GEORGE TOWN, May 3 — Along busy Carnarvon Street you will find an odd, narrow pre-war shophouse that looks like it squeezed into the small gap between two shophouses.
Yes, nestled between a vacant shophouse and a computer supplies shop is Narrow Marrow Café.
It is hardly noticeable as the original signs of the previous business that occupied the narrow shoplot are still emblazoned on the two columns fronting the shop.
The faded words that read Swee Hup Merchant are still on the top frontage of the shophouse and the only sign that it is now a café is a small signboard, a long table and some unique wooden benches along with potted plants at the entrance.
Architect Alvin Neoh and interior designer Jamie Oon first rented the shophouse as a place to stay and to set up their design studio about a year ago.
The shophouse was in a deplorable condition and it took the couple several months of cleaning and repairs to make it safe as a place of residence.
They outfitted the place with an eclectic collection of refurbished furniture, their own artwork, knick knacks handicrafts and bottles of terrariums.
The walls were mostly left as is except for cute decorations such as pot lids, framed mixed medium art and old wooden boxes and window frames.
Six months ago, the Narrow Marrow opened its doors and offered simple snacks such as sandwiches, cookies, muffins and their signature items, curry chicken or lamb stew with toast.
The curry chicken and lamb stew are comforting home-cooked fare that goes perfectly with lightly toasted roti benggali.
The curry is a creamy spiced concoction that is not too hot and dipping the toasted bread into it is probably the best way to enjoy it.
They also offer an array of drinks that includes coffee, tea, yogurt smoothies and specialty soda drinks – home brewed nutmeg soda and ginger soda.
Nutmeg soda – or ginger soda – may sound a bit strange but the drinks are surprisingly refreshing and to make it more decadent, you can even opt to add some vanilla ice-cream to make it creamy too.
For those who want something stronger in the evenings, they also serve beer, stout and if you are into something more localised, they have toddy mojito (coconut palm wine), a mix of toddy and beer, toddy and stout or just plain toddy.
Craving for something sweet and different? Well, they also offer a toddy mojito with ice-cream.The café is opened by Neoh and Oon as a side project on top of running their own creative studio.
“We didn’t expect it to take up so much time so we got another partner in, Jessica Yee, to help so that we can have more time to focus on our creative studio,” Oon said.
Oon, who has her own line of handicrafts called “Tumbleknots”, also has plans to set up a small arts and crafts corner to sell her work and some of the other local crafters’ work.
Currently, some of her friend’s design works — simple cotton fashion wear — are also displayed at a corner of her shop.
Oon and Yeoh live on the first floor of the shophouse, where their studio is also located, while the whole ground floor is the café.
Narrow Marrow
252-A, Carnarvon Street
Time: 3pm–12am (Wednesdays – Sunday)
