The Hippest Hotel + the Grandest Old Town White Coffee in Ipoh

Folks, Ipoh was a pitstop for the lions en-route home. And sorry to gush, but the lions had one of the best hotel stay experiences at what must be the hippest hotel in town. And after the trip, the lioness found out that it's currently managed by a Singapore-based hotel management company as well. Blushing with Pride! If you love shopping and coffee, then you will have your desires instantly gratified under one roof here.

The word "boutique" has oft been misused in recent times to market dull and insipid small hotels that throw in the obligatory feature wall, feebly attempting to wow already blase guests with a gaudy show of colours and market-bought wall prints. The M Boutique Hotel in Ipoh, on the other hand, just oozes that sophisticated grace from every pore effortlessly without coming across as too esoteric and needy.

In fact, it pushes the boundary of what a typical hotel should look like from the frontage to the reception area and ahem the washrooms. No wonder it's the trendy venue a la mode for local couples taking their wedding shots.   

Nope you are not walking into a shopping mall... ...

This hotel certainly plays on the word "boutique" to its full splendour.  
And what great business sense it makes too! All merchandise items that you
see in the window can be bought from the in-house shop that curates a wide
selection of curios from around the world and labels them shrewdly under its
hip name.

Hotel's Motto.

What else but sleek Apple Computers to up the style quotient at the reception.
The hotel pays homage to the country's colonial past by taking inspiration
from the Straits Eclectic look, vintage elements are melded with contemporary
flair. Love the apothecary-like cabinets in the background and sweets for guests
in huge glass jars.

Jerry cans have never look so swank. Lol.

The shopping has already began for the lioness who grabbed a very very
reasonably priced (yah have to justify her spree!) vegetable oil-based candle
that smelt like the ocean.

Keycard.

The lions stayed on the Adventure floor that was inspired by Malayan safaris
of yore. Suits them real fine to a T :) with a primal touch of the wild seen on
walls and in furnishings.

Voguish details.

The baby lions are thrilled.

Taking a walk around the Adventure floor... ...

Self service laundry.

Reading the news with a fine gym in the background.

Pictures like these, including those of other wild beasts dot the
Adventure floor.

 Heading down to the ground floor and boutique to explore... ...

 Myth Eatery & Bar:

Hotel Lobby at Night:

Turn down gift: night snacks in mini jars. Yawn! Time to
hit the comfy bed.

Rise and shine! Breakfast at Old Town Grand, prolly the most luxe outlet that you'll ever find (one can purchase a tote bag and their signature bread here). Reminiscent of a traditional French brasserie... ...Oh and breakfast at this sexy dark panelled joint comes with the night's stay. Alternatively, dine with your breakfast voucher at Myth Eatery & Bar for delicious Western favourites.

Checking out. Sayonara.

M Boutique Hotel is newly minted and less than eight months old; the lions heard that MediaCorp artiste and franchise owner of Old Town White Coffee back in the Lion City, Mark Lee, was a guest just days before the lions arrived.

M Boutique Hotel

2 Hala Datuk 5
Ipoh, Perak,

31650 Malaysia

http://www.mboutiquehotels.com/

The Moo Moo Milk Roll at Yardley Pastry

The lions first stumbled upon a Yardley Pastry roll at My Liberica Coffee in Johor Bahru. It was a simple mango blancmange roll made with fresh mango puree whose fluffy texture and clean-tasting notes won much praise from the hardcore coffee drinkers at the table. They deemed it a refined version of Singapore's lauded Rich & Good swiss roll.

One weekend afternoon, the lions finally made their way with family to the actual cafe, hoping for another bite of the delectable Japanese inspired milk roll.

Nope. Yardley's not, in any way, connected to stiff upper
lip Britannia though we love the unintentional association
with the great manufacturerer of quality soaps. Rather, it's
named after the owner who's a local Chinese dude. Yup
you heard us right.

Nothing's really refined about the location, facade,
signboard and, you will soon find out, the interior.
They let the quality of their star product do all the
talking instead.

Head up the stairway flanked by framed news coverage
and some form of art pieces.

Well-loved by the local press.

Menu comes in the form of a vintage-looking
photo album.

Yardley Pastry takes pride in the quality of their
Japanese style rolls. Only fresh milk is used during the
baking process and it is not diluted by a single drop of
water as claimed. No artificial colouring or preservatives
are used as well.

Very simple and almost utilitarian decor and furnishings.
Wished that they would actually play on the name and go
for a cosy English cottage theme instead. Wouldn't that be perfect?

An amazingly extensive range of
flower teas to complement the light milk rolls.

The tiramisu cake here is made with My Liberica's
dark roast beans. What a creative partnership!
Would have preferred it laced more heavily with alcohol
but no complaints! A must-try is the silky smooth panna
cotta in the original flavour as well.

Denim-clad server presenting the pretty-in-pink
star product - Strawberry Dairy Roll - with
cutsy moo moo spots.

They indulged in 3 selected flavours:
Spinach Cheese (too funky tasting),
Black Sesame Blancmange (too light and mild),
and the Strawberry Dairy Roll (gooooood!).
There are approximately 12 flavours to choose from
which makes it a tough decision for capricious eaters.
Pick also from the milk roll series (cream filling) or the
blancmange series (pudding-like centre).
The lions still preferred the mango blancmange over these
3 flavours!

The latte made with My Liberica beans wasn't executed
so well. You might want to stick to the teas instead.

A "Blooming" Flower Tea. Wait for it... ...

Jasmine Pomelo Tea.

... ... to open and unveil it's glorious colours.

Sorry that we snuck some CNY crab stick goodies in here.

A pretty wall picture of their Strawberry Dairy Roll.

Yardley Pastry's interior.

If there's any gripe, it's that prices are a little steep and certain flavours are so mild, the nuances are lost if refrigerated for too long. Otherwise, these rolls are light on the waist line and palate. A great place for dessert lovers.

Yardley Pastry

161A, Jalan Sri Pelangi
80400 Taman Pelangi
Johor Bahru
Malaysia.