A short walk from the Camera Museum is Passion Heart Homemade Delights. This bakery-cum-café is well-known for its delectable cake recipes, especially the Cempedak Cake and Durian Cake.
Besides a decent assortment of cakes, light meals like rice and sandwiches are also served in Passion Heart. On occasion, backpacking tourists also drop by for a cup of coffee or tea.
Passion Heart is not air-conditioned, therefore the dining hall can be quite warm in the afternoon. The eatery proudly declares that it is free from Wi-Fi service. I guess this policy is meant to keep the operating cost down.
My lunch is a plate of Nasi Lemak With Chicken (RM12.90), which is served not only in an awkwardly large plate, but also in a surprisingly generous portion. A heap of coconut milk (santan) rice is flanked by chicken with gravy, boiled egg, crackers, anchovies, roasted peanuts and fresh vegetables. The sheer amount of ingredients is worth the price tag.
The piece of chicken thigh and drumstick is flavored with sweet chili paste, which is blended in-house to maintain consistency. The chili is only mildly spicy, but surprisingly very appetizing and compatible with chicken. On the other hand, I feel that the chicken flesh is not as tender as what I prefer.
My choice of drink is a hot glass of Homemade Nutmeg (RM3.50). The unique flavor of nutmeg is certainly soothing to the throat especially during a hot day. Iced version of this drink is also available.
Passion Heart also vends concentrated nutmeg juice in sealed bottles. This nutmeg drink is locally produced in Balik Pulau. Each bottle is priced at RM25.00. In addition, homemade nutmeg jam is offered at RM12.00.
One of Passion Heart’s bestseller is Cempedak Cake, which is very fragrant when taken out of the oven. This no-frills cake is packed with genuine cempedak goodness despite its unassuming appearance.
The Durian Cake is also another popular choice. I feel that this cake gives better mouthfeel as the creamy durian flesh is more pronounced. Most Westerners despise the smell and taste of durian, but I recommend this cake to them as a stepping stone towards trying the actual fruit.
Last but not least, the Poppyseed Lemon Cake has pleasant citrus flavor which permeates throughout the cake. I also enjoy the unique mouthfeel of poppy seeds as they are crushed in my mouth.
Each of these cakes is sold for RM7.00 per slice. The entire cake (equivalent to 12 slices) is also available for RM80.00, but requires prior booking. Passion Heart takes phone orders and recommends 2 days’ notice in advance. According to the proprietor, these cakes are wildly popular among tourists from Singapore and Hong Kong.
The food at Passion Heart is reasonably priced when compared to nearby eateries. Despite this, food quality is uncompromised. Only natural ingredients are used in preparation of food and cakes. It is clear that the proprietor of Passion Heart is indeed passionate in baking, but does not seek to profiteer just because she can.
Address: 83, Lebuh Muntri, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 016-443-1336
Business hours: 12:00pm-11:00pm, closed on TuesdaysTaste