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Prijatnovo appetita! This Russian phrase translates into bon appetit and this was not the only Russian thing I learnt when I visited Torte by Linda, a charming cafe in Puchong which serves halal Russian cakes and pastries.
Founded by Linda Rozlee, the self-taught baker started all the way back in 2011 before she opened the brand’s physical store. Specialising primarily in Russian cakes, Linda sold her unique desserts through other bakeries which very quickly became a huge hit. Fast forward 8 years, the doors of Torte by Linda officially opened where the streak of success continued itself.
Once you step inside the minimalistic space of the bake shop, spot the Russian dolls neatly lined up on the cake display counter. In the display counter, there’s an endless assortment of Russian cakes— trust me, you’ll be spoiled for choice!
What I tried at Torte by Linda
I first began with the cafe’s signature Tort Classic Medovik (RM17). As one of the best-sellers, it’s not hard to see why this delectable cake is well-loved by customers. With 8 layers of soft, caramelised honey sponges sandwiched between dulce de leche and covered in honey crumbs, there’s nothing to find fault with in this sweet treat. I strongly recommend you pair this cake with a cup of black coffee for that ideal balance.
Next on the dessert train was the Tort Summer Berries Medovik (RM18). Just like the Tort Classic Medovik, this cake was 8 layers of soft, caramelised honey sponges sandwiched between homemade jam. It’s creamy and has an interestingly mild burst of berry zest in between bites.
The Tort Summer Berries Medovik cake was polished, it was time to devour the Tort Medovik Caramel (RM17), a caramelised honey layer cake with sour cream, walnuts, prunes and generously drizzled with caramel. This was my personal favourite dessert as the cake was not overly sweet because of the usage of prunes and sour cream. Furthermore, the homemade caramel sauce was honestly one of the best I’ve ever had— not overly sweet and buttery.
At Torte by Linda, you can also indulge in other traditional Russian dishes like pelmeni, otherwise known as dumplings. Believed to be the national dish of Russia, the Russian-style chicken dumplings are served with the cafe’s homemade chilli paste and sour cream. Dipping dumplings into sour cream? A first time for me.
I tried the Russian Pelmeni Soup (RM20) and was truly blown away. The Russian Pelmeni Soup consist of dumplings filled with meat and onions, boiled in a clear broth. Each bite was so comforting, and I can definitely see myself gravitating towards this dish on a cold day or when I’m ill.
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If you’re looking for a savoury tea time treat that goes perfect with coffee, I recommend the Chicken Samsa (RM15 for 2 pieces). These are triangular pastries wrapped around finely-shredded chicken and onion filling, baked to golden perfection. Despite being flaky and crispy, I wished that the filling was more flavourful and perhaps had a hint of spice. It reminded me of an Indian samosa but with less prominent flavours.
Last to appear at my table was Syrniki (RM18), homemade Russian cottage cheese pancakes with sour cream, berries and honey. This was definitely something new as I’ve never had cottage cheese in pancakes but they were super soft and just slightly sweet on the inside. When dipped in honey and paired with the berries, it’s truly a delicious treat.
Final thoughts
I recommend you to swing by Torte by Linda for tea time and indulge yourself in a couple of the Russian cakes. Whether you’ve got a sweet tooth or a low sugar tolerance, there’s truly a dessert for everyone here.
Before you leave the cafe, you may want to grab a jar or two of honey from Linda’s Farm – another one of Linda’s brands that supplies 100% natural honey from Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Using this particular product in almost all her recipes, there’s no wonder as to why the unique desserts at Torte by Linda’s taste as amazing as they do.
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