New Cafe In Penang - Swallow, The Saw Emporium

Posted by Shu Wen Friday 1 Dec 2017

Cafe hopping is a hit in Penang and new cafes never stop mushrooming since then. If you are a cafe hopper or looking for a nice place to chill with family or friends during the weekend. Here is one for you!

Swallow, The Saw Emporium

Used to be a sawmill, is now refurbished into a contemporary, minimalist concept cafe with unique furniture from Kian. I really love the spacious setting of the cafe which turns you into a relaxed mode instantly. As you step in, you will realise that each corner has a counter and each of it has a unique name.

As soon as you see the menu itself, you will understand why. The Saw Emporium serves as a hub which houses different F&B partners of different cuisine, not just an ordinary one but partners who are quite well-known and established.

They are:

- SOi 55: Traditional Thai cuisine with a contemporary twist

- Embers: presents the charred-BBQ cuisine fused with Asian style

- Teppei Syokudo: one of Singapore's best Japanese restaurant

- Qwenchers: offering fresh juices and chilled beverages

- TAPS Beer Bar: won the Best Beer Bar for the Bar Awards KL 2017

Swallow's Menu

It is really an interesting concept as it gathers the top F&Bs and allowing customers to satisfy its individual cravings in one go. They take orders at the Qwenchers counter. Once you placed your order, employing a self-service concept where you are required to collect them from the respective counters.

Roasted Pork with Fish Sauce Caramel + Add-on Fragrant Lemongrass Rice @ RM21

Introducing to you the Roasted Pork with Fish Sauce Caramel with Fragrant Lemongrass Rice from SOi 55. The roasted pork has a perfect balance of the lean meat and fats in its sweet caramel fish sauce. Juiciness from the fats and slightly tender from the lean meat creates the perfect bite as you eat them with the fragrant rice. While the sides is served with a salad in a sourish dressing.

Sesame Prawn Toast with Kaffir Lime Mayo @ RM15.50

Another dish from the SOi 55, the Sesame Prawn Toast with Kaffir Lime Mayo. Wow, this is totally a bomb! I would definitely recommend this because you are gonna fall in love with it on the very first bite - just like me!

Really crispy on the outside with prawn slices on it with a drizzle of Thai sweet and spicy sauce. Dip into its spectacular kaffir lime mayo sauce which gives off the aromatic hint from its lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. A perfect illustration of a contemporary Thai creation. Do not miss this one out on your visit!

From Left: Crispy Mantou @RM6, Tendon @RM28

Next, we have Tendon from Teppei Syokudo. Visually a little small in portion but in actual fact it is not. It is pretty filling after having all those tempuras in your tummy. It is a really straightforward dish with an assortment of fried tempuras and rice with a drizzle of savoury soy-like sauce. It has prawns, french beans, crabmeat, chicken, sweet potato and lady's finger tempuras.

I have also ordered crispy mantou. Definitely not much surprise you can get from it. But it's actually not that oily even though it is fried. I guess it would be a great combination with the BBQ delights offered by Embers!

Nanaberry Juice @ RM12

Meloncholy Juice @ RM12

For drinks, I have ordered a Nanaberry and a Meloncholy. They are literally thirst quenchers as the name depicts. Really refreshing and filling (without realising) Qwenchers serves a side variety of juices, milkshakes and boosters. So, check out for the right fruits combination for yourself!

Qwenchers Menu

The drink and chill session is here from Taps Beer Bar. You will never be out of options or I would say, you are gonna be overwhelmed with choices with its lined of beers imported from diverse countries like United Kingdom, Japan, Denmark, Australia and the United States.

If you have a large group of friends or gatherings, this would be a suitable place to chill at night with spacious space and setting. Night time opens the option of dining outdoor, enjoy the natural breeze and live music from the live band which uplifts the ambience. Plus, with the vintage lightings, it lights up a different atmosphere during the night.

Swallow, The Saw Emporium is located right beside Macallum Connoisseurs. No need to worry about parking lots as it provides a big space right behind the cafe.

If you turn in from the Jelutong Express highway, passing the Macallum Connoisseurs, turn left after the traffic light and you will notice the entrance as shown below.