“Breakfast, lunch, dinner, bar—we have everything people would like. Bar when we want to party, breakfast when we’re hungover, lunch when we’re still hungover,” joked Moa Bergh, co-founder of the newly-opened PNNY Bites that sits right above ZODIAC in Senopati.
Striking with its frisky ‘loud’ decor and diner-inspired dishes, PNNY Bites kicked off during the 2020 pandemic when Moa, alongside partner-slash-creative director Gilang Asmara of Bali-based DJ Collective PNNY, started selling homemade cinnamon buns to get through lockdown. As a Swede from a family of cooks, the baked treat came as second nature to Moa, which swiftly prompted 200 orders a day and cued the development of PNNY Bites’ other baked goods, from cinnamon buns slathered in layers of peanut butter and jam (cheekily named Unprotected Sex) to their version of the glazed doughnut called Dunkin Krispy.
PNNY Bites range of comfort food always draws ideas from Moa’s upbringing, with dishes like the quintessential Swedish Meatballs, which Moa serves the traditional way with a helping of thick potato purée and gravy alongside pickled cucumber and fresh lingonberry jam. There’s also the Super Grilled Cheese, with melted cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan oozing between two thick slices of sourdough; Moa recommends dipping it into the creamy Tomato Soup for a lick of sweetness that complements the salty cheese, just like they did it back home in Sweden.
Meanwhile, for desserts, Gilang made inputs from the American pop culture influences he grew up around. Expect a roster of milkshakes and desserts topped with sprinkles, whipped cream and maraschino cherries, to their best-selling Bananas in Pyjamas, a meld of sticky and sweet banana toffee with cream and biscuits.
At first glance, PNNY Bites looks like an explosion of personality with every corner of the space boasting its own character, like the “grandma sofas” inspired by Moa’s childhood, the Balinese flower prints courtesy of Gilang, and the tower of collected stuffed animals. Yet everything endearingly traces back to things that are kept to Moa and Gilang. As much as the eatery caters to those seeking comfort, no-fuss food, it also makes one wonder if the two created PNNY Bites with their childhood and younger selves in mind.