Monograph Cafe & Dining, Tun HS Lee Road

Now open for limited walk-ins for lunch and dinner, Monograph is Tun H.S. Lee Road's new cafe and dining space, captivating in its play on sculpture, shadow and light,  spearheaded by the folks who founded Niko Neko Matcha.

This first-floor venue retains a rustically weathered Chinatown character, centred by two German-inspired chandeliers with binder clips that showcase sheets of Japanese paper bearing love letters in various languages.

Monograph's menu is a modern play mainly on Mediterranean and Japanese foundations, weaving together local and international produce.

Try the sweetly roasted Australian baby carrots with Spanish extra virgin olive oil in romesco sauce with pistachio dukkah spices (RM17), Cameron kale Caesar salad with succulently smoked Ipoh duck and house-made panko crumble (RM30, sweet potato soup with Elle & Vire whipping cream (RM14), beetroot soup with parsley oil (RM13), Sicilian-style spaghetti with Moroccan sardines (RM23) and Japanese beef curry with turmeric rice and kampung egg omelette, all flavourfully hearty and fairly priced.

Don't skip dessert - the caramel duck egg pudding and pistachio terrine are our favourite sweet treats so far in 2024, sumptuously smooth with exquisite nuances.

Monograph is also home to Soberside, a zero-alcohol bar that transforms classic cocktails into thoughtful beverages like the Hyeball (hojicha with soda and Okinawa black sugar), Red Leaf (oolong tea with spice infusion and maple), White Veeno (chrysanthemum with lychee, peach, apple and lemon) and Pamola (chrysanthemum tea with grapefruit and passionfruit).

Monograph KL

181-A (First Floor), Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur.