Lok Yun & Big Joe's @ SohoKL, Solaris Mont Kiara

Walking through SohoKL can be haunting, thanks to memories of the many restaurants that closed here; Lok Yun, one of this complex's newbies, occupies a corner lot that previously belonged to no fewer than three East Asian eateries: Zhen Shan Mei, Pin Shan & Peking Duck.

Lok Yun's another Chinese outlet with OK food; we liked the pork belly fried in salted egg yolk, though it could have been crunchier ...

... while various other pork parts, including neck & spare ribs, proved less memorable ...

... fried with salted fish, braised with bitter gourd or ginger, it's all a blur in our foggy recollection.

Wine's available & service is solid, but we're not sure whether longevity is in Lok Yun's future.

A few doors away, Big Joe's is another recent entry, taking over what was once Dubrovnik.

Big Joe's main attraction: shelves of books that include some unexpectedly tempting titles.

The food's a hodgepodge of meat-heavy Western fare (think mushroom soup, spaghetti bolognese & chicken chop), plus occasional specials like sandwiches like paprika spelt bread stuffed with butter, paprika, cheese, tomato & lettuce.

Plenty of pastries & cakes, plus German beer chilling in the fridge; perhaps worth a lunch stop for folks working here.

Lok Yun & Big Joe's
Ground Floor, SohoKL, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur

The Oct.-Dec. inaugural edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews & information for 100 pretty nice eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets. Please click here: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013 (This link expires Dec. 31, 2013; see blog entries after that date for new link).