PETALING JAYA, Feb 21 — We are welcomed by pristine white walls softened by generous stretches of wood panelling, lending the space a gentle, unforced warmth.
Another weekend, another rarer opportunity for friends to set busy schedules and catch up.
Yet before the décor fully registers, it is the aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries that commands our attention. Consider this a subtle but persuasive invitation.
In an era when bakery-cafés seem to appear overnight in every neighbourhood, Granule has chosen a more discreet approach.
Tucked into a back corner of 3 Two Square in Section 19, PJ, it still feels like a place discovered rather than advertised.
That sense of discovery, however, along with its hidden gem status, is unlikely to last long, given the quality of what emerges from its ovens.
We begin with their sourdough bread, served simply with butter, accompanied by a smattering of sea salt and cracked black pepper. The basics first, always.
The crust carries a confident, well-developed colour, while the crumb is soft and full of tang. The butter melts obligingly into the warm slices. Very decent.
From there, we transition to pastries proper. First, the pain au chocolat: two neat ribbons of chocolate rest within crisp, buttery laminated layers. Indulgence, carefully calibrated.
The whimsically named “Green Eggs and Ham” nods gently to Dr Seuss’ beloved children’s book. This breakfast turnover features softly set eggs tinted green with pesto and folded with ham inside crisp pastry.
A French classic is reinterpreted in the next pastry: Granule’s take on the Cordon Bleu.
Traditionally the dish is built around meat wrapped around cheese before being breaded and fried.
Shaped into a tidy log, Granule’s version centres on well-seasoned chicken chorizo, wrapped not in crumbs but in pastry. The result is lighter than expected, with the flaky exterior giving way to gently spiced, savoury warmth.
Comfort deepens with the Spanish egg muffin. Here, English muffins form a soft, toasted base for a chicken sausage patty, crowned by a sunny-side-up egg. When pierced, the molten yolk seeps into the bread, binding meat and muffin together in hearty harmony.
French, Spanish, English – we seem to be traversing across Europe. No surprise then, when we next move to Scotland for their Angus beef meatballs in tomato sauce with slices of sourdough.
The meatballs are dark and coarsely shaped, offering substance without density. But it is the mundane looking tomato sauce that is the true standout here.
Confidently – some might argue aggressively – seasoned, the sauce is sweet and savoury, aromatic and flush with much needed acidity to cut through the richness.
How good was it? Good enough that once we ran out of sliced sourdough, we started dipping bits of our remaining pastries in the sauce, mopping up every last moreish drop!
From savoury we return back to sweet, starting with a dish of tiny banana madeleines. We taste ripe bananas whispering through the tender crumb, the crisp edges lightly caramelised.
The egg tart demonstrates similar care. Its creamy custard is barely set, wobbling lasciviously.
Its blistered top reminds us of pastéis de nata; I believe we have moved on to Portugal now.
Our experience at Granule – more of a multi-course pastry banquet than a paltry brunch – concludes with their divinely decadent chocolate tart.
The mocha-hued ganache is dense yet silky, sweet without becoming cloying. The way the chocolate’s natural bitterness asserts itself makes for a composed final note.
Quite frankly, my friends and I are quite surprised. Not many new openings impress so casually with their offerings. Clearly Granule is a bakery-café that rewards those willing to look past louder addresses; despite its quiet location, it is clearly already flourishing.
Granule
Unit C-21-01, 3 Two Square,
2, Jalan 19/1,
Seksyen 19, Petaling Jaya.
Open daily (except Wed closed) 7:30am-5pm
Phone: 012-252 5986
IG: https://www.instagram.com/granule.pj/
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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