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Having Hainanese family roots, we're genuinely excited to try different versions of Malaysian Hainanese dishes - though our favourite is chicken rice, we wouldn't say no to pork and chicken chops. So when ANTE announced it's serving Hainanese pork chop throughout August, we had to return to one o...

Smoky tandoori chai is Hemy's steamy speciality - tea poured into sizzling-hot clay bowls roasted in the oven, frothing over till it's fully brewed. Have it with some satisfying banana leaf rice, hitting all the spicy notes, to fire up your day.Hemy's Spicy Banana Leaf10, Jalan 52/18, Lapangan Me...

Good friends, great ingredients, generous cooking with graceful Japanese inspirations: g. by Forest Bean is barely six months old, but it has the right stuff to earn a loyal following in Kota Kemuning and beyond, run by four companions who've long shared a dream of opening their own neighbourhood...

Nashville and Nutella: Pair a burger stuffed with La Cour's take on hot chicken, the spiced Southern-fried speciality of Tennessee's capital (RM24.90), with a milkshake made mildly nutty with everyone's favourite hazelnut cocoa spread (RM15) at this airy, friendly cafe.La Cour13, Jalan PPU 2A, Ta...

This modern spin-off from Ipoh's Canning Dim Sum is popping up all over the Klang Valley with colourful, contemporary dim sum. Striking steamed highlights include the Butterfly Pea Flower Dumpling (RM9.80; with shrimp and diced carrots, in skin dyed blue with bunga telang), Abalone Mai (RM12.80; ...

XXVI has a number of recipes worth investigating, fuelled by European fundamentals with East Asian flourishes.Confit of salmon is beautifully complemented with ingredients that bring lively dynamics to this dish, from ikura to orange and beetroot. The fish is moist and tender but could be more li...

If avocado is your muse, Inspire Cafe's menu might be motivational for you, paying tribute to the creamy fruit through a trio of temptations - in a big salad bowl (RM12.90), over toast (RM13.90; with tomatoes on sourdough, with mashed potatoes on the side), and with spiral pasta (RM15.90; splashe...

With a restaurant named Yugo (Japanese for 'fusion'), it's no surprise to see risotto, guacamole and bird's eye chillies on the menu alongside otoro, kanpachi and uni. And we shouldn't be shocked that the results are both appetising and affordable - executive chef Nizam has spent nearly two decad...

When you step into Stammtisch, you'll spot a shimmering sign on your left, captioned 'Family Und Tradition,' with the word 'Gemütlichkeit' below it, conveying the three tenets that underpin our favourite German restaurant in KL.The patriarch of the Svrcula family that founded Stammtisch is Munich...

In this land of perpetual summer, a picnic might seem like the perfect way to celebrate with family and friends, whether you're comfortably indoors or savouring the sun outside. If it's the season of feasting for you, check out Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral's Summer Picnic Set, available with a sass...

From our current favourite steak tartare in KL to prawn mee that's playfully reimagined, Playte's kitchen has plenty of treats and tricks up its sleeve. One year after we first visited, we return to this modern Asian venue to find a 12-month-old restaurant that's maturing marvellously, embracing ...

Fresh duck egg noodles with a rich, nearly buttery smoothness, handmade through a three-generations-old family recipe: Take your home-cooked noodles to the next level with Ma Noodles 1964, an independent Malaysian brand that takes pride in slurp-worthy strands of traditional tastiness.We had the ...

For Thai fusion fans, By Dokkfaa offers everything from Mama tom yum noodles topped with tobiko to pad kra pao pizza with basil leaves. We were slightly unfortunate that the chef was not yet in when we visited at 4pm on a Thursday evening, so most of the menu was unavailable. Still, we managed to...

Mad about nasi lemak? MadMen serves not only a hearty platter with robust, tender pork rib rendang (RM20) but packets of Oloiya's nasi lemak-flavoured bak kwa with the scent of santan (RM18). Surprisingly, the restaurant isn't offering Don Draper's favourite old fashioned cocktail, but you can st...

This Haus could be a second home for customers seeking a friendly, breezy refuge in Puchong. Its founders have turned a small, abandoned bungalow in what looks like semi-rural heartland into a charming, fuss-free space that feels close to nature.Meals are meant to channel that made-in-your-kitche...

When Mirshal Lourdusamy opened a modest coffee bar on the porch of her family’s terrace house in January 2020, she couldn’t have predicted that staying at home would soon become the world’s mantra for evading a viral pandemic.Mirshal has nonetheless seen her business, Brew 9, blossom in Kota Kemu...

The cafe scene in Saudi Arabia's city of Jeddah feels like it's two decades behind Kuala Lumpur's, but it's still possible to have a slice of tiramisu cake paired with an espresso at a fuss-free venue like Taste Of Coffee.

