BuTian Desserts Review: Does "Not Sweet" Actually Deliver?
If you know me, I love my sweet desserts - although I’m very picky about when I pick them. So when I hear that a dessert shop wants to literally brand as “Not Sweet” in Chinese (what Bu Tian translates to in English), naturally, I’m a little bit curious. Here’s what I thought of the Kuchai Lama offering.
There’s a very interesting story regarding Bu Tian. It’s a story of three sisters starting out as a pandemic home baking gig. What started out as egg tarts and pineapple tarts grew to a kitchen unit that ultimately ends up with Bu Tian. They kept hearing what people wanted out of their desserts and realised that there was demand for desserts that were less sweet. And that’s where the brand is born. They are also an official partner of Niko Neko - being listed in Niko Neko’s list of partners, so you know what you get when you get their Matcha dessert dishes.
Is it Halal
I would describe it as Muslim friendly with one caveat. They are not Jakim-certified, but they do claim that they are free from pork, lard, and gelatine. There is only one dish that contains alcohol - this being their Tiramisu tart, so avoid that if looking for halal options.
Where it Is
I think one common complaint about visiting Bu Tian is the lack of parking in the area. On my visit, I would say I generally agree. It is pretty challenging to park here, but not impossible. But that’s what you kind of expect out of the Kuchai Lama area. It’s located over in Taman Indrahan. It is quite near to Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park, Salak South and Taman Desa if you want a rough indication of which area it is located in.
Note - it is located directly on top of another Dessert Cafe - Voila. You’ll need to take a lift up in order to get to Bu Tian.
Address: 16-1, Jalan Indrahana 1, Taman Indrahana, 58200 Kuala Lumpur
Operating Hours:
Daily | 11am – 7pm (Closed Wednesdays)
Online-order pickup window is narrower: 1pm–6pm
Just note that pre-orders need 2-3 days - especially for 3 days and only available via WhatsApp (011-3320 6680). There is no in-house delivery, so you will need to arrange Grab or Lalamove yourself if you want delivery. There are some complaints within Google Reviews regarding how they pack for deliveries so just keep this in mind if you’re ordering delivery.
What it Costs
I would say the price is just about what you’d expect for what you get. Here’s what I tried:
Triple Matcha Cake | RM18
Brulee Cookies Set | RM16
Matchaberry | RM20
All menu prices are inclusive of tax already - there being a 6% service tax incorporated to menu prices.
Matcha drinks range between RM15 - RM18, which I would say is reasonable for using Niko Neko. Same with tarts, find the menu below!
How it Tastes
I think my thoughts about the desserts would be simple. Delicious! I would say the Triple Matcha Cake is pretty interesting. Definitely not that sweet, although pretty delicious all things considered. What’s interesting is the different layers of the cake coming together. It really is super rich with matcha and looks great as well. What I’ll say is that even if you really like your sweet desserts, it is something that anybody can appreciate. Great flavours and looks really aesthetic as well.
I would say their Brulee Cookies might be what I’d recommend even more. This is more because of uniqueness than anything. They have one that is Jasmine flavoured and one that is Vanilla flavoured. The floral taste of the Jasmine filling really hits. It’s strong but not overpowering, but it really makes for a really enjoyable and light dessert. The vanilla one feels like a rich cookie with a nice vanilla ice cream interior. I would say I like the Vanilla one more, but I’d recommend the Jasmine one just for its uniqueness and the novelty of the Jasmine version as a whole.
Their Matchaberry is a good option. I would say it’s definitely reasonably priced but I wouldn’t go as far to label it within the Bu Tian category. I recognise a lot of it is from the Strawberry itself, but still a nice drink overall (I like my sweet drinks anyway, so I will naturally like sweeter drinks anyways). But this is yet another dish that is really pretty and captures well for your Instagram shots.
Star Rating
8/10. Somewhere between 7.5 and 8 out of 10, but I will give it an 8. Of course I went when it was pretty empty - I went around 1pm on a Saturday and more people came as time passed. The whole cafe is really pretty and the food is tasty, with an aesthetic to match. I think it’s a really chill place to hang out and chill, so this definitely comes in the recommended category for me!
