Clockwise Place Cafe

Clockwise Place Cafe, George Town, Penang (30 August 2014)


Clockwise Place Cafe is a cafe within the inner part of George Town, Penang. It occupies the ground floor of the Clockwise Place Hostel. Clockwise Place is noted as one of the first cafes in Penang to offer the cuisine of Eastern Europe. This is the case as the owner of Clockwise Place, Orest Bilous, comes from Eastern Europe.

My wife and I had the pleasure of dining at Clockwise Place. We were invited by Orest himself, who is keen to show us the cuisine of his homeland. The interior of the cafe doubles as the living room for the hostel guests. When we got there, we saw that there were a number of them, each on his own laptop.

Interior of Clockwise Place Cafe (30 August 2014)


The cafe was managed by a lady named Teresa. We didn't actually have to place an order, as the cafe has arranged for us our meal.

We were started off on the canapé set. Canapés are a type of hors d'œuvre that you usually eat using fingers. The set includes two pieces of Sardine Rillettes, two Stepan Bandera canapés and two ham canapés.

Canapé set, Clockwise Place Cafe (30 August 2014)


Following the hors d'œuvres, we continue to the salad. Here, the cafe served us three different types of salad. We began the Broccoli salad. This is a combination of broccoli, tomato, ham and bell pepper, freshly prepared and served.

Broccoli salad, Clockwise Place Cafe (30 August 2014)


Next, we tried the Olivier Salad. This is a traditional salad that is common in Eastern Europe. It is made with diced boiled potatoes, various vegetables and dressed with mayonnaise. This salad is commonly served in Russia and the Ukraine during New Year celebrations.

Olivier salad, Clockwise Place Cafe (30 August 2014)


Done with the Olivier salad, we were given yet another to try. This time, it was the Greek salad. Also called the rustic salad, this salad is made with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and a sprinkling of feta cheese, and dressed with oil and vinegar.

Greek salad, Clockwise Place Cafe (30 August 2014)


When we are done with the three types of salad, the cafe then offered us the entrée, or main course. This being a small establishment, it only has one main course, which is the Chicken Kiev. Popular in Eastern Europe, it is chicken breast that has been pounded and rolled in cold garlic butter and herbs, and then breaded and fried.

Chicken Kiev, Clockwise Place Cafe (30 August 2014)


My wife and I enjoyed our visit to Clockwise Place Cafe. I do need to stress that we were invited here by the owner. Order fulfillment was a bit slow, but we later learned that we were the very first people that were served following the opening of the cafe. It made us feel very honoured to be granted such a pleasure. Considering the establishment is positioning itself as a place to appreciate Eastern European cuisine, I commented to Orest that perhaps they might consider giving it a name that is, well, more Eastern European.

As for the prices, I consider it quite reasonable, considering it is in the heritage part of the city. The Chicken Kiev is priced at RM14.90, which is as low as you can get for an entrée.

Tim & Chooi Yoke at Clockwise Cafe (23 November 2014)

Getting there

Clockwise Place Cafe is located at the junction of Stewart Lane and Klang Street. On the side of this building is Julia Volchkova's mural of The Indian Boatman.

Clockwise Place Cafe at night (30 August 2014)

List of Restaurants in Penang and Restaurants in Malaysia