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A florist, bakery and cafe rolled into one, Little Collins is a comfy, unpretentious place to grab some no-frills grub. Unlike many of Solaris Mont Kiara's other outlets, it closes pretty early, so be there before 7 pm to be safe. The Ultimate Scrambled Eggs didn't exactly live up to its...

Really should have started this five years ago, but better late than never, right? So here we go now! *Deep breath* M Circle is Starhill's revamp of what was once Tiff's Jazz Lounge on the Explore floor. It feels sleek but slightly more impersonal. The lounge singer who used to stro...

A recent addition to SohoKL, Schokolart reeled us in with high hopes for its chocolate cocktails and creative concoctions that its menu claimed were "bound to make us shake with pleasure." Clockwise from top right: Love, Life & Chocolates (three scoops of dark chocolate ice cr...

A worthy successor to what was once the Attic, but its long-term prospects seem uncertain. More than ever, there's so much competition on this street for the same customers. Foie gras with berry compote and glazed endive. What's not to like, right? Waldorf salad, with granny...

Taking the place of the former Attic in Bangsar, Leonardo's is a gorgeous, soulful place spread over two floors. The Wine Loft, above the Dining Room, offers a limited food menu. Mamma Mia pizza, topped with jamon serrano and rocket. Perfect for sharing. Tender pork knuckl...

Its reputation as one of Jalan Bangkung's sturdiest survivors is a testament to Opus' reliability, with longtime favourites on the menu that are worth revisiting over and over again. Foie gras with poached pear in red wine sauce. Tasted excellent, though maybe someday they'll shake thin...

It's easy to miss this tiny TTDI outlet, where you can choose a combo of meat and organs for soup dishes. Warning: Potentially disgusting pics ahead! Cow brain, lungs and tongue. The brain seemed really squishy. Intestines, tripe, tail .... yep, anything goes here! This wa...

Reunion bears little resemblance to the typical KL Chinese restaurant, but even traditionalists should be won over by its beauty. There's a palpable sense of mystique and mystery here. The hall for large groups is less intimate but still looks terrific. Roast meat combo of ...

SkyBar seems a lot more casual before the sun sets, with hotel guests swimming and basking in the warmth. But the daytime view outside lacks the impression made by KL's night skyline. The signature cocktails are still outstanding though. Selangor Sling (gin and cherry brandy shaken wi...

After closing down in Ampang, Tamarind Hill is back _ now in the heart of the city, perched on a hill overlooking Jalan Sultan Ismail. You'll have to climb a long flight of stairs to get here, but it's worth the effort. Possibly KL's most beautiful restaurant. A serene, comfy place that...

The Club at The Saujana (yep, that's its official name) seems to target mainly golf enthusiasts. But it has a gorgeous lounge (simply called The Lounge) where even those of us who've never touched a golf club can feel at ease. Mojito and Citrus Rum Cooler. Classic cocktails are all avail...

Keep your expectations low here. There seems to be only one employee, who handles everything from taking orders to preparing food. Snow yoghurt with blueberry sauce and frozen yoghurt with fruits. The yoghurt tastes pleasant and has a smooth texture, but it comes only in one flavour _ pl...

Yet another "modern" kopitiam, Malaya Straits caters mostly to a lunch crowd. Rojak buah with sotong. A tangy treat. Hainanese chicken rice. Decent but unmemorable. Penang char kuey teow. Surprisingly good considering where we were. Cendol with durian. The durian ha...

According to the buzz, the Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa franchise spreading across KL is a pale imitation of the Kampung Baru original. Naturally, we felt compelled to probe the truth. The verdict? We won't be rushing back for more, but it's not bad. The rice is fluffy and well cooked, though it...

Offering New Orleans cuisine tweaked for Malaysian tastebuds, this is an interesting outlet with a lake view on Plaza Kelana Jaya's waterfront. Seafood gumbo (sauteed seafood with creamy sauce stirred in herbs, spices and mozzarella). The menu's description fails to mention that there's...

Remember all the hype when The Daily Grind first opened? The buzz has grown quiet since then, but this place is still faithfully churning out those burgers. The foie gras burger has evolved from its earliest incarnation. The foie gras now rests above the beef patty instead of bei...

The Club at The Saujana's sole dining outlet has a simple but memorable name: The Restaurant. Customers can sit indoors near an open kitchen... ... or outside, closer to nature, if the weather is kind. The bread was nice and toasty, while the butter was divine. Amuse bouch...

