GEORGE TOWN, Sept 4 — The Hawaiian Plum is a cheerful yellow smoothie bowl topped with fresh strawberries, granola and a generous amount of chia seeds. I scooped a spoonful of the pineapple-yoghurt-dates blend into my mouth and instantly, my tastebuds were singing.
I could almost hear my insides thanking me for the respite from the grease, spice, and strong flavours I had been stuffing myself with in just two short days of exploring George Town. The pineapple gave a zesty, refreshing lift while the berries and crunchy granola provided satisfying crunch.
As fitness fiends agree, smoothie bowls are their new best friends on the “eat clean” trail, an enjoyable and nutrient-packed way to consume fresh fruits, super foods, dairy and fibre.
In the Klang Valley, they’re a growing trend and I have my regular spots to get my fix. I must admit I wasn’t expecting to find them in Penang, or maybe that’s because all I could think about were char kuay teow, wantan mee and nasi kandar.
Shia’s Homemade Granola was thus a wonderful surprise, a hidden gem in an unexpected location — practically hidden at a corner of India House, an Art Deco building with a dreamy grey stone facade.
Unlike Whiteaways Arcade across the road with its cafes and gallery spaces or the George Town Dispensary a hop away that’s been refurbished to a striking appearance, there’s little about India House that will make you look twice and even less to draw visitors in.
But walk around its periphery, along Gat Lebuh Gereja, and you will be greeted by Shia’s handpainted wooden signage listing out their menu and a bunting as well as a poster of their smoothie bowls.
It’s a tiny lot with a rather busy-looking front that’s all glass, which affords a glimpse into the cosy space and retail offerings. Hung above are framed posters with catchy statements such as “May the Fork Be With You” and “Eat Healthy Think Better”, alluding to their approach to healthy eating.
Shia’s Homemade Granola opened just three months ago, named after Alishia Lim, who runs the cafe with her husband Ke Wynn Lee. “We have actually been selling our granolas for three years now,” Alishia revealed, “mostly through friends and also online. I started making them for Wynn, because he didn’t like commercial brands.”
Wynn was, at the time, actively participating in endurance sports. Marathons, Ironman, Viper, Spartan — you name it, he has probably done it all. “Granola is great for athletes as it provides sustainable energy over a long period of time,” Wynn explained. “Carbohydrates such as bread and rice give you a sugar rush and then when it crashes, you tend to feel sleepy.”
But, he cautioned, there is a downside to store-bought granolas: They tend to be high in sugar and calories. Unable to find healthier alternatives, Shia began making her own to meet Wynn’s requirements.
Her granolas uses less oil and sugar (she uses brown sugar and honey), and contains more nuts and seeds. Word spread among friends and soon Shia was making them to sell, on a small scale.
Their granolas come in six variants, including the unique Savory Rye that’s flavoured with Parmesan and mixed herbs, recommended as a topping for salads and omelettes. The granolas can also be enjoyed in the form of rice puff squares and bars, which Shia started making as a healthy snack for their five-year-old daughter.
When they decided to open the cafe, they had to build a menu that went beyond granola but kept it as their star offering. It’s featured in all their smoothie bowls as well.
Besides the Hawaiian Plum, there are five other options: Very Strawberry, Peachy Mango, PB Coco Banana, Dragon Pear and Caramel Banana. Each is a refreshing combination that’s equally pleasing to the eye. You can combine any two into a Jumbo Bowl.
Shia’s also serves Nutri Jars (chia seed puddings), parfait, almond milk, Spa Water (infused with fruits, vegetables and herbs) and three toast-based dishes. The Nutty Jelly is recommended; a simple but satisfying sourdough sandwich with banana slices, peanut butter, strawberry jam, and granola.
Those are best enjoyed on the spot, although there are limited seats inside the cafe. There’s a bench that can seat three comfortably, a stool by the bar where you place your orders, and when the weather is not too hot outside, they will provide you with cushions to sit on the steps in front of the cafe.
