An underrated brunch cafe with a fresh new location
Watercolour Bakery & Cafe had been a mainstay at its old location at Mont Kiara Meridin for almost eight years. When they suddenly disappeared in 2022, I thought it was forever – another victim of the harsh pandemic. I was a bit glad to see that they had quietly relocated to the brand new The Ooak Suites at 163 Kiara. You might have written off this old cafe, but with a classy new space and an updated menu, Watercolour Bakery & Cafe is worth giving a second chance.
Ambience & Amenities
The easiest way to get to the new Watercolour Bakery & Cafe is through 163 Retail Park. Take the escalators to the top floor where the Mr. DIY is. At the far end of the rooftop is the entrance to The Ooak Suites that is open to everyone during the day. The Watercolour Bakery will be on your right once you enter through the doors.
Watercolour Bakery’s new location is much more intimate, cosy and cleaned up. There are only about six to ten tables in the relatively small room. Booths line the wall on the right, while some high tables look out on to the roof of 163 Retail Park. The old art piece of the two lovers holding hands is the only thing to survive the move from the old Meridin location.
There is no toilet in the cafe, but the washrooms are very close by and much more convenient than the ones at the Meridin location. Exit Watercolour cafe and turn right. The washrooms will be on the right before the door leading outside. These are brand new condo toilets, so they were very nice and clean.
Menu at Watercolour Bakery & Cafe
Watercolour Bakery & Cafe’s menu has gotten a makeover with fancy new laminated sheets. Much of the food remains the same but there are a few interesting new additions like croffles and hot seafood sandwiches. The prices have gone up by a couple of ringgit to match the more upscale surroundings. Water is free, but you have to ask for it. The water comes in small glasses, but the staff are pretty good at keeping them refilled.
Click on menu pictures to enlarge
The new Watercolour Bakery seems to have less of a focus on takeaway loaves of bread, but they are still available to buy. Instead, their cabinets heavily feature small snacks like cake slices, cookies and curry puffs.
Food at Watercolour Bakery & Cafe
The Pu Er Teh Tarik (RM9) is a new addition to the menu and came with a small biscotti. I was surprised at its subdued flavour since Teh Tarik in restaurants are always so sweet. This one tasted like a milky tea. If there is sugar in this, there’s very little compared to usual Teh Tarik. I was going to add more sugar packets, but decided against it since the tea was so pleasant.
The Salmon Scrambled & Croissant (RM23) had big squares of smoked salmon that were gradually being cooked by the hot eggs. The scrambled eggs were fluffy and still a bit runny. The croissant came with packets of strawberry jam and unsalted butter (seriously, people who butter their bread with unsalted butter are weird). The croissant was soft and satisfyingly chewy.
The Grilled Shrimp Brioche (RM24) is stuffed full of big chunks of shrimp and garnished with alfafa sprouts on top. The shrimp was lightly cooked so the pieces were very tender and had a bit of sweetness. There was an impressive spice level to the chilli aioli that got me on the first bite. The brioche bun had a wonderful texture and I’d love to try the other items on the menu that include this bread. This sandwich was delicious and I would order this again. On the side was a mixed salad with balsamic vinaigrette.
Saturday Worthy?
Watercolour Bakery & Cafe at The Ooak Suites is such an improvement in every way over their Meridin location. This new space feels more inviting and like the kind of place where you can sit for hours reading a book. The food portions are small and a bit expensive, but the dishes look and taste so much better now. I hardly ever wanted to go to the old Watercolour as the food was too simple and I didn’t care for the ambience. Now, Watercolour Bakery & Cafe will probably become a regular lunch spot for us.
Price for 2 Pax: RM66.00
Americano: RM10.00
Pu Er Teh Tarik: RM9.00
Salmon Scrambled & Croissant: RM23.00
Grilled Shrimp Brioche: RM24.00
Watercolour Bakery & Cafe
Location: Lot 05-07, The Ooak Suites, Kiara 163, No. 5, Jalan Kiara 4, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours: Daily, 8am – 6pm
Alcohol Served: No
