Haraju Cube @ Empire Damansara: Japanese Honey Toast & Butterscotch Milk

Haraju Cube at Empire Damansara, a Japanese dessert cafe specializes in Japanese honey toast that has drawn more than a thousand of followers in Instagram and Facebook even before their opening on 18th March, thanks to their well taken, eye-pleasing honey toast photos.

Located on the first floor of Empire Damansara PJ, opposite to Petit Nom, same row with Cat In The Box Cafe, Haraju Cube is not an easily spotted shop. Quiet corner, lesser crowd. Seeing the high turnovers of shops on Empire’s 1st floor, we have to say that it is a difficult place to survive for F&B. However the gimmick that Haruju Cube has to offer does proves the different, and in fact, a successful example.  Well, most people loves good food, pretty stuff, hence where the shop is, it doesn’t really matter.

Current opening time for Haraju Cube is 11am to 11pm for Tuesday through Thursday, Sunday. For Friday and Saturday, Haraju Cube opens from 11am to 12am. The place was half full when we reached at 1pm, but filled up quickly an hour later with small queue. The entire cafe isn’t spacious, but exudes a cozy, relaxing ambience for casual gathering while indulging in giant honey toast.

Lots of wooden elements in light tone, coupled well with white colour walls and highlights of yellow for colour contrast. Decorations are minimal, with potted plants on shelves hanging from wall. Ample of natural lights flow through from the French window during daytime, so no worries in taking good shots of their photography worthy desserts.

Haraju Cube has 18 types of toast, sectioned into sweet and savoury such as Azuki Match Honey Toast. Choco-Dip Honey Toast, Bana-Choco Honey Toast, Ham & Cheese Sliced Toast, Mayo Egg Sliced Toast and Bana-Peanut Sliced Toast. With the choices of sweet toast outnumbered the later, plus Uji Matcha latte drinks, coffee, tiramisu, pavlova and other desserts on the menu, we will still classify Haraju Cube as a dessert cafe.

Strawbelicious RM25.90

We tried out Strawbelicious from the Haraju Cube Honey Toast list. It is huge and thick toast, laced with whipped cream, topped with strawberries and further crown with generous scoop of ice cream. Suitable to share within 2 to 3 persons. Yet, you can have the whole to yourself if you really like honey toast.

Cutting through the edge of the toast to reveal 8 pieces of cubed toast, which is actually the “filling” of the hollowed square toast. We like the cubed bread despite the dryness, beautifully toasted to golden brown, deeply infused with aroma and buttery goodness of 100% pure French butter.

The “crust”, or outer layer, on the other hand, doesn’t earn our liking. It is way too dry, tough, over chewy, tooth-sticking. We had a hard time cutting the toast. Summergirl turned a little ” bek chek” (angry) in the end and just forked the whole big piece, munch it like use-your-hand-to-eat-pizza style.

Haruju Cube honey toast is meant to be messy once you have the edge of knife on the toast. That’s how it should be like. Honey+whipped cream+strawberries+ice cream. Be greedy and get a bit of everything together in one mouthful to enjoy the great combination. Don’t worries, it will not be too sweet, but a little greasy.

Diners who order Haruju Cube Honey Toast will be served with a bottle of honey by the side. An option for those who love to add more honey sweetness to the toast. And yeah, we drizzled a lot and found it went really well with the toast.

Ham-Cheese Sliced Toast RM13.90

One of the very limited savoury choices from Haruju Cube Sliced Toast list, other than Mayo-Egg, Mix Seafood and Chic-Beans. Sliced toast as the base, topped with chicken ham, cheese and egg yolk at the center. Savoury and smoky for the toppings; mediocre for the toast, as again, it is rather dry, soft and fluffy but difficult to chew.

Butterscotch Haraju Milk RM8.90

Calling all milk lovers to try their Haruju Milk, available in Butterscoth, Coffee and Fruit flavours. Butterscoth is the best seller according to staff, and glad that it taste good. Served in a charming glass bottle, the milk is velvety smooth, easy to drink, enhanced with faint hint of molasses flavour and caramel sweetness. Must try!

Comments: Haraju Cube Honey Toast is not a dessert that can make Summergirl happy. She says thick toast from Pretz n’ Beanz tastes better. But it is just her, as many says that Haraju honey toasts are soooo good. To us, by the end, we just felt like ” Fuuuu..finally finish the 8 pieces of cubed toast, my teeth feels so numb and tired.”. Haraju Cube Honey Toast may be memorable for their pretty appearance, but not the taste in our personal opinion. Anyway, it is still worth a try, and you may like it! Remember to order Butterscotch Milk during your visit to Haraju Cube!

Photography: Summerkid
Write Up: Summergirl

Address:
Haraju Cube Honey Toast
Lot 103, Empire Damansara,
Jalan PJU 8/8, Perdana Business Centre,
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Contact: 03 – 7733 5973
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harajucube103