Crave Cafe @ Oasis Ara Damansara

The plan of sleeping in that weekend was superseded by the lure of pancakes and chicken parmigiana. This is one of the earliest breakfast session I've had in awhile.

Crave Cafe

My first taste of Toby's Estate Arabian Coffee was in Toby's Estate, Robertson Quay Singapore. No pictures of the infamous coffee machinery there, but I sure do remember the gigantic metal tucked at one corner of the cafe.

Crave is an Australian inspired cafe and the only establishment that I've visited thus far, which uses Toby's coffee beans for their coffee. Do you know of any others in the Klang Valley?

I was there that early Sunday morning, together with the bloggers to sample some of Crave's offerings. And that - is a long time friend of mine, Jackson, and also the dude behind NomsterAds and Foodirector.

Coffee was clearly mandatory for me at that time and also for the rest of them at the table too. With coffee being their specialty here, I'm starting my review on the coffees.

Crave Cafe uses a blend of 100% arabica coffee beans, medium roasted and is only stored for 4-5 weeks for maximum flavors and freshness. For me, the cappuccino I had was very mild and smooth. One of my friends was raving on how good her flat white was.

Cappuccino/Flat White/Latte. Rm9.

Dirty Chai Latte. Rm12.

The dirty chai latte deserves a specific mention here. Essentially a mug of chai (chai syrup + milk) with a shot of Toby's coffee. This was fantastic - the blend works surprisingly well. It was sweet and bitter at the same time.

Crave's Big Breakfast. Rm22.

The big breakfast didn't felt that big nor did it looked exceedingly appetizing when served. The sauteed mushrooms however was nicely seasoned. Tweaking this slightly - a small helping of salad would give the platter a hint more color. Also, garlic toasts perhaps?

Pancakes with Caramelized Bananas & Maple Syrup. Rm10.

One of my favorites of the day! The layers of fluffy pancakes may looked simple but it was scrumptious. The crunchy bits of caramelized sugar on top especially. Not sure if it was meant to be but those were really addictive.

Eggs Benedict with Avocado Spread.

The avocado mash tasted fresh and had grains of avocado in it. As fresh as it could be, it was lacking in seasoning and tasted a little bland. The sprinkles of feta cheese on top however, added a nice twang to the overall dish. 

Salmon Scramble. Rm15.

Who doesn't love smoked salmon? The thick slices of Norwegian smoked salmon could have been a bit more smokier but I really didn't mind. Salmon-being-salmon.

Seabass in Spicy Cream Sauce. Rm15.

Having seabass instead of the usual dory was a fantastic idea. Cut into chunks, the fish was moist, nicely flaked and crumbed, and topped with spicy cream sauce. Oddly, the nicely seasoned grilled vegetables stood out a little more for me.

Green Pesto Chicken. Rm18.

I wasn't too keen on the pasta, but the pesto itself was nicely done and the chicken was tender and flavorful. Like all pesto's however, this could be quite rich towards the end.

 Chicken Parmigiana. Rm22.

This was an abundant affair. Two massive slabs of chicken meat! The texture was a little dry since it was baked rather than deep fried but I was glad at the healthier option. The edges had a nice crunch to it and the cheese melted perfectly on top. About the sauce - the tomato puree was disappointingly watery.

Carrot Slice. Rm7.

Nutella Mille Crepe. Rm10.

Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake. Rm10.

Oreo Mille Crepe. Rm10.

Of the cakes I had that afternoon, my favorite would have to be the nutella mille crepe. It had toothsome textures, not too creamy and mushy, and everyone loves nutella right? The rest of the cakes however, are temporarily negligible.

Overall Rating: 7/10. Like most independent cafes, tweaking the menu is an ongoing task. Here, you will see a year-long roll out of new dishes, but rest assured though, the good stuff are always here to stay. On that note, the breakfast and brunch offerings would probably need tweaking since it's still quite new to the menu, but the main dishes are good and is definitely here to stay. 

My pick of the meal would have to be the dirty chai latte, the pancakes, chicken parmigiana, seabass in spicy cream sauce and the nutella mille crepe. If you are looking for a breakfast and brunch cafe in Oasis Ara Damansara, besides the overrated Mr and Ms Cafe that is, this place would be a nice alternative. There's a leather couch and sofa seats, a nice chilling spot for coffee-after.

Crave Cafe is located at:

Address: BG-03 Oasis Square, Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Phone: +6017-252 8568

Opening Hours: Daily 8am-8pm, Friday-Saturday 8am-11pm.