Ray of Hope: sometimes, it is more than food

 I first heard of Ray of Hope from my grandaunt, I was surprised. Then with some search on the internet; I am further impressed with the settings; with CIMB and Hong Leong bank on board, this place should be a gem.

cheese tarts: simple and nice

The place, however, is not easy to find. Even with the map; and GPS coordinate, it is still hidden. Therefore, do some googling before embarking to find this place. One of the easier way is from Aeon (JJ) to Bercham; you would definitely bound to come pass this place. If you are coming from Bercham, it is hidden behind WongKam food court, go beyond the residential area, heading towards Ipoh Garden, one will pass by some shop lots beside 2 big fields, this cafe is tucked in the corner. However, they are only open from 0900 to late tea time so make sure do not come here for dinner.

Thai fried rice: not so thai though

Something about Ray of Hope. It is essentially a foundation to train less fortunate group. In one of the section had been renovated to serve as a cafe. As far as I know, there is a small bakery beside the cafe as well. The trainee will serve as waiter and waitress beside helping out in the kitchen. So do not be surprise when they actually come to serve you and take your orders. And they are friendly too!

The deco is homely, simplistic and that works well. Service may not be as fast, but it is the heart that matter most. The smile they show is straight from the heart; and that itself, should make the trip here worth it.

cheese baked rice

The menu is essentially western and local. The usual western fare of chicken chop and pasta is there. I manage to come on 2 different occasions and if strictly speaking on food; they fare from good, decent to much room to improve. The western dish is okay, I guess. One of the one we tried was cheese bake rice, which is not so much cheese flavoured. It tasted more like nasi pattaya. The cheese taste was bit too subtle for me. Then again, cheese bake rice is not a true western fare either. The local dish is better on average. The other day, I tried their nasi lemak with rendang ayam (RM5.50), and frankly, that was one of the better rendang I tasted. It suit the nasi lemak well. My friend Ngou tried seafood crispy egg noodle (RM5.00) and his comment was good. Tried their Thai fried rice however it tasted more like nasi goreng kampung though. Then again, it is still nice though.

The dessert is more consistent I guess. The cheese tart are quite good as dessert or even starters. Last but not least is their bakery product. Not exactly the best but definitely decent, and nice.

Overall, if good food is all that you are looking for, then maybe there are many more cafe who serve better food. But then again, if you want good food served and cook with a heart, there is no better place than here.



ratings: 3 poink! (considering the food, and the nice place; if considering the whole concept, the place do deserve a higher ratings)
comments: It is the experience that counts. Food sometimes, is secondary.

Cafe Ray of Hope
26, Persiaran Bercham Selatan 31,
Taman Sri Kurau, Ipoh
05-5488796