What is it about eateries run by elderly ladies that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy? Maybe it’s the food, or maybe it’s just the motherly love that goes into the food. Either way, if you want a place to feel truly at home, maybe check out Hideaway, a little bakery-cum-cafe in PJ.
Hideaway, a family-owned cafe
Image Credit: bakerystories.blogspot.com (Right)
Located in the famous Happy Mansion area, Hideaway has been around for about seven years now. Doreen Thean, a 60-year-old Nyonya auntie, runs the place, occasionally assisted by her daughter, Amanda. Doreen used to be an air stewardess for Malaysia Airlines.
Who said video games are bad?
Before opening Hideaway, Doreen was not well-versed in baking. She could cook, but she knew little about the intricacies of baking. Funnily enough, the reason she grew interested in baking was because of the video game Bakery Story.
Inspired by her virtual experience baking, she decided to try her hand at the real thing. She found that she had a knack for baking butter cakes. After some success selling her cakes at bazaars, it was only a matter of time before Doreen turned her mind to starting Hideaway.
Beautiful butter cakes
Indeed, if you look up Hideaway on Google, you will find that most people sing praises about these butter cakes. Doreen makes them herself every day, ensuring that customers have the freshest cakes on their plates.
Of the cakes that we tried, the top favourite has to be the Lemon Drizzle. It is a classic butter cake topped with a layer of lemon icing. The lemon icing was the right amount of sour, which balanced the sweetness of the cake beneath.
Perhaps taking inspiration from Doreen’s Nyonya heritage, the Pandan Gula Melaka cake is also definitely worth checking out. No expense was spared with the pandan, toasted coconut or the gula melaka. Fancy a cendol in cake form?
Pastries for the palate
If you have room in your tummy, give the Banana Pecan Raisin Loaf a try. Typically, this is made using walnuts instead of pecans. However, Doreen finds that pecans are softer and that they make the cake kid-friendly.
On any given day, you will find about ten or more cakes and pastries waiting to be tasted. So, you will almost always be lost for choice. Also, there are some savoury treats, like the Chicken Sambal Pasta and Sundried Tomato Pasta.
Worth your time?
Overall, whether you love butter cakes or just need a new place to hang out, Hideaway is always a good option. Doreen is a welcoming host, so you will feel right at home. What better way to spend the day than with cake in one hand and tea in the other?
Hideaway Cafe
Address: AG7, Block A, Happy Mansion Section, 17, Jalan 17/13, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Opening Hours: 11 am – 10 pm Friday & Saturday | 11 am – 7 pm Sunday – Thursday | Closed on Monday & Tuesday
Contact: 013-7571237
Halal Status: Pork-free
You should also check out: Why are so many Aussies are visiting this >100yo Penang bar run by an auntie?