For fans of arts, crafts and literature, 6 Yi is worth at least 60 minutes of your time: Come for the colourful, creative corners, stay for the punchy braised pork rice (RM15.90) and desserts and drinks with a kick, including Bailey's chocolate mousse cake (RM16.90) and sparkling cider.6 Yi Cafe ...

Siakap and snappers from the islands of northern Malaysia, tangy in assam pedas or with assam boi; prawns from the shores of the south, spicy in sambal petai or even rendang: Rasa Gourmet promises seafood from across our nation's length, served in tasty traditional styles, priced lower than the n...

Liquor lovers have a new hideout in Puchong: Pick a Portuguese wine, perhaps a supple red by Monte Cascas from southern Portugal's Alentejo region, and linger for the entire evening. Friendly service, comfortable sofas and soothing music combine for a relaxing experience.AiJiu Wine BarNo. 01-02, ...

Powered by Peranakan and Thai inspirations, Phuket Babas potently reimagines the classics of both cuisines from a contemporary lens, recasting everything from pie tee to moo ping. Longtime readers might realise that we rarely tread into Klang, but this restaurant's premise proved irresistible.Two...

Big Three Food Square promises a trinity of tempations, combining a Japanese kitchen, a bar, and a kopitiam. This is us, enthusiastically enjoying eel that's elevated with a choice of creamy butter or silky-smooth foie gras (RM12 for a slice of Unagi Butter Nigiri Sushi; RM35 for the Unagi Foie G...

Clockwise from left to right: Padthai (Thai Cuisine), Mee Goreng Ayam (Indian Cuisine), Crispy Chicken Chop (Western Cuisine), Steamed Chicken Rice with Braised Egg (Sergeant Chicken Rice), Beef Phở Soup + Sliced Rare Beef, Mee Jawa (Mee Jawa)From roast duck with wonton noodles to grilled stingra...

After exploring the exhibits at Muzium Negara, we enjoyed locally inflected refreshments at this cosy cafe outside the ticketing entrance. Frosty cendol with plenty of kidney beans was an antidote for even the most humid afternoon, while boba-laced fresh milk made nectarous with gula Melaka broug...

Coffee buffs, be at BeanMart, which takes its caffeine seriously. Try the Costa Rican honey-processed coffee, elegantly served like Chinese tea, accompanied by its original beans for customers to sample both the beverage and the beans (RM18). BeanMart's barista will patiently explain t...

With a Toulouse-born chef toiling in the kitchen, a Paris-loving picture of the Seine on the wall, and the 1979 classic Ma Reverence by Veronique Sanson playing on the speakers, Le Gourmandin brings Malaysians closer to France than most of us will get this year. Run by a French-and-Malaysian husb...

Ayam percik sushi rolls? A smash success at D'Izakaya, where chef Azri Che Ishak has the chops to execute the balance of flavours and textures that holds the key to reinvention. Purists might howl, but cuisine shouldn't stay stagnant - after all, even the California roll was only first created in...

If you've ever encountered an 18-foot black truck named Britney that seemed to pour out endless sidecars, salty dogs and sangrias, you probably had a very good time at a wedding or some other celebration, courtesy of mobile cocktail bar-for-hire KL Scenarium. This year's woes have forced KLS off ...

If crab roe rocks your boat, set sail for The Lankan Crabs and order a serving of Indonesian-sourced female mud crabs cooked in Sri Lanka's Negombo-inspired mild curry (RM140 for two medium-sized crabs, weighing at least 400 grams per crab). The curry is rich with roe in practically every spoonfu...

Driving up to Dharamshala on the edge of the Himalayas is an hours-long affair, no matter which route you take - have a break at one of the many mountainside cafes that line the journey in India's northern Himachal Pradesh state, stopping at The Manor for a masala-spiced omelette paired perfectly...

If walls could talk, Passage Thru India's corridors would echo with a quarter-century's worth of stories that chronicle a Malaysian Indian family's labour of love, led by a patriarch whose taste for food is surpassed only by his eye for culture and heritage.This former home in KL's Bukit Bintang ...

Billed as a Mizayaka - a Malaysian izakaya or a modern izakaya - Collins brings a sleek update to the classic Japanese bar experience. Spend the evening snacking on sofas beneath The Great Wave Off Kanagawa or take a table on the corner to sip the night away beside walls lined with contemporary J...

Fans of Korean fare, do keep Dookki in mind: You'll find a feast here with this Korean-born brand, serving up two types of meals for the price of one - an all-you-can-eat buffet of topokki (the popular stir-fried rice cakes) with other Korean specialities like fried chicken, fish cakes and seawee...

