Serving its long-anticipated sentence in Bangsar beginning this week, Breakfast Thieves heralds a homecoming of sorts for a posse of Malaysians who launched their first cafe in Melbourne in 2012. After acquitting themselves to full-throated praise in the suburb of Fitzroy, founders Brandon, Kevin & Edwin are ganging up with fresh partners-in-crime to pull off an offshoot of Breakfast Thieves in KL, locking up the first spot at Paper Plates, the new F&B belt of Bangsar's APW multi-function venue.
Breakfast Thieves' setting is sure to steal more than a few hearts, conceived by the local Cocokacang design studio, evoking a glasshouse with wooden inflections that lend a suave sheen & welcome warmth to the industrial iciness of this erstwhile printing warehouse space. Like the Melbourne original, this is a daytime-only eatery with brunch fare that merits investigation.
The open kitchen argues a persuasive case for guilty indulgences galore, capably judged & confidently executed: The Legend represents baked eggs with beef salami, okra, caramelised onion jam, sweet corn, mushrooms & basil oil with herbed garlic toast (RM25), Breakfast Chain links cheddar soldiers with soft-boiled eggs, ginger almond crumble & granola-topped berry compote yoghurt (RM27), Leprechaun is a lucky charm of zucchini-corn fritters balanced with creamed mushrooms, pickled radish, avocado mousse & poached eggs (RM25), while Mr Terry Benedict rolls the dice with tender 24-hour-braised beef cheeks in green peppercorn with smoked paprika-charred cauliflower, honey-apple compote & yuzu hollandaise (RM29). Quintessential comfort food for Melbourne-style brunch devotees, with a no-pork caveat; Breakfast Thieves Melbourne's most-wanted Senor Botak Chin (honey-braised sticky pork belly, guacamole & fried eggs on corn tortillas) is entirely elusive here.
If your heist consists of solely one dish, make your loot The Gypsy King (RM29), an elaborate ensemble of garlic rosemary polenta bars with beetroot-&-citrus-cured salmon trout, cauliflower & parmesan puree, roasted mushrooms, charred onions & poached eggs. But if simplicity is your virtue, order the kampung eggs, scrambled, fried or poached, heaped on Hiestand Bakery sourdough toast (RM14). And for those of us willing to face indictment for gluttony, My French Lady beckons with a sweetly seductive siren call, featuring French toast with salted dark chocolate soil, lemon curd, candied beef bacon, raspberry cream, strawberries & thyme (RM26). The coffee list showcases all the usual suspects, plus Melbourne's own Magic, a double ristretto topped with milk. A separate lunch selection will be available soon too, potentially promising contemporary twists on Malaysian favourites like nasi kerabu. Our thanks to the Breakfast Thieves team for having us here.
Breakfast Thieves Kuala Lumpur
Lot M, 29-5 Jalan Riong, Paper Plates, Art Printing Works APW Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
Open Tuesday-Sunday, 9am-5pm (kitchen closes 4pm). Tel: 03-2788-3548
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