The Pirates, BB Street Mall, Bukit Beruang
December 22nd, 2008.
Categories: Eating..., Eating... In Malacca
Recently, there’s a new cafe operating inside BB Street Mall, which is just a stone throw away from my house and quite a white elephant project. Anyway, it was the brightly lit and soothing baby blue coloured interior that caught my attention whenever I drove passed the restaurant during night time.
It wasn’t as spacious as I thought it would be. They just had to cramp two two-sitter tables along the path, causing minor difficulties for people to walk into the cafe. Not to mention, the fridge, desk, cashier machine and path to the kitchen are all cramped in this confined area.
However, the baby blue coloured tables, white chairs and sofas with colourful small pillows are really eye-pleasing. Most importantly, the whole cafe is well lit and with warm feeling. Decoration wise, it’s close to none except for the four pieces of white canvas hung above the ceiling.
While I was dining there, it was really warm even though there were two air cons fixed on the ceiling and the wall. I wonder was it because they had switched it off or it was just warm inside.
Flipping through the menu, the cafe focused more on Italian food, with price ranging from RM11.90 to RM19.90 and also provides appetizer, pasta, main course and dessert. While I find the price for the food is still within acceptable range, the drinks are definitely not.
A common drink like iced lemon tea is RM4.90. The average price of most beverages lingers around RM8 to RM9, which is ridiculous. That’s just unacceptable. For that amount of money, I probably could drink 1.5 glasses in other cafes and I am just a couple of dollars away from quenching my thirsts at Starbucks or Coffee Bean. We both ended up ordering a glass of iced water instead.
I ordered the spaghetti bolognese.
Thank God, it tasted surprisingly good and most importantly, there were generous amount of meat inside. Unlike most places, where I often find myself eating spaghetti with tomato sauce rather than spaghetti with tomato sauce AND meat.
The spaghetti was cooked upon order and al dente, just the way how I like my noodles to be. It was a little watery, probably caused by insufficient draining of water from the noodles after cooking it. As for the sauce, it was just average and it would have been better if it was thicker and more tomato-ish. Portion was a little small, but I am a huge eater. So, I can’t be used as a benchmark.
Jian ordered a plate of carabona with ham. I tasted a strand, it was so-so as the cream wasn’t creamy enough.
For dessert, I ordered their apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Presentation wise was pretty bad, if you ask me. It sure didn’t look appetizing to me when it was first served. Just look at the ice cream, its far from a sphere shaped. The “pie” looked more like deflated bread than a pie.
Taste wise, it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be but wasn’t as bad as I expected. Haha! Nuff said anyway, as I couldn’t really describe the taste and texture of the “pie”.
The bill came up to RM46.95, inclusive of 10% service charge, which I personally think it isn’t justified. For two pastas and a dessert, the price is very high for Malacca standard and even more so in a student filled housing area like Bukit Beruang. Most importantly, the drinks are overly priced. Compare to KL, it’s cheap but they definitely won’t survive with such food quality.
Will I visit again? It’s a 50-50, I would say. 50% for the probably the most decent spaghetti in Malacca and another 50% for the hefty price tag for a student like me.
P/S : Apparently, the cafe has received numerous complaints and negative feedback lately. Well, I patronized this cafe when it just opened and that was almost three months ago. Hence, I am just writing what I felt three months ago, not based on the current “condition”. So, venture at your own risk.
Sook Ying’s mum probably makes the best spaghetti that I have ever tasted so far. Too bad, no picture.
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December 22nd, 2008 00:38
this cafe gets quite some, if not a lot of complaints in chinese cari forum. haha.
December 22nd, 2008 05:26
Hie,
I went with a friend during mid Nov.
We considered a good place to hang out, with good lighting and tranquility, minus the fact that food and beverage are slightly overprice due to it quality.
Only manage to have my boneless chicken thigh when my friend almost finish her linguini alfredo(both for Myr16.90)
lemon tea is a No No! ((Myr4.90)
blueberry yogurt cheese cake( can’t remember exactly the name ) taste below average. However, its a free one. i shouldnt ask for more in the quality, should i?
P/s:Present your student id to enjoy 15% disc.
December 22nd, 2008 15:39
im hungry looking at the pictures….great…its only freaking 3.40pm -_-
December 22nd, 2008 17:51
Wow BB now has such a high-end cafe already! Good for MMU-ians! hahaha
December 22nd, 2008 18:51
You missed the 15% discount mentioned by “best unsaid” lah. Anyway, still I think it’s a little overpriced.
December 22nd, 2008 22:13
@yung
hahaha good meh?
overpriced ler..
@bryan
really didn’t know bout the discount thing T____T
December 23rd, 2008 00:23
Sean : Guess they can’t “keep” their standard long enough.
Best Unsaid :) : The drinks are just more than slightly overpriced. It was ridiculously overpriced. Anyway, now that I have heard they received a lot of negative feedback, I doubt I will go back there again.
Xin : Haha. Tea time at 4pm, no?
Yung. : It didn’t last long enough to live up to its name and has received quite a lot of negative feedback from customers.
Bryan : Doesn’t matter, I doubt I will go there again. Haha!
