Shimmer Shine Cafe @ Sek. 52, PJ New Town - Okaylah

I am regularly around the PJ New Town and PJ Old Town area. Despite it being a food hub among other thing with its variety of restaurants serving an variety of cuisine, new additions in the area are a rarity. So, when I saw this new cafe, I looked forward to giving it a try.

Shimmer Shine, the name itself got me excited. If you have younger siblings or kids around you, females especially, you’d probably have caught them watching the kiddie show on Nickelodeon with the same name – Shimmer and Shine. So, that got me curious. Perhaps this could be their new ‘lepak’ spot when we hang out next. I am pretty sure just from the name alone, they’d be jumping for joy.

From the outside, driving past, you wouldnt be able to see much or through the cafe, to know what it was about. For some reason, I thought it was going to be bigger than it was. The cafe consisted of indoor and ourdoor area. The outdoor section seem to have more space. I would have sat there but we visited during the day and it was simply too heaty to do so. Last thing I need is to sweat profusely while eating, lol. So inside we sat.

When we first arrived, besides two other tables, the rest was empty. So, we had our pick on where to sit. There was one person manning the counter. Communicating with that person was a little frustrating. Usually, when we drop by a cafe or a restaurant and we want the whole decision making process on what to order easier, we usually ask the waiter “what is popular here” or “what is good here”. We did the same thing here but only got an answer after the 7th time having to repeat. The guys response ranged between “huh?” “Huh, like?” “Popular?” … cue facepalm emoticon, please. For some reason, the questions were difficult for him to comprehend. So, I made it even easier by breaking it down – what is good for dessert, popular waffle? What is good for main meals? What is the popular pasta? I honestly do not know if he was blur? Or is he has issues with his hearing? Or if he was going through something personal that caused him to focus all his attention inwardly, good thing we were both pretty chilled, so the whole episode passed without any war of words.

Harley Queen, RM 25

Despite being not much of a help, the waiter did assist a little when it came to which waffle was a crowd favorite. I was told that it was Harley Queen. Why is this dish the most popular among their waffles, I may never know. I did not like it or rather, it was tolerable but not worth the RM 25 I paid. First of all, according to the menu, I would be served 3 scoops of gelato – vanilla, chocolate, strawberry. If it actually was gelato, then I would totally understand spending 25 ringgit as gelato tend to be pricier than ice cream. This was not gelato though, this was ice cream. It was not even one of those homemade and/or gourmet ice cream, nope. It tasted like a basic store bought dessert. So, it was fair to say that I felt like I was ripped off. Dissapointing. Lets just say I walked away not understanding why Harley Queen is supposedly their most popular waffle dish as well as how they could possible assume what they served me was gelato instead of ice cream. The texture itself was telling. I would not reorder Harley Queen. The waffle base itself was neither thin or thick, it was normal. You would get a nice drizzle of chocolate syrup as well as a good amount of sliced bananas. Minus the gelato blunder, the other items on the plate was decent. I would rather forego it the next time nevertheless.

The Gypsy, RM 28

The chicken burger was pretty good. It came with a large patty that was thick, juicy and flavorful. Besides that, it also included cheddar cheese, goulash, lettuce, tomatoes, burger buns and guacamole. With a side of fries, this dish as a whole was pretty nice. Almost good enough for me to overlook the issue I had with the dessert.

I would most probably give this cafe a miss the next time. However, as I was leaving, around 3 pm, I did notice that the indoor section of this cafe was fully occupied. This leads me to believe that perhaps this a well liked neighborhood cafe. Maybe the dishes I ordered were not the best choice despite being recommended? Maybe I should give it another chance?