Swirl PJ Review: Is Section 17's Soft Serve Worth It?
Sharing one of my new personal favourites of late! It is a quaint little dessert shop specializing in soft serve ice cream with an assortment of rotating monthly desserts to pair with their signature. This is a spot that will keep you coming back just curious for what they’re offering every month!
Conceptually, it is soft serve paired with a baked item - either a cookie, muffin, cake, tart, or doughnut - you can even ask for a swirly - which is them mixing it into the soft serve directly. They’re also partners with Nareo Donut - who they sometimes team up with to provide some dessert offerings.
Is it Halal
It is not halal certified, but definitely on the safer end. With their main offering being dessert, this is in that Muslim friendly category, with a lot of Malay Muslims patronizing the place on my visit here. Of course, if any concern about this, do just check with the staff if there’s anything you want confirmation on.
Where it Is
I would say that although in pictures it might seem easy to find, it is somewhat hidden by the shops beside it. It is located over in Seksyen 17, very near Jaya One shopping center. Parking is fairly limited, but shouldn’t be an issue. On my visit here I was still able to get a parking almost right outside the shop itself. The main unit might seem small, but there is seating next door, along with camping chairs out front. Note - whilst they used to be pet friendly, they are no longer pet friendly. The shop is very minimalist with some pastel accents. Almost a cafe akin to something you’d see in a Korean Dessert Cafe. One thing I like is that they’re open till quite late, making it a decent option for a late night hangout!
I do recommend checking out their Instagram for their new monthly offerings - https://www.instagram.com/swirl.my
Address: 76, Jalan 17/1A, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya
Operating Hours: 12pm to 11pm daily
What it Costs
Conceptually, I think it’s pretty weird to get Soft Serve alone, but that is RM8. It gets cheaper though, if you just have it as an add-on. Their desserts ranged from RM8 - RM14 on my visit there, and you can add on RM6 to have soft serve and RM8 if you want the full Swirly experience! Strictly speaking, I would still say that it is still on the slightly more reasonable end of KL / PJ desserts. Their signature, the Salted Caramel Apple Sundae comes in at RM12. They will also have some drinks like Kombucha, so if those tickle your fancy, might be interesting to try as well.
They do have self service water here too!
Here’s what I’ve tried on my visit:
Salted Caramel Apple Sundae | RM12
Eggless Banana Choc Chip Cookie | RM8 + RM6 (For soft serve)
How it Tastes
I think simply put, the star for me is clearly the soft serve itself. Although some people might feel that the flavour is a bit muted, for me, that rich milky vanilla taste is very evident and is something that you can just keep going back for. Not too heavy but at a level where it is just very good on its own. For the salted caramel apple sundae, I generally think that I almost enjoy the soft serve better on its own, but I would think that for people who feel the flavour is a bit more muted, the salted caramel sauce is a nice addition to elevate the dish. It brings a salty kick that adds some depth to the offering.
The eggless banana choc chip cookie is definitely one of the best eggless desserts I’ve tried. I wouldn’t even call it eggless because it’s something that I didn’t even notice (usually it’s something that I can easily pick out). I would say the thing that was most noticeable is that salty notes coming in from the chocolate chip cookie. But what I like about this coupled with the soft serve ice cream is definitely the harmony it creates. It is a good combination, sometimes it is done for the sake of combination, but this is a good combination that works well and something that almost everyone can enjoy!
Note: there are some items that will sellout. I know in August, the Tiramisu was particularly popular and sold out quite regularly, so just be prepared if some of the more popular monthly offerings sellout if you come late.
Star Rating
9/10. I really rarely give out 9/10s. The last one being maybe even last year, and I was quite torn between 8.5 and 9. But I think if I consider the simplicity, how much I enjoyed the offering, the price point being reasonable, and this just being all around a very nice hangout spot, I definitely rate this place highly and expect to be going back very soon! The service was great - and explained the menu well - I like having the tablet there to visually show each of the dishes offered each month.
