This is Cafe ETC.
Besides the bold signage fronting the century-old building, there is not much else to its outer appearance. But, don’t be too quick to judge, for inside is a spacious and cooling dining area with high ceilings and industrial-inspired décor.
By 6.30pm, hungry diners are straggling in after a hard day’s work, looking to soothe their frayed nerves. They’ve come to the right place – ETC is an unpretentious café serving great-tasting food at truly reasonable prices.
Mun Keong, co-owner of ETC, was originally a designer before taking on the behemoth task of running a cafe.
“My partner and I enjoy spending our free time cafe hopping and trying out different food. Before this building was converted into a cafe, it was an art gallery,” he tells FMT, adding that he instantly fell in love with the place and broached the idea to his partner about opening a café right in this spot.
“I wanted to maintain the nostalgia that the building already had so I just touched it up with a few decorations like the typewriter, ladder and antique chair,” Mun Keong explains.
Why the name ETC? Mun Keong says it’s to signify the many possibilities of utilising the space for different events. More than just a café, he says the space can be used to hold exhibitions, live music or flea markets.
But for now, this space is dedicated to filling empty bellies with good old-fashioned soul food.
The crowd favourites are the salted egg chicken, ETC breakfast, aglio olio pasta and burnt cheesecake, the latter being Mun Keong’s own secret recipe which he took time to perfect.
So, supposing you’re just in time for tea, ETC has two delicious and sinful desserts made in-house.
Forget your diet and dive into the Chocolate Lava Cake, that to be honest, looks too beautiful to eat. But eat you must as it’s rich, light and literally melt-in-your mouth delicious.
The molten centre makes for a great presentation when the cake’s cut, eliciting “oohs” and “aahs” from everybody at the table. Served with a scoop of premium vanilla ice-cream, what’s there not to like?
According to Mun Keong, the Burnt Cheesecake is ETC’s signature dessert – and for good reason.
Served chilled with a dollop of thick cream on the side, the cheesecake is incredibly rich in flavour and smooth in texture. Capped with a dark brown crusted layer that gives the dessert its name, a mouthful will send you to heaven and back.
Missed breakfast this morning? Or craving breakfast for dinner? The ETC Breakfast is available all day and is the definition of being bang for your buck.
The breakfast set is appetising, to say the least, with scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, ham, hash browns. Along with it is a pot of yoghurt topped with homemade granola.
Portions are satisfyingly generous, and it might be hard to consider which part of the breakfast set is worthy of being its highlight because everything is just so good.
Seafood lovers cannot and should not miss out on the Sea Bass Creamy, which combines a delicious slab of grilled fish together with creamy pasta.
A homely dish, the pasta is drenched in cream and makes for a delicious meal that you will want to wrap around your fork before slurping it into your mouth.
Hence, with the addition of the fresh sea bass, this dish is something that will be sure to leave you sated and satisfied.
The Salmon “Cajun” is yet another seafood dish that is not to be missed, with flavours that are just as exquisite as they are tantalising. A large cut of salmon is served alongside a luscious dollop of mashed potato, and together, they are coated with a tangy “Cajun” sauce.
Special mention has to go out to the mashed potato which is so soft and light that it would put other mashed potatoes preparations to shame.
Perhaps you’re looking for something bite-sized? The Mushroom Beef Burger should be worthy of your attention.
Made with delicious and juicy Australian beef, the patty is grilled to perfection that you will want to savour every bite. The mushrooms are aplenty adding an umami taste to the burger.
With such an array of delicious food, there is definitely a little something for everyone here in ETC.
In the mood to unwind with a cocktail or two? Just head upstairs to Rentak, a cocktail bar and music space – whether you’re into jazz, funk, soul or disco, Rentak’s got you covered.
Cafe ETC
198, Jalan Tun HS Lee
City Centre
50000 Kuala Lumpur
Operating hours:
10am – 9pm (closed on Mondays)