Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya are consuming globally this month. The most recent openings transfer from Sichuan-spiced mala to New York-style pizza, with loads of espresso, pastries and cocktails in between. JUNGHEE provides Korean favourites a contemporary spin, Taan Thai brings the flavours of Thailand to Sunway Velocity, and BAB turns Center Japanese consolation meals into a straightforward grab-and-go affair. Elsewhere, new cafés and bars hold town coated from morning espresso to final name. Contemplate this your good excuse to eat your approach across the metropolis. Esquire Malaysia covers what’s new and what it’s best to order first.
Jaga Cafe, Perdana Botanical Gardens
Contemplate this your post-walk pit cease. Positioned in Perdana Botanical Gardens, this open-air café overlooks the lake and sits simply minutes from the Butterfly and Hen Parks. Additionally they reward repeat visits with a loyalty programme that lets diners earn factors, in order that further lap across the park feels fully justified. Preserve an eye fixed out for infrequent group occasions, resembling Exhale with Jaga, an intimate yoga session that invitations you to stretch it out and let the remainder of the world wait.
Flip your morning stroll right into a breakfast date with Curate Espresso Roaster’s Monday Blues Signature Mix. Plus, the used grounds can be found to take house as skincare. It’s a easy solution to give espresso waste a sustainable second life. For extra distinctive combos, the signature drinks embody the Coconut Pandan Matcha Cloud, Matcha Strawberry Latte or the Tangy Kedondong. Feeling hungry? Gasoline up after your morning stretch and seize some bagels, starting from the savoury Egg Mayo and Cream Cheese to sweeter picks just like the Pandan Kaya & Butter.
Curiosité, Kampung Attap
Fashioned by Grill Haven co-founder Afiq Nazar, Afiq has swapped smash burgers for one thing easier. This newly opened spot in Kampung Attap blends cool, modern vibes with rustic allure. Its laid-back ambiance makes it the proper place to meet up with pals or get pleasure from a quiet solo date. Deal with your self to some espresso! Use Afiq’s everlasting low cost code ‘AfiqSleepsAt10’ (as seen on his Instagram) to get your every day repair. Open from 8 am to eight pm (and lengthening till midnight on weekends), it’s a comfy hideout for each early risers and night time owls alike.
Its menu brings collectively daring flavours, from Shio Pan Meatballs with tomato kantan sauce to Ayam Berempah Toasty paired with sambal hijau mayonnaise that calls for a second of silence with each chunk. Snack on Satay Wings, Chilli Butter Rooster, and Mantao for a flavour-packed feast which may make sharing really feel like a tough resolution. Pair it with some matcha creations and signature drinks such because the Raspberry Fizz, Mango Earl Gray and Raspberry Latte, as a result of a café hunt isn’t full till there’s a fairly drink becoming a member of the desk.
Common Bakehouse, Damansara Kim
Since opening in 2019, Common Bakehouse has risen once more in Damansara Kim, fairly actually. The beloved bakery has remodeled a 40-year-old laundromat right into a neighbourhood spot for recent pastries and artisanal breads. It returns with an even bigger house, an expanded kitchen, and much more causes to linger. Alongside new breakfast additions, the menu provides its comforting classics a considerate refresh, whereas its inviting ambiance retains regulars coming again for extra.
Make your approach via the bakery, and also you’ll discover loads to like. Diners ought to strive the Granola Bowl paired with recent mango passionfruit compote, or attain for the Apple Sourdough with a heat apple filling and simply the best contact of sweetness. For one thing extra filling, tuck into the Smoked Mackerel Croissant, Eggplant Romesco Focaccia or Pineapple Chilli Rooster Sandwich, every providing a satisfying twist on acquainted favourites. And naturally, a bakery run isn’t full with no refreshing sip of Ruits’ Wake Me As much as accompany these golden, flaky pastries.
JUNGHEE, The Campus Ampang
Positioned at The Campus Ampang, this Korean fusion restaurant has opened its first native outpost. With over 20 shops throughout South Korea, this new spot thoughtfully adapts Korean delicacies to go well with native palates. Inside, you’ll be greeted by wood particulars, Korean-inspired touches and an environment designed for unhurried eating. As an alternative of barbecue meats and stews, the menu twists the classics via a contemporary fusion of methods, flavours and tradition.
The menu is a feast price making room for. The Wagyu Beef Kimchi Fried Scorching Pot Rice arrives in a scorching stone bowl, delivering heat with each chunk. For a extra conventional dish, the kale wraps and beef rice take in a wealthy soybean paste. The perimeters are simply as tempting, from the Shrimp Potato Pancake and Kimchi Cheese Tteokbokki Rooster Fries to a choice of sashimi. Noodle lovers received’t be left behind both, so indulge within the spicy buckwheat noodles tossed in perilla oil or the Yukgaejang noodle stew paired with JUNGHEE’s signature sauce.
Taan Thai, Sunway Velocity
A visit to Bangkok can wait as Taan Thai lands in Sunway Velocity. From the group behind its sister model Ǎn Viet, the restaurant’s first outlet centres on Thai delicacies at approachable costs. With marketing consultant chef Korn Yodsuk behind the menu, dishes are made with out MSG and focuses on high quality substances and conventional preparation. Curry pastes are ready in-house, whereas broths are slowly simmered for higher depth of flavour. Conveniently positioned contained in the mall, it makes for a straightforward post-shopping detour for a style of Thai meals with out the effort of journey.
The menu goes past the standard pad thai and tom yum, drawing on dishes from totally different areas of Thailand. The smoky Isaan-style salad with grilled pork leans into the warmth and acidity of the nation’s northeast. Additional south, the yellow curry cockle combines recent cockles with turmeric and fragrant spices. Desserts hold these Thai flavours in focus, with crimson ruby bingsu and the basic mango sticky rice among the many choices for a candy end. For a refreshing drink, strive the Tom Yum Cooler, which reworks lime, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, and a touch of spice.
