Josephine Cafe & Bistro @ Ipoh Garden South

Ipoh and fine dining rarely come together in the sam sentence. Bar some restaurants eg. Indulgence, Citrus, Brewster, Italia Mia, and cafes in hotels, Ipoh's more synonymous with hawker fare and cheap food. And take note that I'm using the term 'fine dining' loosely here, as past experiences in some of the more opulent restaurants revealed the darker side of F&B management, quality and service; Mediocre food, paired with bad service, anyone?

The classy interior of the bistro, surrounded with translucent glass walls, an alluring diversion to the pedestrians walking by

So imagine the surprise on my face, as we stepped into Josephine Cafe & Bistro one fine evening for a supposedly 'simple' dinner (I've had heavy lunch and tea break beforehand), in my shorts and slippers, only to be thankful not to be reprimanded for dressing indecently. I meant, inappropriately. =P

Dad was the one suggesting this new outlet, saying something along the line of coffee bistro or something. And painted in my mind was another run-of-the-mill kopitiam of sorts. Whoopsie.

They take pride in their brand of imported Illy coffee. Other than SSTC (Spaghetti Sweet Tea Cafe), I've yet to come across another restaurant in Ipoh serving this brand of Italian coffee. Anyone?

The ambience exudes a warm, comfortable setting for a perfect dinner, with enough lighting for one to differentiate the olive from the black bean. They even have an upper seating area, which overlooks the whole dining area beneath. Cool, but refrain from wearing mini skirts, if you get my drift.

Fish & Chips (RM26)

Given the setting, and the service delivered (service was prompt, without any mistakes or blatant inexperiences albeit the confusion of orders hence the misplacement of cutleries), you can expect to pay through your nose for a decent meal here. Food ranges from RM20+, with burgers and salads slightly below that price. Beverages consist of coffee (obviously) in various forms, but mostly RM10 and above. For desserts they Illy Affogato (coffee+vanilla ice cream), tiramisu (yeah, 'creativity'), and pancakes.

Grandma's order of fish and chips came with sides of crinkle-cut fries (yup, those ready to be fried type from supermarkets), greens (lettuce and purple cabbage drizzled with some vinaigrette), hard/frozen baby carrots, and minimal serving of mayonaise. The pan-fried dory fish fillet was good, not too much batter, and the flesh was tender and sweet, but still reeking from faint muddy taste. They could've been more generous with the mayo though.

Fueslli Carbonara (RM25)

No, it's not a typo. It's really spelt fueslli, though I think fusilli's the real spelling for the pasta. Enlighten me, anyone?

Carbonara remains a safe choice of sorts for me, as nothing beats the creamy, sinful sauce with bacons and eggs. But the Fusilli Carbonara at Josephine's was too rich, the sauce a tad too thick & clinging onto the pasta, with too much eggs being used. Some may prefer their carbonara sauce thick, but I prefer mine to be slightly watery, for that creamy texture.

Pollo Golden Bleu (RM32)

Dad's order of Pollo Golden Bleu (Chicken Cordon Bleu) was delicious. The creamy mozzarella and ricotta cheese combination, and ham stuffed into the batter-fried chicken breast meat was sinfully good, every mouthful a bliss. Though I only got to taste ONE solitary mouthful. =(

Thankfully, the chicken meat was tender and juicy, and the sides of boiled potatoes was miles better than the crinkle-cut fries. But minor gripe here; The portion was way too small, not doing the price any justice.

Josephine Burger (RM18)

With a name like Josephine Burger, it doesn't take a genius to realise it's one of their signature item on the menu. But of course, this doesn't hold true at times. When Friday's Burger is merely beef and cheese burger, and Old Town Special Coffee is merely double shot of coffee, or rather, single shot in smaller cup.

Half expected the burger to be something like David's Diner's Miniature ones, we were pleasantly surprised to see the burger arriving in its full glory, sandwiched between 3 thick slices (or slabs, more like it) of soft, wheat bread was a slice of supposedly prime beef cut, a fried egg that's more solid than runny, lettuce, and two olives perched atop the grand structure.

Sadly, the beef was overdone, requiring more chewing and far from tender. The egg yolk was hardened, though the whites was ok. The bread was clearly the star of the dish, though that's not really saying much.

Crinkle-cut Fries ... Soggy and oily ....

Paying RM18 for a burger may sound absurd for Ipoh's standards, but you'll expect at least thick cut fries from good quality potatoes, or fresh homemade mashed potatoes. But nope, you'll be served with soggy and oily fries, and a dollop of mayonaise on the side in a small bowl. Hmm, I'd rather have them serving the burger with salad instead.

Thai Green Curry (RM15)

Thankfully, Mum's order of Thai Green Curry with rice was passable. Far from the real authentic stuff, and a bit spicier than the mild green curry we're accustomed to. But the roasted cherry tomatoes were juicy, fresh and rendered the dish a tangy flavour. The accompanying rice was fluffy, reminded me of a certain Malay dish, with finely-chopped bits of dried shrimps for some crunch.

A whole chicken thigh cooked in spicy (yes, spicy) green curry with roasted cherry tomatoes

The chickent thigh came in whole, with the upper part, and cooked til tender, infused with the spices and luscious green curry. I'm probably singing praises for the chicken as the other dishes we had that evening were nothing short of disastrous, aside from the Cordon Bleu.

Kick off your Shoes. let down your Hair and unwind in a cuppa Illy coffee ....


Al fresco dining's another option, if the formal setting indoor is unsettling

On the whole, the meal was rather unimpressive, but given the quality of the service, the charming ambience, and several interesting items on the menu, I may return again. Least, we Ipohans have another place for a proper evening outing. Or, we can always fall back on the famous hawker fare .... Oh Glorious Street Food !!!

Location : Josephine Cafe & Bistro @ .... oops. The address is not printed on the receipt. But this bistro is situated at Ipoh Garden Plaza in Ipoh Garden South, facing the main road of Jalan Tasek. Here's a MAP, in case you need assistance.