December 23rd, 2008 10:05
Oooo? The big white elephant actually saw the light of the day huh. I remember we wish there was a McD instead and it would surely earn big bucks from students before exams :). So anything else besides “PIRATES”?, a snooker center or food court there?
PS: It feels so bloody great to be home. And Merry XMAS and Happy HOLIDAYS!
December 24th, 2008 10:38
You live in Bukit Beruang too? That makes us neighbors.
The food that is indeed a little bit overpriced. I’ve only been there once during the opening day because they gave 50% off on all food items. Since then, I would rather go to Al-Rahmath.
Cheers.
December 24th, 2008 14:43
Gabby : There are more shops opening there, but the place still looks and feels like a dead place.
Jonathan Fun : Yes, in fact, we met before. You are Fun Kok Hong’s cousin, right? :) I missed the 50% offer, damn bloody cheapskate to do it just for one night. Anyway, since they have been complained by many people, I doubt I would go there again.
December 24th, 2008 16:17
got 15% discount, they wrote it on the chalk board in front..i realized it when i was paying the money, and stupidly enough, the cashier said it is too late to claim for it as she has key-ed in the amount or whatsoever..i asked her to make adjustment and she said cannot..how ridiculous…
December 24th, 2008 16:19
The Dude with Blue Jersey : Stupid people manning the cashier, that’s what you get.
December 25th, 2008 19:15
To “The dude with Blue Jersey”. I was been The pirates every weekend and how come i never saw before the was a chalk board in front???? Izit really u been there before or u just simply said something so that to intract people???
It is true the price for the food over there is higher abit but did u order all the food before? and u know wat ingrediants that they are using??? If i was the owner, i sure sue u all cause u guys get their picture without thier permision.
Jason, u said that inside was very warm and they was 2 aircorn on the ceiling and din’t feel cool enough, but why when i when there i sure told them to switch off 1 of thier aircorn? And by the way u guys don’t miss understand, The Pirates is not a cafe, if they are a cafe than all the price are really damm high but there are RESTAURANT man…..
Pls think before u guys wrote something, i really cannot stand for all this people that they think they are right and can simply complaint and said something else that will hurt others.
P/S: If who don belive me can go over the pirates and find out i am right or others are rights!!!!!
December 25th, 2008 19:36
The Dude with X’mas Shirt : Hmm… I suppose you are trying to type X’mas rather than X’max?
It is not about whether the 15% discount was written and displayed in public or not, but rather who managed to see it. If you didn’t see it when you were there, it doesn’t mean other people didn’t manage to see it. In this comment box itself, there are two people who saw it and also two people who didn’t. Just because you didn’t see it, you can’t say it’s not there.
Maybe the air con that day wasn’t working? Maybe when you visited the cafe/restaurant, it was raining outside? Maybe you are thin and have less fat, hence, you feel cold easier compared to big sized people like me? Or maybe, the boss tuned up the temperature the other day? Or even maybe, he didn’t on the air con that day? So many possibilities, you can’t really argue with me based on what you experienced. :) Instead, what I wrote was based on that particular visit to the eatery and also my opinion, not based on what other people say.
Cafe or restaurant, does it even make a difference when both of them have the same meaning? According to WordWeb, a cafe is a small restaurant where food and drinks are sold. A restaurant is a building where people go to eat. Based on the size of the outlet, which is extremely small for a restaurant, a cafe would be suitable. Anyway, not that I bother whether is it a cafe or restaurant. :)
What ingredients are they using? Well, I definitely didn’t see any shark fin, scallops or anything exotic in our spaghetti or pasta. Neither the ice cream used was Baskin Robin or Haagen Daaz. Expensive ingredients? Please…
Just because you cannot accept negative comments and feedback, you don’t have to come here, bash everyone and even threaten to sue us. It’s very immature. Also, just because you think highly of that place, doesn’t mean everyone should. This particular eatery was bashed up down left right and center in Cari Forum too, are you going to say everyone is wrong as well? Be reasonable, my friend.
There’s no need to double check yours or my claims. Each one is entitled to their opinion. What’s the point of arguing over subjective things?
Also, I suspect you are the owner of The Pirates. Because, coincidentally, a friend of mine told me that the owner requested him to ask me to take down this post. And barely an hour later, I have a very defensive comment from you. Coincidence? Hmm… Maybe.
Cheers.
December 26th, 2008 23:23
lol, why too emotional the dude with xmax shirt? ok wait, let me open back my diary..shit its real, i write diary…alrite, found it..it was on 05-11-08 wed..it aint my problem if they dun display it no more, as it is useless anyway.. why dun u go ask the ppl working there if there was any, and why are u getting so serious? Lol, u are funny man..haha..actual picture that i took during that day, (1 of many)..
http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=05112008009wl8.jpg
now i feel stupid trying to prove to u.. what is intract? why would i want to ‘intract’ anyone through forum anyway? lol, dude, i dunno wats with u and this shop (cafe or restaurant or watever), u defintely overrated it..im assuming uve never seen jason’s other posts before.. Lol..take a chill pill dude..
December 27th, 2008 00:52
The Dude with Blue Jersey : Don’t bother. He’s just another “throll” who’s not happy with my “review”.