Their customers don’t seem to mind at all, with many having become regulars in the last few months and most preferring to takeaway. As I sat finishing my smoothie bowl, a local woman walked in and snapped up the last few bottles of their pure vanilla almond milk.
Shia also makes salted caramel and chocolate sauces that are sold by the jars. These are displayed on the retail shelf along with their granola range, as well as various other health food items by small-time local producers, which are sold on consignment.
“We faced so much rejection when trying to get our granolas stocked by other outlets when we started,” Wynn recalled. “So when we opened this cafe, we wanted to be a platform for others.”
They include Carver’s nut butters (the peanut butter features in their Nutty Jelly), Rudy’s Ginger Beer, cookies by The After Meal, SK Almond Biscotti, Smooshie juices, and floral teas and infusions by The Tea Factory. An interesting item is the homemade Worcestershire sauce under the H&T brand, made up of Shia’s parents’ initials. The sauce is her father’s recipe.
The variety of health food they have managed to fit within the tiny shoplot is impressive. For health enthusiasts, it’s a little piece of heaven where everything feeds the “eat clean” lifestyle and you can even get tips from Wynn and Shia; both have worked as fitness instructors, and Wynn is also a personal trainer now.
In fact, fitness has been a big part of his life since he was in his teens. Growing up a chubby child, he turned things around when he was about 17 and has not looked back since.
They also have had short stints in the food and beverage line, so with this cafe, Shia and Wynn are not only returning to their roots but bringing everything together. It’s a true case of walking the talk and living the life they believe in.
Although, the cafe didn’t fall into place by design. The couple had already been occupying the space, which used to be Shia’s father’s shop. He was a framer, which is why they have chosen to decorate the cafe with multiple frames.
You will also notice studio backdrops and ceiling lighting tracks on the ceiling as Wynn was using the unit as his photography studio. An accomplished wedding photographer, he travelled the world, shooting up to 40 weddings a year. Shia, who trained as a designer, had her own agency doing creative branding and packaging work.
Shia would work at this space, then run home to bake her granolas as and when orders came in. It soon proved to be an impractical arrangement, while Wynn was having difficulty convincing clients to buy into his style of portraiture that were minimalist and natural, versus the fancy get-ups and thematic backdrops that locals lean towards.
The couple were ready to give up the space, but Shia’s father wasn’t. He had been renting it for some 20 years prior to that and wanted to maintain their presence there. After mulling it over for a few months, all the while paying rent, the couple decided to simply do what they already know.
Shia’s Homemade Granola the cafe was up and running within a month and a half. With budget constraints, practically everything was done in-house. Shia and Wynn combined their talents and did all of the cafe’s promotional materials, while Shia’s father handled the carpentry work.
It would seem that things fell into place very easily but the going has not been easy. They buy some of their supplies in Kuala Lumpur as those items are not available in Penang, which adds to their cost.
On top of that, the local market is still small as awareness is limited. “When we started selling three years ago, not many locals were eating granola. Even now, it’s not easy to get people to try,” Shia lamented.
On the other hand, Western tourists, being familiar with this kind of health food, have no hesitation walking in. They have also had a customer who bought up to 20 kilograms of their granolas to bring back to New Zealand, and told them that their peanut butter variant is better than any that he’s tried. TallyPress named them as one of Malaysia’s top 10 healthy snack brands.
It’s things like these that help Shia and Wynn stay motivated and keep going. For now, they are maintaining their product range and hope to get stocked at retail outlets in Kuala Lumpur.
Shia’s may be, as people have pointed out, several years ahead of their time for the local market. But for those who appreciate homemade healthy goodness or when you need a breather from the typically greasy local food, look for this little corner cafe at India House.
Shia’s Homemade Granola
1 India House, Gat Lebuh Gereja,
George Town, Penang
Tel 012-455 6769
Website www.shiasgranola.com
Opening hours Refer to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/shiasgranola/
Vivian Chong believes in eating clean... at least once in a while. Follow her food and other adventures at http://thisbunnyhops.com/
