Update: This business has ceased its operations.

R’s Café & Dog Park just opened for business earlier this month. Located in Taman Mesra Permai, this pet-theme café is several doors away from Tiffin Cottage. A flight of stairs on the side lead to R’s Café on the upper floor.

In fact, R’s Café has been operating for some time until the end of last year. This new opening is under a new management. The proprietors are a couple who wish to combine their passion for cooking and their love for dogs.

R’s Café was named so because the previous batch of dogs all had names that start with the letter “R”. Interestingly, the new canines now have names that start with the letter “C”. Nevertheless, there are currently no plans to change the name of the café.

The six resident dogs here are Coby, Chloe, Charlie, Canon, Christine and Corner. They were all adopted from animal shelters. The owners have opted to raise dogs of smaller breeds in order to present a more kid-friendly atmosphere.

The dog-petting café is perfect for people who love dogs but are unable to have pets in their own homes. In addition, R’s Café also provides the opportunity for children to learn how to interact with animals.

R’s Café’s food menu consists mainly of Western dishes and snacks. For starters, go for a bowl of Mushroom Soup (RM6.90). Since the soup is prepared from actual mushrooms, it has a grainy consistency that is quite satisfying. Each bowl of soup comes with two slices of garlic bread.

Moving on to main dishes, Chicken Cordon Bleu (RM18.90) is an interesting choice. Butterflied breast is wrapped around chicken ham and cheese, and then fried with crispy breading. Like most main dishes, Chicken Cordon Bleu comes with garden salad and a generous serving of fries.

Next, Chicken Parmigiana (RM18.90) is essentially deep-fried chicken chop covered with tomato sauce and cheese. The dish is baked in an oven until the cheese melts. Chicken Parmigiana is served with salad and fries on the side.

The signature dish of R’s Café is Chicken Chop With Roasted Sesame Sauce (RM15.90). The sauce is similar to goma dressing in Japanese cuisine. I think the rich sauce is the perfect companion to fried chicken shop. The grilled version of this dish is also available.

I highly recommend Spaghetti With Roasted Sesame Sauce (RM15.90). Once again, the unique sauce finds a creative use in this pasta dish. Roasted sesame sauce has similar creaminess to carbonara but is richer in taste. The spaghetti is also served with chicken ham and cheese.

Homemade beverages include Lo Han Guo (RM4.00) and Iced Lemon Tea (RM4.50). Both drinks are perfect for quenching thirst. In addition, R’s Café is also planning to introduce espresso-based coffee in the near future.

Customers are allowed to bring their own pet dogs into R’s Café. After all, it is good for dogs to make new friends. However, pet owners must keep their dogs under close supervision. In addition, it is worth noting that R’s Café provides dog boarding services. The dog kennel is entirely cageless.

Name: R’s Café & Dog Park
Address: 10, Lorong Mesra Permai 4, Taman Mesra Permai, 13400 Butterworth, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 018-958-9043
Business hours: 12:00pm-10:00pm
Website: https://www.facebook.com/rscafendogpark
Coordinates: 5.43048 N, 100.39339 E
Directions: R’s Café is located in Taman Mesra Permai, Butterworth. The restaurant is several doors away from Tiffin Cottage and faces Jalan Ong Yi How. Street parking is available in front of the restaurant.

J-dog House & Cafe is a restaurant on the second floor of Arena Curve, Bayan Baru. The shop faces D’Piazza Mall and is within a short walking distance from Olive Tree Hotel and SPICE Arena.

This pet themed eatery combines a standard café with a petting zoo. The proprietor has several pet dogs that attracted celebrity interest. He started this business in early 2016 to allow fans to meet his dogs on regular basis. The main dining section is dog-free, but customers who are seated here can still view the petting zoo through windows on the side.

Let’s start the review with food and then move on to canine. For appetizers, the bowl of Mushroom Soup (RM9.90) is prepared from actual mushrooms; not from powder or cans.

Chicken Caesar Salad (RM15.90) is dressed in sweet-tangy barbecue sauce. Grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes and fried eggs are served over a bed of Romaine lettuce. Meanwhile, Mushroom Carbonara (RM21.90) relies on creamy carbonara sauce to bring spaghetti, shiitake mushrooms and shimeji mushrooms together.

As for poultry, Chicken Chop (RM18.90) centers on a piece of deep-fried chicken chop with Hainanese sauce. The gravy also contains carrot and potato cubes. Curly fries and vegetables are presented on the side.

Meanwhile, Pan Fried Fish Fillet (RM21.90) is dressed in cheese sauce and a twist of lemon for the acidic taste. Almond flakes provide a certain degree of crispiness. Like the previous dish, the fish fillet also comes with curly fries and vegetables.

Moving on to drinks, Rose Latte (RM12.90) is a hot drink made from espresso and milk. The coffee is also laced with rose syrup primarily for the floral aroma.

Freddo is a unique way to serve coffee – chilled but ice-free. This drink was popularized in Greece and is especially popular during summer. This mug of Mocha Frado (RM13.90) takes advantage of rich chocolate taste to appeal to cocoa lovers. Meanwhile, the chocolate foam on top acts as a heat insulator to the liquid drink below.

Should customers prefer a sweet chocolate drink with slushy consistency, the Ice-Blended Chocolate (RM16.90) plays this role. For visual appeal, the drink is topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips.

Iced Matcha Latte (RM14.90) is prepared from matcha powder, milk and sugar. I personally prefer matcha latte to be served hot in order to appreciate its bitter aftertaste.

Examples of other items on J-dog’s menu are croissants, sandwiches, cakes and fruit juices. The food at J-dog is entirely pork-free.

J-dog’s petting zoo is the main attraction for most people. Most customers do not have dogs of their own. Therefore, J-dog provides an avenue for people to interact with animals. Dog owners are also welcomed to allow their pets to socialize with the resident dogs here.

J-dog currently has more than 20 dogs of its own, but the dogs take turns to appear in the petting zoo. All resident dogs have names that start with the letter “J”.

For instance, Jerry the Samoyed is the patriarch of the pack. Meanwhile, Siberian Huskies Jillian and Jinny are inseparable as these siblings have been growing up together.

The dogs in the petting zoo are very sociable as they have been exposed to people since birth. As tempting as it is, please do not feed dogs with human food as they may become very ill. Instead, customers may purchase dog treats from the staff.

Besides the restaurant-cum-petting zoo, J-dog has a separate pet shop several units away. The back section of the pet shop is a boarding kennel – ideal for dog owners who need to leave their pets for several days. J-dog also provides dog grooming, training and breeding services.

Name: J-dog House & Cafe
Address: 72-2-33A, Arena Curve, Jalan Mahsuri, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-611-9903
Business hours: 10:00am-10:00pm, closed on Tuesdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/jdoghousecafe
Coordinates: 5.32580 N, 100.28115 E
Directions: J-dog is located on Level 2 of Arena Curve in Bayan Baru. The restaurant is across Persiaran Mahsuri from D’Piazza Mall. There are parking spaces around Arena Curve.