This is precisely what led dressmaker Lynn Ooi to open up her boutique cum cafe. "We wanted to create a cosy and relaxing atmosphere for our customers, an enjoyable place where they can shop and eat at the same time," explained the Paris-trained designer.
Starting in Gurney Plaza 14 years ago, then moving to this place on the first floor of Penang Plaza in 2012 by way of a double-fronted heritage shophouse on the main Burmah Road, Lynn's Boutique (not to be confused with another outlet but a stone's throw away with a very similar name) offers a large selection of clothes made to her own unique designs and patterns: blouses, pants, dresses and other accoutrements of the trendy female.
Most of the apparel is made from imported linen and cotton, and proudly "Made in Malaysia," produced for her (mainly women) clientele by her crack team of seamstresses. A dazzling selection of hand-made costume jewellery made by local designer Pamela Ong adorns one of the windows.
As both Lynn and her husband James Chee have always had a passion for cooking, they decided to add the café seven years ago. "This way we got to do something we love, and to share it with others as well."
Set to one side near the entrance, the dining area is furnished with plain but chic cane tables and chairs, and beyond that is the kitchen where James quietly cooks up the small selection of Western and local dishes for which the place has become well known.
There's no menu to speak of."There's salad or a soup for starters, and two to three hot dishes daily. We do something different every day," Lynn explained. Items like signature dish Oxtail Stew, the meat so soft it literally falls off the bone, are popular and therefore always available.
Other dishes include Nasi Kunyit — with Basmati rice and not pulut — served with Dry Beef Curry or Chicken Curry, both cooked with home-made curry pastes, Pan-fried Salmon, and Salmon Pie.
The tomato salad dressing, a vinaigrette sauce spiced up with chilli and vinegar, was particularly delectable, adding a tasty kick to the green salad which accompanies most dishes. "We try and offer healthy options," she added.
Desserts, of which the multi-talented Lynn is in charge, consists of whatever she feels like making that day; a crumbly apple pie, for example, or baked cheesecake.
It's a pleasant, peaceful oasis in the middle of George Town, the sort of place where you go to with a couple of girlfriends for a quiet tete a tete. It's somewhere you can enjoy a simple home-cooked meal then take your time browsing around the many designs on display after. With such a large selection, something is bound to take your fancy.
If however you prefer something more ethnic, then a new range will shortly be available. "On October 18, I shall be launching Lynn's Heritage, a selection of kebayas and cheong sams," she told me. They will be made with her usual trademark cotton and silk in this case -– and, as befits a Paris-trained couturier, elegance personified. "The cut is very important," she stressed.
Lynn's Boutique & Café
140-142 First Floor Penang Plaza, Jalan Burmah, George Town
Opening Hours: 10am-7pm Mondays to Saturdays.
The café is open from 10am to 3pm.
Source : http://www.themalaymailonline.com/eat-drink/article/lynns-boutique-cafe-in-george-town-a-place-to-both-eat-and-shop
