Living in the Klang Valley, there are plenty of cool and chic cafes to check out every other week. But competition is fierce, and if you don’t have something to draw in the crowds (like good food, impeccable service and an Instagrammable interior), you’re likely to fold just as quickly as you set up shop.
Strangers at 47, though, has been a long-time stalwart on the cafe scene. As one of the pioneers in the SS17 area, the shop has a stable fanbase, who come for their delicious crepes, and it has even expanded from a single shop lot to include two adjacent spaces, providing diners with a comfortable and more spacious dining experience. The name, according to it’s owner/chef Sean Ooi comes from his desire to have a place where ‘strangers’ can meet up, bond over food and forge new relationships.
Menu Items
The menu has a decent selection of sweet and savoury crepes. The one I always get whenever I visit is Lethal Shrooms; one of the cafe’s signatures that has been on the menu since they opened.
An assortment of sauteed mushrooms such as portobello, shimeji and baby king oysters mushrooms, plus sauteed baby spinach and caramelised onions are wrapped in a thin savoury crepe, then topped with tomato relish, poached egg and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I recommend ordering this if you’re not sure what to order; it never fails to disappoint.
The BBC, or Big Breakfast Crepe is a hearty option comprising fried egg with runny yolk, crepe, hash browns, ham slices, chicken chorizon, beans, and stir-fried spinach, mushrooms, and chilli.
Another notable savoury option is A Hen’s Crush which has pan-seared chicken, sweet capsicum, hash brown, citrus-cucumber-onion salad, and house made tangy sauce in a chilli-flaked crepe. Despite the spices, the hot factor on this one is not very high. The skin is left on the chicken, so it adds to the medley of textures.
If seafood is more your thing, there’s Miss Dory (RM22.50), comprising fish fillet that has been breaded and deep fried to golden perfection, alongside battered squid, citrus-cucumber onion salad, potato pumpkin mash, roasted cherry tomatoes, and homemade sriracha mayo lime. All the flavours and textures — the crunchy from the fish and squid, the soft and smooth pumpkin mash plus the tangy cherry tomatoes and mayo lime — come together wonderfully.
Another seafood option is Shore to Please – a marriage between Eastern and Western ingredients and cooking styles. The shrimp is marinated Cajun style with salted egg yolk (a common Chinese seafood pairing), cooked with battered squid, spinach, caramelised onions and roasted cherry tomatoes.
Round off the meal with sweet crepes, which are just as good as the savoury choices. For those who like more Asian-leaning flavours, go for the Purple Rage – a sweet potato crepe filled to the brim with creamy Japanese sweet potato, coconut sago and pandan-infused gula melaka (palm sugar). The flavour is subtly sweet without being overpowering, and you can really taste the natural sweetness of the ube.
My favourite (biased, because I love chocolate) is the Dark Side – chocolate crepe, dark chocolate spread, white chocolate curls, orange caramel topped with vanilla ice-cream. The orange caramel gives it a slightly fruity tang that goes well with the creamy chocolate and vanilla. The spread is rich and creamy, but not too sweet.
Wash everything down with a milky Hot Cappucino.
The cafe offers cakes too. The Cendolier Cheesecake (RM14.50 per slice) is a house specialty. You can also take home homemade kimchi, kaya and homebrewed kombucha.
Service here is excellent, albeit a little slow as the crepes are made to order. If you’re here over the weekend, come early to avoid the crowd, or be prepared for a wait.
STRANGERS AT 47
45, 47 & 49, Jalan 17/45, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Opening hours: 10AM – 9PM (Closed Tuesdays).
Phone: 03-7498 1034
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