We revisited Urbanattic for drinks, but managed to catch a soundcheck by a young band. No idea who they were. They sounded like Paramore-meets-Green Day. Bloody Mary and Bellini cocktails. There's also a food menu now offering local fare from the Bunga Serai outlet nearby. ...

Time for our once-every-three-months trip to a furnace of fiery Thai fare. Launched this month at Subang's Empire Shopping Gallery, Bangkok Beat Bistro is the sister outlet of the Bangkok Jam restaurants in Singapore, Taipei and Taichung. There's probably something for everyone on the menu of s...

One of KL's most stately restaurants, with a distinctive, head-turning look. The open kitchen offers a fine view of dishes being meticulously concocted. No longer as packed as it used to be; hurray for calm, crowd-free dining! The bread platter here is one of the best in town....

Recently relocated, Top Hat now occupies the bungalow that once was Wa-Raku. Our first impression of the new premises was wholly positive. This place is classy and intimate without being claustrophobic or intimidating. Top hats with chilli sauce. These can't match up to my boyhood me...

Twentyone has been kicking around for a couple of years, but it hasn't become boring. Its creative cuisine and cocktails keep us coming back. The complimentary bread with dukka dip underscores how they try to put interesting twists into everything here. Rhubarb compote with vanill...

A serene setting for savouring sweet snacks in between shop-hopping. Oreo tiramisu. Not bad lah. You'll find much worse in other places. Warm crepe topped with peanut butter, caramelized apricots, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream and chopped peanuts. You could quibble that the crepe...

Has there been a management change at Shun? Our latest visit left us wondering what happened to the restaurant we once liked. Special toro sushi. This looked somewhat sad and was really bland. Shun Special Wagyu steak. Tasted more like regular beef. Seafood motoyaki in honeydew ...

We had trouble satisfying our dumpling cravings this year, with many places either running out of stock or not serving these carb-laden treats for dinner. Thankfully, Tai Zi Heen rescued us before we lost hope. The Hong Kong-style pillow-shaped dumpling was alright, but the absence of pork...

The 39 Restaurant boasts an impressive setting, with panoramic views of the city from the 39th floor of PNB Darby Park. It serves upmarket Malay cuisine, less intensely flavoured than traditional kampung cooking. A special mention to the staff here who set sky-high standards for friendli...

We hurried here for pre-dinner nibbles to find that Max had moved from Tengkat Tong Shin to this relatively secluded bungalow (formerly a European restaurant called Munchhaus). This place is completely differently from the old Max. It's exactly like Munchhaus, with lots of designer furnit...

Lotsa yummy Malay snacks that you can take away or eat around the counter. The chicken, beef and lamb satay comprised lean meat of surprisingly high quality. The peanut sauce was thick, chunky and aromatic. Also had the tripe satay; wanted to try the venison one, but they ran out of ...

I love how this outlet's name conjures impressions of a magical location. In reality, it's just another Chinese restaurant that serves decent food. Service is cordial & professional, which makes us sorry that this place isn't more popular. Our final dumpling for this season. Glutinous...

Click here for previous review of Urban (May 5). The customizable salads here are brilliant. The restaurant lets you mix and match your own choices from a vast variety of available ingredients. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but the kitchen always whips up a perfectly proportioned cr...

A nice-looking lounge but eerily empty on a recent weekday evening. Decent bar snacks; the crisps and cashews were both satisfyingly crunchy. Long Island Iced Tea and Bloody Mary. Cocktails were shabby though. One had too much Coke, the other too much tabasco; neither had much alcohol...

Click here for previous review of Neo (July 27). Returned to this soulful yet sleek place for the second time in less than a week to try some of the items that we had missed the previous round. It still has a half-finished look, but there's nothing half-baked about the food. Be warne...

After months of heated anticipation, Neo has finally opened, perched beside Tamarind Hill overlooking Jalan Sultan Ismail. There's nowhere else quite like this in the heart of the city. It seems somewhat stark and spartan for now, but it's still an impressive space with the potential to b...

With a menu as vast as Nero Vivo's, there are bound to be both hits and misses. On our most recent visit, we encountered more misses than hits. The complimentary bread isn't on the menu, but it's a surefire hit! Pan-fried potato-crusted duck foie gras with light port wine reduction ...

