Cekik The Food Chapter is Bukit Damansara's new 24-restaurant that serves a selection of Asian favourites to fit every hour, day or night, from nasi lemak to mee goreng, chicken masak rendang to claypot lemak cili padi prawns.
From 11am to 7pm, banana leaf rice is the colourfully hearty highlight: Parboiled rice with pumpkin, tauhu sambal, tempeh, brinjal, long beans, peria, acar jelatah, sothi, dhal sambar, vendhaya fenugreek kulambu, papadam, mooru chilli, rasam and a trio of crab, chicken and fish curries.
Bacio is Mont Kiara’s bright new Italian restaurant with pastas and pizzas aplenty.
Al dente attractions include calamarata, Campania’s ring-shaped pasta that resembles squid rings, tossed with tiger prawns, mussels and Sabah clams in Boston lobster bisque, and tagliatelle with slow-braised lamb ragout and flambéed smoked provola cheese.
HisBrew Roastery has launched a lovely new experiential caffeine bar in Kota Kemuning, brewing insightful conversations between pourers and patrons.
Take a seat at the counter to watch your beverage being jcrafted, while HisBrew's friendly baristas explain everything from techniques to temperatures, textures to terroirs, making each encounter more meaningful.
Filters span Ethiopia, Colombia and Panama, while the seasonal espresso single-origin is Indonesian, tracing terrains from Asia to Africa to the Americas.
Also explore Uji matcha as drink or dessert: The matcha parfait layers ten elements of lusciousness, comprising matcha mousse, matcha sorbet, genmaicha gelee, rice crisp, red bean, black bean, black sesame sponge, black sesame dirt, lemon mochi and creme chantilly.
Likely to launch 9/9, Kepong's new Lello Coffee Roasters shines a spotlight on single-origins, roasted and brewed with skilled expertise by husband-and-wife team Jayson and S.Y., veterans of KL's coffee scene.
Come for carefully curated espresso-based and pour-over choices (S.Y. is a Certified Q Arabica Grader, recognised globally as a rigorously trained authority in coffee quality evaluation); stay for sourdough specialities, savoury-and-sweet bakes, plus gelato.
This neighbourhood cafe-roastery, currently still a work in progress, represents a personal labour of love. Lello's name is inspired by how Jayson and S.Y.'s young son once pronounced 'yellow,' while its wave-shaped logo is a tribute to how the couple first met on an island.
Tsukiji No.8 has launched its flavourful new ramen menu, with robust recipes sourced from Japan, perfected over the past year for Malaysian noodle enthusiasts.
Try the Ebi Ramen, with firm, thick noodles in intense crustacean broth, served with a vibrant variety of tempura; Shoyu Ramen, soulful with your choice of Angus beef or smoked duck; or Chicken Miso Ramen, slurp-worthy with umami richness in savoury or spicy soup.
Also check out the smoky new hamburg meat patty series, with your succulent choice of tori (chicken) or wagyu hamburg, as well as Ocean’s 8, a signature treasure of minced tuna, crab, scallop, sea urchin, prawn and ikura, sumptuous on sushi rice in crab shell. Indulge in otoro, chutoro and akami nigiri sushi too, for a triumphant trio of tuna.
Fun facts: Tsukiji No.8 takes its name from the eighth stall in Tokyo's Tsukiji market, from which the restaurant sources the freshest seafood. Tsukiji No.8 is the city centre's sushi specialist, boasting more than 30 live tuna cutting ceremonies over time, including the Heaviest Bluefin Tuna Live Cutting Event (132kg).
Tsukiji No.8
Lot 136/8, First Floor, Wisma Lim Foo Yong, Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur.
TTDI’s new DauntouchmeTruck rolls into the neighbourhood, lush with leaves and well-seasoned with wraps.
Track this truck for tasty, textured tortilla wraps, tempting with tempeh, tuna or falafel with a house dressing of tahini and tzatziki. Or try the open sandwich of a sunny-side-up with sliced avocado and garlic chilli oil on sourdough toast.
Fun fact: DauntouchmeTruck’s founder formerly ran a plant store, so it’s no surprise to see pothos vines trailing over the truck’s bright-yellow frame.