If chicken rules the roost for your Japanese food cravings, wing your way to Yakitori Ebisu, where fowl play ranges from juicy crowd-pleasers to offal rabble-rousers.The yakitori selection (conveniently priced at a reasonable RM4.50 per skewer) covers the neck-to-tail essentials, from seseri, whi...

As a brand respected for natural and nourishing cuisine, fueled by wholesome tea infusions, Purple Cane has long attracted families and wellness-conscious customers. At a time when health is on the forefront of most minds, its allure is even more evident.As Malaysians increasingly return to dine ...

French breads beckon across the breadth of this country; even the tiniest commune conceals a boulangerie or three for your fix of croissants and coffee. 

When we visited The Yellow Roast in March, it was a red-hot new stall that served KL Sentral's tastiest Cantonese roast meats. Weekday lunch crowds in the Q Sentral office tower flocked here for a hearty lunch and pleasant view from the 12th floor. The Yellow Roast now seems to specialise in preo...

Pie tee, pongteh and Pimm's: Baba Quay, the new Peranakan kitchen of Bangsar's Ronnie Q pub, tempts us with traditional Nyonya cooking, paired with a cocktail or two for extra pleasure.The top hats are crunchy and fresh-tasting, though they could be more richly stuffed with shredded turnips for a...

Go Goguma: Hana & Thyme, a florist-cafe in KL's GMBB Mall, becomes the first to bring sweet potato buns, one of South Korea's viral culinary smashes of 2020, to Malaysia. These are beautifully baked, resembling real sweet potatoes, stuffed with genuine Japanese sweet potato.Novelties have a h...

Chocha Foodstore's new menu is a monumental journey that can be experienced through contrasting routes. It might take you from the Straits of Malacca to the streams of Pahang. It can be tracked across small, self-reliant farms where chickens flock near Broga, where cacao trees bear their crinkly...

For two years, Mont Kiara's Playground The Cafe echoed with laughter of young children as they tossed around toys, clambered on slides and decorated cupcakes in a kids-friendly space, while their parents enjoyed a meal or beverage nearby.The venue has been much less boisterous since mid-March. Ev...

Come for the coffee and kombucha, stay for the cheese and chocolate: Atap brings together two former food truck owners under one roof, teaming up the talents of barista Christopher Chuah and sandwich specialist Fauzan Ruslan, who first met while running their respective trucks - Pagi Coffee Co an...

Bringing together Japanese souffle pancakes and sofuto-inspired soft serves, Soffle is a soothing new dessert destination that offers a sweet escape from bitter reality.The signature is the Valrhona Dark Chocolate, with all things chocolate, from the cooked-to-order pancakes (with a 20-30 minute ...

Sarawak laksa served steaming-hot; salmon that's straight from the teppan; steaks seared sizzlingly to order: Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral has reimagined the hotel buffet experience at its flagship Nook restaurant with an all-you-can-eat selection that's cooked à la minute and sent to your table.Wi...

Black coffee by day, burritos by night: PJ's Coffeeboy Club has recently started serving dinner every Friday and Saturday, tackling tacos for its new Mexicola nights. If you like fresh, soft tacos, assembled to order with respectable produce, the Fishy Tacos should satisfy, stuffed with crisply b...

Attention, adventurous ramen explorers: Ramen Setagaya recently launched distinctive promotional bowls like the Shionoya Jiro Ramen, pungently swamped with a mega mound of garlic over a blanket of bean sprouts and cabbage, true to the 'Jirorian style' introduced in Tokyo a half-century ago.The no...

Suren Krishnan, chef-founder of PJ's Tipsy Boar, has worked in restaurants since he was a teenager. He can complete familiar tasks in the kitchen blindfolded - but in some ways, wearing a mask over his mouth and nose is an even bigger challenge.Masks are "a necessity now, but they hinder the cook...

Promising the flavours of Punjab in Petaling Jaya, Sangat brings together the cooking of a region divided, split between northern India and eastern Pakistan. Despite decades of political animosity, the kitchen here offers proof that the people of Punjab have more in common than not - Sangat is sp...

Throughout the past decade, One World Hotel Petaling Jaya's Cinnamon Coffee House has thrived for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with buffets that showcased crowd-pleasers from Malaysia and abroad. As recently as March, beef buffs flocked here for an all-you-can-eat extravaganza of Japanese Iga wag...

Helmed by a Hainanese chef whose inspiration is her own grandmother, Miss Tan Oriental Cuisine flies up our pecking order for chicken rice, relying on free-range fowl sourced daily from a farm on the outskirts of KL.The eponymous Miss Tan has been cooking Hainanese chicken rice for over 20 years,...