For previous reviews of Leonardo's, click here (Feb. 2) and here (Feb. 19). Leo's Cured Salmon Carpaccio with fennel, parsley, orange salad and campari dressing. Recommended for whetting the appetite. Big Breakfast Pizza, topped with bacon, egg, mushrooms and tomatoes. Not as flavou...

This branch of Bon Ton at Lot 10 is a calm hideout just a few steps away from the Bukit Bintang bustle. It's a cosy little nook with lots of warmth and soul. Bon Ton's offerings have always been satisfying but not outstanding. The Nyonya top hats were a nice crunchy starter, even though...

All decked up for Chinese New Year, The Lounge @ Starhill lured us in one evening, but when we were told that snacks would take half an hour to prepare, we settled for a couple of drinks. The Kamikaze was a heady brew of vodka, gin, rum and lime juice, while the Lafarfallas Dream was a ...

Hidden on a perch above Maybank in Solaris Mont Kiara, this tiny bistro is worth hunting out for its fresh Japanese fare and convivial atmosphere. Lotsa customers were ordering this item: the only maki on the menu, stuffed with unagi, cream cheese and heaps of healthy veggies. Sho...

Dorsett Regency's buffet outlet is your typical hotel coffeehouse. No surprises. Steamboatish stuff that I ignored. This guy was really busy between 7-8 pm. The grilled selection of chicken, beef, lamb, prawns and fish was the other popular choice. Checkers Cafe, Dor...

The God of Fortune made an appearance at this Pudu establishment, handing ang pows to the kids and oranges to the rest of us. The RM28.28 yee sang was value for money, with a generous portion of salmon... ... but the HK veggies with yam, fried rice with goose liver sauce (barely any!), and p...

Robson Heights is only offering set menus this week, depriving customers of their signature dishes. So ... no honey-glazed pork ribs, sigh. They even ran out of some items on their sets and provided inferior substitutes instead. At this point, every salmon yee sang seems to taste the same. T...

SushiGroove has a lot going for it: a distinctively cool ambience, an unbeatably vast range of makis and relatively affordable prices. It's not a bad destination if you're craving Japanese food, but you probably won't be blown away by how anything tastes. The Kinky QQ roll comprised spicy tun...

At the end of the row that houses Bulldog, Aunty Nat and Saffron, this new Japanese outlet is drawing decent crowds to its outdoor garden setting. The sashimi selection was fresh but not particularly exciting. A bit overpriced too. Lots of pork options on the menu. The Buta Shishi...

Pop hits from the '80s and '90s set the ideal mood for a booze-filled evening. The White Knight Of Pandan (a lime and lychee martini with pandan) rode in to save the day, backed gallantly by the Le Commandant (can't remember what was in this). Peach Julep (peach and kentucky bour...

One of KL's most reliable Italian outlets. For that, we can thank chef Andrea, manager Carol and some of the city's friendliest restaurant staff members. There's a comfortingly familiar routine at the start of every meal here. First up, always the thickly sliced bread with a dip of sundried to...

Less than a month after it opened, Moxie has become a fast favorite at Plaza Damansara with its creative menu, affable service and an understated, intimate ambience. One warning though: Don't sit too close to the air-conditioner, coz it can get pretty chilly! We couldn't resist the blue crab s...

One of Purple Cane's three outlets, specializing in food cooked with tea leaves. Green tea yee sang with salmon (our final yee sang of the season?) Ginseng chicken tea soup (we could feel the nutrition seep into our system while drinking this!) Dough sticks with honey (yau char kuay! tas...

One of the few restaurants at the Gardens where the kitchen remains open past 10 pm. The lemon risotto was a tad too salty, though the combination of arborio rice and peas was a dynamic duo of comfort food. The Nasi Istimewa Alexis was more notable for the side dishes than the ri...

Replacing D'lish on Mid Valley's boulevard, the latest Delicious branch suffers the same problem as most of their other outlets: slow service and easily distracted staff members. The desserts are still worth the visit though. Buttery scones, a peach frangipane tart and the classic warm ...

Only recently became conscious of Hakka food, but am lovin' it! Sliced pork belly stewed with preserved vegetables in black soy sauce (the unhealthiest dish possible, but it was soooo good) and wok-fried celery with shredded dried squid, bamboo shoots and pork strips (total comfort food...