Brella Bakehouse – Bakery Café, Taman University Garden
Words: Cathrynne Yeong
Photos: Rich Callahan
The early bird gets the worm, and that was definitely the case when we visited Brella Bakehouse in Taman University Garden, PJ. We were the first set of customers to walk into the elegant yet cozy bakery café in the quiet neighbourhood on a bright, beautiful Saturday morning. We were greeted by the warm, toasty aroma of freshly baked sourdough, beautiful sun rays shining through the large window bay at the front of the shop, and, of course, the ever-friendly and welcoming owner, Ella. It was a sign that this was going to be a great start to a perfect weekend.
Brella Bakehouse – Taman University Garden
Bryan and Ella are the owners of Brella Bakehouse, and if you have not already guessed, the name Brella is a combination of the couple’s names. The husband-and-wife duo started experimenting with making their own sourdough and bagels during the lockdown when the world was trying to deal with the COVID pandemic. They went from home bakers to a pop-up store to finally a physical store now where they make and serve a variety of mains, hot food, pastries, and desserts.
The main colours of the bakery café are white and blue. The place is decked with rustic wooden furniture, while the walls are adorned with young, modern, and contemporary paintings that depict the kind of food served here.
Wisely choosing to avoid a mile-long menu, BrElla has a compact list of quality choices. This ensures every item is well done and also helps reduce decision-making stress for some of us. The menu covers Western Asian fusion, from sandwiches and pizza to rice and spaghetti. The menu changes every couple of months to incorporate new items and old best sellers. For drinks, it is also the usual list of coffee, tea, cold-pressed juices, and a few tasty Brella Specials.
Drinks Menu
At 8am in the morning, the first thing we requested from Ella’s team was to get us all some soul awakening caffeine. We enjoyed an Iced Black Coffee (RM12), Hot Latte (RM 12), Hot Rose Latte (RM 14), Hot Matcha (RM 14) and some Brella Specials – Butterfly Pea Yuzu Soda (RM 16) and Oolong Lemon Tea (RM 15).
Coffee is made with a medium-dark roast of beans from Indonesia and Brazil, fragrant on the nose and balanced on the tongue, without being too acidic. The beans did equally as well with black as they did with milk, and the milk renditions had nicely textured foam tops. The Hot Rose Latte was a little on the sweet side for me, as I rarely take sugar with my coffee, but pretty all the same, and I bet it’s a hit for those with a sweeter palate. The Matcha was also an approachable crowd-pleaser, nicely balanced and great with milk. Customers can choose oat milk or full cream dairy.
I am a great fan of butterfly pea because of its amazing health benefits, taste and beautiful colour it adds to food and drinks. So the Butterfly Pea and Yuzu was a must-try for me. And it did not disappoint. In fact, it checked all the boxes in just about everything, from taste, colour, and the fizz from the soda to the presentation. Make sure you stir everything together before drinking; otherwise, you will not get that balanced blend between the two. The Oolong Lemon Tea, on the other hand, was much milder in taste and a good thirst quencher on a hot and sunny afternoon.
Brella Bakehouse Food Menu
Soup
We began the food order with Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (RM18). The soup was thick and rich with blended roasted tomatoes, basil, and herbs. It’s quite a textural soup with seeds and peel in the bowl. If you prefer a smoother cream, this is not for you, but if you like a chunkier style, give it a go.
Sandwiches
For sandwiches, we had the Turkey Ham and Cheese Sandwich (RM18), Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich (RM 20), and Spicy Mango and Beef Bacon Sandwich (RM23) made with the star ingredient – sourdough bread slices. All the sandwiches were nicely toasted, spongy and moist, with the perfect crust that complemented the soft, gooey cheese that came with it. Another must-try was the homemade flavoured butter of the day served with every slice of plain sourdough order. We got the parsley and lime butter, and it was heavenly!
Brella Bakehouse Main Menu
For something heartier, we tried the Brella Big Breakfast (RM 30), Seafood Tom Yum Pasta (RM 35), Cauliflower Alfredo Spaghetti (RM25), and Kimchi Fried Rice (RM 18). The chicken sausage in the big breakfast was surprisingly fragrant, soft, and tasty. The seafood that came with the tom yum pasta was generous and fresh. The heat in the tom yum was toned down, but still reserved a nice tingly kick on the tongue. The cauliflower alfredo spaghetti came with a tinge of black pepper. This dish was not really my cup of tea simply because I was never a fan of cauliflower and black pepper. But I believe those who like them should give it a go. The Kimchi Fried Rice was not too bad either. The Kimchi adds a nice crunch and tang to the overall dish, and the perfectly cooked egg yolk was irresistible, dribbling over the mound.
Sourdough Pizza
Brella Bakehouse’s sourdough pizza base is excellent, and the Satay Malaysia Boleh Sourdough Pizza (RM28) was a favourite among our team members. It came out of the kitchen with a fluffy, puffy crust that had the words “eat me” plastered all over it! The base was firm enough to hold the plentiful toppings without caving. Even with the chunky chicken cubes on the slice, the base held. It’s quite unlike the oversupply of supposed Neapolitan pizzas in KL, where it flops in the centre, and all the ingredients fall right off. Pizza at Brella is a tasty and tidy affair!
Pastries
So far, sourdough bread and pizza have been the showstoppers at Brella Bakehouse, but save some room for pastries – they have a whole counter of rotating recipes. My fave, hands down, was the Pain Au Suisse Ham & Cheese (RM12.80)! The sweetness and crunch of the pastry were in harmony with the saltiness and softness of the ham and cheese. The Strawberry Danish (RM8) came with a nice, thick vanilla-flavoured cream-filled centre and beautiful fresh strawberries, while the Pain Au Suisse Chocolate (RM11) was made with 65% dark chocolate filling, adding bittersweet notes to every bite.
Dessert
For me, a meal would never be complete without a great dessert, and in today’s case, it was two great desserts. Our sweet endings were Matcha Panna Cotta (RM8) and Oolong Panna Cotta (RM9), both served in cute little mason jars. The best way to eat them, as advised by Ella, is to dig deep, all the way down to the bottom of the jar, to make sure you scoop some of the concentrated flavours at the bottom with every mouthful of the soft, creamy, tea-infused puddings.
Brella Bakehouse Review
Brella Bakehouse is a must-visit for scrumptious sourdough bread, pizza and pastries. It is a cosy little bakery café in a quiet neighbourhood with nice chillax ambient music, quality premium coffee, friendly owners and baristas, and beautiful morning sun if you are an early riser. It’s a great place to hang out with friends, spend quality time with a book, and perhaps do some work if you would like. I am already planning my next visit, and I know who I will bring to enjoy a cuppa!
Reasons to visit Brella Bakehouse: a charming spot with welcoming vibes and French ambient music, good coffee, great sourdough bread and pizza. I’m returning for the Pain Au Suisse – Ham & Cheese, Butterfly Pea Yuzu Soda and Oolong Panna Cotta.
Brella Bakehouse
5G, Jalan SS 3/37, Taman University Garden
47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
+6 011 3990 4814
@brella_bakehouse
* BrElla is Muslim, vegetarian, and pet friendly.
Brella Bakehouse Opening Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Thursday: 8 am – 4 pm
Friday to Sunday: 8 am – 5 pm
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