Rimba & Rusa is an attention-grabber for multiple reasons. This two-level venue is beautiful, blessed with a big-budget polish that's certain to be catnip for the Klang Valley's cafe paparazzi. It also boasts possibly the best Malay-language equivalent of a hipster moniker. And fortunately, it also offers an appealing menu, crafted by the veteran talents of the Wondermilk cafe chain.
The selection showcases a contemporary-minded mix of cross-border components, capably thought out & competently executed, with noticeable nods to what's currently in fashion for KL's restaurant fare - leap from a hearty, citrus-dressed salad of salt-baked beetroot, chickpeas & fennel (RM26+) to a unique cross between a burger & banh mi, comprising soft-shell crab with cucumber, cilantro, red onions & sriracha aioli in a charcoal bun (RM32+), served on Rimba & Rusa's own tableware.
There's much more, such as brunch fare (served only until 3pm) of fried eggs with fava beans (RM18+), poached eggs with labneh & chilli butter (RM17+) & French toast with streaky beef bacon (RM24+). You can also expect mains like beef ribs with pickled watermelon & cous cous (RM73+) & pan-seared trout with tamarind sauce (RM34+), rounded out by Wondermilk's signature carrot or red velvet cakes (RM12+), plus everything from banoffee pies (RM16+) to sticky date puddings (RM13+).
Beverages range from relatively expensive milkshakes (RM19+; we tried one made with Haagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream, French sea salt, caramel & fresh milk, but it tasted rather one-dimensionally sweet) to cold-pressed juices by home-grown brand MinuM MinuM (RM13+; we enjoyed the one with lemon, mint, agave nectar & chia seeds). One final tip: Take a table downstairs if possible, since there's a children's play corner upstairs, which can get loud.
Rimba & Rusa
Ground Floor, Sunway Nexis, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Open Tues-Sun, 8am-11pm (Fri, starts later at 4pm)
The Eat Drink KL mobile app is now available, connecting restaurants & customers to promote a positive spirit of community.
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Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for January-April 2015. This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.cld.bz/2015
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Sausages to sambal. Muffins to marshmallows. Peanut butter to mango chutney. Cornflake ice cream to honey aloe yogurt. Lavender-laced lemonades to lychee-&-guava juices.
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