RaRa Coffee, Bandar Utama’s charming plant-happy cafe, now has a second dedicated outlet in Desa Sri Hartamas. It’s not as large as the Utama outlet, so there may be a wait during peak brunch times.
Ambience & Amenities
RaRa has a greenhouse chic to it, with exposed beams shaped like a gable roof. The large windows along one wall look out onto a flourishing garden, and numerous potted plants add to the ambience. The indoor space has a mix of standard and high tables. The setup gets more quirky on the outside patio, with rattan furniture and Japanese-style floor seating.
The toilets are behind the heavy steel door to the left of the barista counter. The washroom is a dimly lit room with two unisex stalls with sitting toilets. Be warned that the communal sink is unnecessarily unintuitive. It’s shaped like an arch, and at first I thought it was a weird, modern art urinal. Turn the “faucet” on the right to get the water flowing onto the arch’s peak. It’s a long arm’s reach to the soap dispenser on the left. It is automatic, so you don’t have to look for any fancy hidden buttons. Finally, the paper towels are next to the soap in the same concealed compartment.
Important to note: RaRa has a back entrance with direct access to Jalan Sri Hartamas 22! Driving through Desa Sri Hartamas is a slow and tedious experience. Jalan Sri Hartamas 22 is often an empty road, and there’s street parking near the cafe’s back entrance that you can use to avoid being double-parked.
Menu at RaRa Coffee Hartamas
Click on menu pictures to enlarge
The RaRa Coffee menu is distinctly brunch-y, but there is a decent selection of rice bowls and burgers if you’re not feeling eggs or waffles. Filtered water is free. There is a communal dispenser by the toilets, along with cups and large bottles.
Food at RaRa Coffee Hartamas
The Unagi Don (RM38) is surprisingly good value for the amount of fish you get. There’s a big slab of unagi resting on top of an omelette, blanketing the rice underneath. The unagi was very soft – I would’ve preferred it if it were a touch firmer. The taste was rich with umami and light teriyaki flavours. The cucumber ribbons and glass noodles were awkward to eat, since they kept sticking together. I’d try to pinch a small bundle, but the entire pile and all the tobiko would come along with it. We just pushed it aside and ate after the meal to make it easier.
The Waffle Chicken Sandwich (RM26) is huge. There’s no way anyone’s jaw can unhinge this widely to eat it like a sandwich. I ate it with a fork and knife, so I didn’t look like a monster trying to get my mouth around this thing. The chicken was juicy on the inside but with a satisfying, extra-crunchy skin. The fluffy waffle, true to its heart shape, had a bit of sweetness to it. Instead of syrup, spicy aioli and gooey runny yolk kept the dish from being too dry. I’d say the taste is better than VCR Cafe‘s chicken and waffles. However, my only complaint is that there are not enough waffles for the amount of chicken.
Saturday Worthy?
We could see ourselves visiting again. Desa Sri Hartamas is full of Korean restaurants and nasi kandars. RaRa Coffee brings a much-needed classy brunch option to the area.
Price for 2 Pax: RM109.05
Unagi Don: RM38.00
Waffle Chicken Sandwich: RM26.00
Cold Pressed Orange Juice: RM15.00
Cappuccino (Single Origin): RM15.00
10% Service: RM9.40
6% SST: RM5.64
Rounding: RM0.01
RaRa Coffee Hartamas
Address: 22, Jalan 30/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm Monday to Friday, 8am – 10pm Saturday & Sunday
Alcohol Served: No
