Zakka Loft, Ipoh

Zakka Loft - a cafe which has been in operation for nearly a decade a presume? Previously they are not fully into the F&B business. If my memory served me well, they are more into the sales of DIY soft toys, knitted stuffs and ornaments. Noting that depending on that alone might not be enough to generate enough revenue to sustain the business, they ventured into a simple cafe business with a quick limited menu from sandwiches, rice bentos, cakes and the staple beverages you normally find in a generic cafes. The plus point is probably the homely ambiance. Scroll down later for more photos.

As mentioned, the menu here is quite limited. I found the Apple-Tea is to be refreshing yet soothing. A great choice to calm your nerves and unwind through midweek. Meanwhile, the Mocha was blended to my preference, has a stronger chocolate aftertaste without being too potent on the caffein side. All hot beverages are below RM10 and if I remembered correctly, the Apple Tea being RM7 and Mocha being RM9.

There are a few generic sandwiches ranging from the usual Ham and Cheese, Tuna to the Smoked Duck Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce (RM16+). I chose the Smoked Duck of course because it is slightly more unique. But the actual product was far from being unique though. It is normal white sandwich bread (those Gardenia/Massimo type) toasted in a sandwich maker. The smoked duck slices are flavorful but too much cranberry sauce was used, resulting into over-cloyed level of sweetness.

The salad in the middle is something really appetizing. If I’m not mistaken, it is actually sesame dressing. The dried/pickled strawberries further sent our taste buds into overdrive mode. Add in a small serving Nachos (probably from the brand Chachos?) At the price tag of RM16+ I was expected something with more novelty and creative not easily prepared at home

The Opera Cake is nice. Very Chocolate-y indeed with alternating smooth and buttery layers of dark and white chocolate. Okay, being a fan of chocolate (I wont be sharing this cake with you), I might be a bit biased on my judgment of this cake. Its RM9 per slice if I remembered correctly

To be honest, the Rainbow Cake was ordered just for photo-taking in mind. I already tried once or twice elsewhere and felt that it is just colouring making the difference. The version in Zakka Loft proved me wrong! Every layer is distinctive in terms of taste! In other words, they incorporated flavourings too besides colouring. If I remembered correctly the yellow is lemon, the orange and red is actually orange, the green is pandan, the blue is mint and the purple is some fruity flavor.

There are 2 seating sections, both also being non-smoking, but what is different between them is the ambiance.  There is the slightly brighter area which has more decorative items and handcrafted plushies on display. A slight drawback is the area is quite quiet, and raising your volume a bit can result into unwanted echo which can disturb other customers.

The other area has dark painted walls, with clothes and accessories on display. Perhaps this area is more suitable for noisier and larger groups. Check out a wider view of this zone on the photo below.

And yes, there is also a pool table for customer use (most likely with a small fee)

They are opened from 11am onwards for those who want to have an early lunch until around 10pm. Bear in mind that Mondays are their rest days. And there is NO WIFI available probably due to avoid customers from hogging the limited seating available during peak hours. Ok, lets give them the benefit of doubt that they actually wanted to cultivate more human interaction and bonding rather than just stuck on your electronic gadgets.