple, get a ‘Bread Face’ for variety – which may include a mini-baguette, rye, flaxseed, pain de campagne and other slices – with Danish butter and strawberry-tomato jam (RM13).

Indulgent dishes

The cafe juggles indulgences galore – the gourmet Danish hot dog is a should-try, with an eight-inch pork sausage in a fresh bun with punchy toppings like kitchen-made remoulade, cucumber pickles and bacon bits (RM16), while the Scandi meatball proves a pleasurable pasta, powered by superior beef-and-pork balls and a sauce that speaks of tomatoes and herbs (RM20) – with a strong selection of salads.

We love the organic quinoa with charred broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, feta and lemon (RM20); the roasted carrot salad (with almonds, cranberries and honey) and pear and blue cheese salad (with walnuts and maple syrup) sound terrific too. There are also sandwiches, including grilled kimchi and cheddar or black sesame chicken and peanuts on sourdough.

Risky desserts

Roast Factor Glee’s sense of risk-taking adventure merits respect, illustrated by ice cream in flavours like toasted organic buckwheat with honey drizzle, matcha toasted rice with roasted almonds, and Belgian chocolate with fleur de sel sprinkles (RM16), as well as red wine or beer ice cream (RM9.50/RM9) – some of these may be acquired tastes, but they’re well worth sampling to expand the palate, and many of them taste natural and wholesome.

For something more decadent that’ll leave you licking your spoon, check out the chilled chocolate pot laced with chia seeds, a luscious dessert that anyone who’s young at heart can appreciate.

Baked treats

Pastries, cakes and cookies work well for a snack or takeaways, from a lovely, layered salted caramel apple pie (RM13) to tebirkes (RM5; a flaky, fluffy hand-rolled poppy seed puff pastry that’s the Danish response to croissants) to mellow liquorice cookies tinged with white chocolate and roasted almonds (RM3.50). Enjoy with some fizzy, refreshing rosemary lemonade.

Exceptional coffee

Roast Factor Glee is as dedicated to exceptional coffee as any cafe in the Klang Valley – you’ll find the regular range of espresso-based beverages plus hand-pours (clever dripper and V60 pour overs) and cold brews that rely on a micro-roasted curation – on our recent visit, the seasonal availability included Panama Finca Hartmann, Brasil Santa Lucia Estate and Colombia Tolima, conveying clear and confident nuances of flavour.