Spotlight

In the morning light, as the city stirs to life, Chinatown’s beautiful new Sekalf beckons for breakfast before work.  This is a warm, welcoming two-level cafe on Tun H.S. Lee Road, serving crowd-pleasers with cross-border twists - rendang rigatoni, pasembur with prawn cakes, ngau fan-inspire...

After seven years of home baking and seven years in PJ’s Happy Mansion, Xiao by Crustz moves this month to a much larger, leafier location, a five-minute drive from Section 17 to Section 19. This is a soothing, spacious and sunny sanctuary for pastries, plated desserts and ice cream, with war...

Kota Damansara's new Gomi Haus brings together Korean-style snacks and sweets with Korean-powered coffee in a friendly cafe. The Rabokki is hot and hearty street fare, combining ramyeon noodles with tteokbokki, hard-boiled egg and fish cakes in spicy gochujang sauce. Other temptations on the ...

Fujisawa Kyanpu Bar is Damansara Uptown's distinctive new destination for Japanese izakaya-inspired fare, memorably served in a colourful setting inspired by camping themes.With camping chairs coupled with low tables, complete with illustrated banners that evoke road trips and outdoor adventures,...

While The Federal Kuala Lumpur remains shuttered for room bookings, its restaurants keep the torch burning: Halley at Mandarin Palace opened this year, reviving a venerable venue that hosted countless meals for generations of Malaysians through six decades.While the setting feels timeless, fill...

Cafe Rumah 16 is the new in-house cafe of Shah Alam-based residential renovation firm Rumah 16; it currently houses a counter for sweets and sips by Ijo Matcha. Try the Malaysian-inflected matcha treats, including matcha onde-onde croffles and matcha o ais limau.Cafe Rumah 163a, Jalan Bunga Mel...

Starhill's sleek Opera Cafe & Lounge serves up a symphony of sights, scents and sensations - striving to become one of Malaysia's most Instagrammable cafes, it's pretty in pink, gorgeous in gold, lovely in neon lights.Find your favourite corner in this shimmering wonderland of mirrors and arc...

True to its name, Solh (Persian for peace) is a soulful new sanctuary of serenity in KL’s city centre, scarcely a 10-minute drive from KLCC.  This leafy alfresco oasis is a bright, friendly space for mezze-style small plates and pizzas with Maghreb and Mediterranean inspirations. Snack on ...

SS2's Soluble Solids is PJ's new cocktail parlour with distinctive drinks - it's the sister bar of Damansara Kim's Dissolved Solids, serving a completely different selection of customisable cocktails.As its name suggests, the bar infuses tequila, gin, whiskies and other spirits with 'soluble ...

Meathical hits the meat of the matter: KL's new steakhouse and wine bar brings sumptuous creations to the city centre, from gorgeously grilled beef to a unique Boston lobster degustation menu and playful fare that spans a whiskey bone marrow luge to foie gras souffle. We love Meathical's setti...

Perched beside Sanctuary Mall's spectacular Tree House in Bandar Rimbayu, Kishi Yakiniku Bar offers a striking space for sumptuous Japanese sensations - it's a wide-open, breezy sanctuary with a one-of-a-kind view, for a gorgeous getaway from the crowded city, an easy half-hour's drive from, say,...

Welcoming BBQ enthusiasts to a snug corner of USJ Heights, Subang Jaya's Smokehouse BBQ & Grill is a binge-worthy barbecue joint that joyously champions the all-American tradition of smoked meat. Launched in October 2022, Smokehouse showcases an alfresco setting with long picnic tables as...

For the past six months, patrons have entered Puchong's Mision by Burgertory with a purpose: To sink their teeth into succulent, freshly grilled pork, from coveted cuts like Spanish iberico abanico to crowd-pleasers like chunky, plump sausages, plus playful pastas and princely pork burgers, ...

Penang’s Frank Laurent Coffee Roasters debuts in KL’s city centre this month, in a sleek, shimmering space on Tun Razak Road. The cafe is currently in its soft launch, serving satisfying beverages mainly for takeouts (since it’s not fully furnished for now), spanning FL signatures like the Blue...

Providence paved the path for Bistro Eatz, whose chef-founder honed his craft in Rhode Island, the Carolinas and Washington, D.C. before returning to Malaysia and launching this casual eatery in Sri Hartamas.American soul food from that region is a cornerstone of Bistro Eatz's menu, with a creati...