Mokky’s Pizza, Glo Damansara
You’ll be able to by no means go incorrect with a slice of pizza. What began as a roadside hustle with pals in 2021 has since grown into Mokky’s, a homegrown model based by Shahmi Shaharudin. Constructed from his EPF financial savings and a ardour for New York-style slices, the pizzeria has now expanded to 10 shops, together with its newest location in Glo Damansara Procuring Mall. Mokky’s swaps the usual ghost-kitchen setup for a correct restaurant house, pairing vibrant orange accents, heat lighting and communal seating. It’s the perfect spot for gathering household over a great pizza.
Mokky’s New York-style slices are solely only the start, with favourites such because the Pretend Margherita, Beef Pepperoni and Smoked Lamb pizzas stealing the highlight. Accessible in 8, 12 and 16-inch sizes, every pie will be tailor-made for a solo craving or a correct feast to share. It’s not only a pizza joint although, because the pasta lineup holds its personal with crowd-pleasers just like the Salty Chick, Smoking Olio and Beef Bolognese. For these saving room for dessert, the brand new menu brings a candy finale with the Double Choco Cake, Marble Cheese Tart and Lime Coco Tart.
BAB, TTDI
Positioned in TTDI, BAB places a fast-food spin on Arabic favourites, serving grab-and-go shawarma and kebab plates. The most recent enterprise from chef and restaurateur Ameer Alzalek follows the success of Leen’s, which earned a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Information. The thought behind BAB is straightforward: everybody loves a fast, accessible meal, particularly when shawarma is concerned. This spot commits to the idea with a shiny orange color palette and streamlined ordering system, giving it the texture of a contemporary fast-food joint fairly than a standard Arabic restaurant.
The menu retains issues easy, with loads of Center Japanese consolation meals to select from. The Beef Shawarma Wrap is an apparent crowd-pleaser, whereas the Rooster Shawarma Wrap makes a robust case for poultry. For a extra substantial dish, take a look at the Rooster and Beef Shawarma Rice Bowls, or go all in with the Arabic Platter, which incorporates your selection of meat and a choice of sides. For vegetarians, don’t fear, there’s loads to select from. Indulge within the Falafel Wrap or the Hummus Bowl, each providing a meat-free repair that also leaves you feeling full.
Mala Bistronome, TTDI
Spicy lovers, this one’s for you. Mala Bistronome has landed in TTDI, serving up bowls of no-pork, no-lard mala to fulfill these fiery cravings. From the minds behind PJ’s THB Bistronome, Chef Andy Choy and Wei Han deliver malatang and trendy bistro eating collectively below one roof. Their reimagined tackle malatang lets diners construct their very own bowls with a selection of wealthy, flavour-packed broth and a selection of substances. Its neon signage, laid-back ambiance, and heat-packed dishes make it the perfect neighbourhood hangout spot for family and friends.
The signature menu shouldn’t be ignored, with the Mala Platter serving up a wide range of dishes made for sharing. For a straightforward chunk, strive the Flat Bread Spinach Parmesan. There’s additionally the Tiger Prawn and ½ Spring Rooster to pair along with your rice, whereas the Mapo Tofu with Rice is sprinkled with Sichuan peppercorn. And naturally, you may construct your individual malatang. Priced at RM6.90 per 100g, you may choose from 5 soup bases, together with their signature Mala, White Mala and Collagen Rooster Soup. Then, load up your hefty bowl with no matter catches your eye.
Poo Loong & Co., Petaling Avenue
Nothing says an evening out in Chinatown fairly like discovering a brand new bar. Previously often known as Up & Away, this hidden cocktail bar presents a brand new house to unwind after an extended week. The thoughts behind the bar, Jordan Lim, determined it was time to commerce Up & Away’s common social gathering scene for a slower tempo. He has reimagined it with loads of lounge seating and a hearth nestled between its conventional home windows overlooking Petaling Avenue. Open from 6 pm to 2 am, that is a kind of speakeasy-style bars you’ll end up returning to everytime you’re within the space.
Behind the bar, basic cocktails include a twist. The Jungle Hen takes a tropical flip with rum, pineapple juice and gula apong, balancing candy and bitter notes. The Daiquiri additionally accommodates gula apong, this time paired with rum and lime for simply sufficient sweetness. For those who choose the classics, the Espresso Martini, Highball and Negroni are all secure bets that by no means exit of fashion. No matter your drink of selection, this bar provides you each purpose to remain for an additional spherical.
Bar Vetro, Cheras
Ever end up craving a espresso throughout the day and a cocktail come dusk? Bar Vetro has you coated, serving each below one roof. Tucked away in Cheras, this hidden gem shifts gears from a daytime espresso hangout to a night cocktail spot. Carry your greatest digicam and a great outfit as a result of its vibrant drinks aren’t the one factor price snapping. Inside, a collision of retro allure and futuristic aptitude creates an area that’s playful, nostalgic and straight out of a sci-fi movie.
The artistic espresso choice has loads of surprises, with the Watermelon Cheese sounding a bit funky on paper, nevertheless it appears price a sip. Wander additional down the menu, and also you’ll discover the Vietnamese Coconut Toffee for a style of Ethiopian espresso. After which there are the cocktails, together with the wild-sounding Jerry’s Expired Cake and the Hassle Maker, a nutty and coconut-forward selection for these trying to shake issues up. Pair your drinks with candy treats such because the Caramel Pudding or Pistachio Canelé to spherical out all these surprising flavours.
This text was first seen on Esquire Malaysia.
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