City Coffee, Petaling Jaya

A taste of honey: City Coffee offers its own take on the Spanish cafe con miel, which is basically coffee with milk and honey (RM8.50 for 8oz). This friendly, fuss-free caffeine bar currently serves two coffees for a total of RM10, so it's worth ordering a second cup, perhaps a caffe mocha.

City Coffee
No. 38, Jalan SS2/67, Petaling Jaya, 47300 Selangor. Open Mon-Sat, 8am-10pm.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Nasi Katok, Brunei

Nasi katok is one of Brunei's most popular dishes, widely available, often costing only one Brunei dollar per plate (RM3) for a hearty helping of rice with fried chicken and sweet-savoury sambal. But if you can, search also for nasi belutak - fried rice laced with tamarind-tinged beef meat and tendons fermented in cow intestines; the belutak is chewy and salty, ramping up the flavour of the fried rice.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Rasadesa, Bukit Damansara

Showcasing cherished kampung classics that crisscross peninsular Malaysia, Rasadesa's cooking is fit for kings and kenduris, from Negeri Sembilan's itik salai masak lemak cili api (RM28; meaty smoked duck in spicy-milky gravy, aromatically simmered with turmeric and daun asam gelugur) to Kelantan's kerutup udang galah (RM30; a giant fleshy freshwater prawn, saturated in a richly sweet-savoury concentrated curry).

The food conveys a robust sense of time-honoured tradition, living up to the flavours that the restaurant's name evokes. Other offerings span Malacca's asam pedas ikan pari, Pahang's patin masak tempoyak with timun tua, and Terengganu's nasi dagang with gulai ikan tongkol.

Don't skip the kitchen-made sambals (RM3 each) - the unmistakably pungent sambal belacan, the creamy-like-mayo sambal tempoyak with a potently fermented durian kick, and the sambal budu cili padi with a fieriness that lingers on the palate.

Service is warm and efficient at this bright, cheerful restaurant.

Rasadesa
No 47, Jalan Medan Setia 1, Bukit Damansara, Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur
Open Mon-Wed, 11am-5pm; Thur-Sat, 11am-3pm, 630-10pm. Tel: 012-260-6433

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Ambuyat, Brunei

Considered Brunei's national dish (but also available across Sabah and Sarawak), ambuyat might be an acquired taste, a starchy-sticky substance extracted from the pith of the sago palm's trunk. Roll the gooey ambuyat around a pair of prongs, then dunk it into a sauce that balances out its blandness - in Bandar Seri Begawan, we had it with a tempoyak-tinged dip, punchy and pungent, surrounded by a slew of classically prepared meat, fish and vegetables.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Don Martin Dim Sum Bar, Petaling Jaya

Don Martin tries to transform dim sum from teahouse treat to pub-grub pleasure; the restaurant remains open till past midnight, so you can continue munching on shrimp siu mai (RM6.50) and century egg dumplings (RM5.50) long after sunset, washing these plump, steaming-hot snacks down with cider and beer.

Ideal for late-night owls who can't wake up early enough for dim sum brunches, the selection covers all the familiar favourites, from har gao to char siu bao, lo mai gai to chee cheong fun, reputedly by the Yun Lai Dim Sum Group that operates more than a dozen eateries mainly in Johor.

Don Martin Dim Sum Bar
4, Jalan SS 2/63, SS2, Petaling Jaya, 47300 Petaling Jaya. Open Tues-Sun, 11am-2am. Tel: 012-722-5575

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Alois Dallmayr, Munich

Munich flocks to the sprawling headquarters of Europe's biggest delicatessen business for cold cuts, chocolates, cakes, cheeses and more - even if you're not buying, it's worth browsing at the three-century-old Alois Dallmayr before taking in the sights at the Marienplatz square, preferably from the sky.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com