Twenty One Grams @ PJ New Town - A Neighborhood Cafe

For those who're unfamiliar with the PJ old town and new town area - you may get lost coming here.

You see, when the whole one-way loop system was implemented, it got everyone confused, me included. At times like these, Waze always come in handy, but when an road split four ways instead of two, Waze gets thrown off guard too. Is it the first left or the second left highlighted route? To top that, it really doesn't help to have a horrible sense of direction too. Needless to say, I got to my destination, slightly later than anticipated but still in time for a great brunch session and catch up with my friends.

Twenty One Grams Cafe

Twenty One Grams is barely two months old and eagerly expanding - new branch opening at Jaya One soon! Here, parking spaces are scarce during working hours but ample in the evenings and weekends.

I thought the cafe was very tastefully decorated. Furnishings may looked simple but blend in harmoniously well together. This is the kind of place that I wouldn't mind spending my whole afternoon at - just sipping tea and having a plate of all-day breakfast.

Photography enthusiast, the place would be a delight to you too, plenty of natural lighting here.

Honey Lemon. Rm8.90.

Mocha (Rm10.90). Cappuccino (Rm9.90).

Coconut Mocha. Rm15.90.

Drinks are marginally pricier, averaging about 15% more. This coconut mocha sounded like an interesting blend, but sadly, it wasn't of my fancy. It was rich and thick with just a tiny hint of coconut aftertaste.

Tempura Calamari Rings. Rm10.90.

Deep fried calamari rings that was good on its own, but great if there were sprinkles of spiced seasoning on top.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup. Rm10.90.

What a huge bowl of pumpkin soup! This photograph really didn't justify the portion served. The soup was creamy yet not too thick and the pumpkin seeds added a nice crunchy texture to it. We really enjoyed this!

The Farmers Pancake Stack. Rm17.90.

Next, pancake stack - fried egg, hashbrown, turkey ham, rockets and sauteed mushrooms - which could do with a hint more sauteed-ing.

Philly Cheese Steak. Rm19.90.

The least favorite of today's brunch - the char-grilled steak strips were chewy; the caramelized onions felt overnight; the ciabatta just made the entire sandwich drier than already is. Tweak: the meat obviously, and perhaps some barbecue sauce? Loads and loads of that please.

Spaghetti Marinara. Rm16.90.

We also shared a pasta which turned out to be the rockstar of today's meal! Hearty seafood servings drenched in very well seasoned tomato sauce. If there's one dish I would come back for, it would be this.

 Cajun Grilled Chicken. Rm19.90.

Not exactly something I'd order for brunch - grilled cajun chicken served with garlic butter rice.

Churros & Espresso Chocolate. Rm10.90.

We talked about the pain of scouting for good churros. So when we saw this being offered in their menu, we gleamed, only to be disappointed yet again in the end. It was oily, really-really oily. 

Nutella & Banana Crepe. Rm13.90.

Delectable and delicate slices of crepe folded with spreads of nutella and banana. If my tummy have permitted, I would've finished this all by myself!

Overall Rating: 7/10. The dishes I sampled today felt hearty and comforting. Being a new cafe, there are still some teething tweaks that can be improved on, but I'm sure things would work out on its own in the next couple of months. I'm certainly looking forward to the opening of their new outlet at Jaya One soon. My favorites of today would be the Roasted Pumpkin Soup, Spaghetti Marinara and Nutella & Banana Crepe.

Twenty One Grams is located at:

Address: 7, Jalan 52/16, PJ Newtown, 46200 PJ.

Phone: 03-7931 6407

Opening Hours: 10am - 11pm Daily. Closed Monday.