A Café Date with My Cousin

By Awliya

 One of my favourite things to do whenever I’m going back to my hometown is spending time with my cousin. This time, we decided to do something different and visit Sulb Café in Alor Setar together. Since it was our first café date, I was quite excited about the experience. I was looking forward to trying the food, taking pictures and creating new memories together.

Our journey started around 5.00 p.m. from my grandmother’s house. Before heading to the café, we made a quick stop at my mother’s uncle’s house. We spent some time chatting and catching up with him before continuing our journey. After almost an hour there, we finally headed to Alor Setar.

Once we arrived at Sulb Café, we took the lift to the second floor. The moment we stepped inside, we were impressed by the interior design and atmosphere. The café featured tables in various shapes and designs that made the space feel unique and modern. The soft colour palette also created a calm and aesthetic vibe.

Since it was the second day of Hari Raya Haji, the café was quite crowded. We chose a table at the back left corner because it felt more comfortable and slightly quieter. After settling down, we scanned the QR code provided to place our order. The ordering process was simple and convenient.

After looking through the menu for a few minutes, I decided to order a Matcha Latte and Chicken Tenders. My cousin chose a Hot Lemon Tea and Mac & Cheese instead. While waiting for our food, we spent our time taking pictures of each other using my digital camera. It was honestly one of the most enjoyable moments of the day.

About fifteen minutes later, our food finally arrived. We immediately started eating while chatting about random things and enjoying each other’s company. We also exchanged our food so that we could taste each other’s orders. It made the experience even more fun and memorable.

The Chicken Tenders looked very promising when they arrived at the table. The chicken pieces were thick, large and quite generous in portion. Unfortunately, the texture was much softer than I expected and lacked the crispiness that I usually enjoy. For a price of around RM20, I personally felt a little disappointed because I have tasted better chicken tenders at a lower price.

My cousin’s Mac & Cheese came in a very large portion. Even after sharing it between the two of us, we still could not finish everything. The portion was definitely worth the price and suitable for sharing. However, the dish was quite dry and lacked the creamy texture that I usually expect from mac and cheese.

One thing that surprised us was that our drinks arrived much later than the food. By the time they reached our table, we were almost done eating. Unfortunately, the Matcha Latte did not meet my expectations. It tasted mostly like milk and lacked the rich matcha flavour that I was hoping for.

On the other hand, the Hot Lemon Tea was surprisingly delicious. The flavour was refreshing and comforting at the same time. It was not too sweet and had a pleasant balance of lemon flavour. Out of everything we ordered that day, it was probably my favourite item.

After finishing our meal, we asked the staff to pack the food that we could not finish. We then continued taking photos around the café because there were so many aesthetic spots. The lighting and interior design made every corner look beautiful in pictures. We spent almost thirty minutes simply enjoying the atmosphere and taking photos together.

Not long after that, my parents arrived to pick us up. Before leaving, we made sure to take a few final photos outside the café. The building exterior looked elegant and gave off an old-money aesthetic vibe. The large Sulb sign also created a beautiful background for photos.

Overall, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the café. The place was clean, comfortable and suitable for spending time with friends or family. The music was calm and relaxing, which added to the pleasant environment. It was a nice place to sit back and unwind.

However, I think the service system could be improved. The staff seemed unsure about which table had ordered certain dishes and had to ask multiple customers before serving the food. In my opinion, the ordering process should be more organised. A smoother system would make the dining experience much better.

Overall, Sulb Café may not be my favourite café in terms of food, but it will always be memorable because it was my first café date with my cousin. The calm atmosphere, aesthetic interior and the memories we created together made the visit worthwhile. I would personally rate my overall experience 5/10. Hopefully, this will be the first of many café dates, and we will discover more hidden gems around Alor Setar and Pendang in the future.