Submerge by Afloat Coffee Roaster, Bukit Jalil

Afloat Coffee Roaster will soon surface its new contemporary espresso bar, Submerge, immersed with its exploratory roasting space below its main cafe in Bukit Jalil.

Launching later this month, Submerge is an intimate setting that evolves the experiential potential of a Malaysian coffee bar: While Afloat celebrates lightness, Submerge dives into depth, championing the complexities of single-origins with exacting care.

The seasonal One Coffee, Two Expressions is an Ethiopian Alo Chilaka 240-hour anaerobic natural, pulled through two different baskets on a Kees van der Westen Spiritello to reveal contrasting profiles. Reshaping the coffee’s character through extraction strategy, one cup leans syrupy with palate-coating pleasure, while the other is bright with clarity, crema and conviction, served with intricate tasting and technique notes.

Take a Breather, inspired by a trip to Italy’s Cinque Terre, exhales effervescently with juniper berries, pink peppercorn, Earl Grey and CO₂, enlivening the Ethiopian espresso with winey oakiness.

Grounded in nature, remaining true to Afloat’s roots as a roaster with a strong sense of people, patience and place, Good Things Take Time toasts to this fresh milestone with apple-cinnamon-infused rum, fennel syrup, elderflower tonic and cranberry hibiscus leaves.

Ten months in the making, meticulously assembled by Afloat’s veteran founders Leng Leng and Jimmy, spotlighting the skills of top-talent baristas JT and Jacky in Submerge, this street-level location will also host coffee masterclasses, alongside a retail selection of beans and merchandise.

Tangram, Bangsar

Named for the classic Chinese puzzle of geometric pieces with infinite configurations, Bangsar’s new Tangram treats recombination as method and metaphor, reflecting a Taiwanese culinary culture coalesced through centuries of East Asian migration and colonisation, refracted through the French-codified clarity of nouvelle-vague chefs.

Tangram frames Taiwan’s gastronomy as endlessly adaptable, aligned to the boundary-testing sensibilities of its Taiwanese executive chef Johnny Tsai, now travelling to and from Tangram and his Taipei restaurants, T+T and Circum.

Dish by dish, Tangram distils the depth and diversity of Taiwan’s foundational fare, from pineapples that fuel its food economy to stewing-hens that form its flavour memory, from groupers that thrive on the island’s coast to medicinal herbs trusted through generations. 

Dinner is masterfully moulded by a mainly Malaysian kitchen: Penang-nurtured mussels punctuated with plump bursts of tomato;, free-range chicken, its flesh, skin and bones served in separate styles with fermented pineapple and soy in Taiwan’s enzymatic sweet-savoury register; grouper with baby cabbage sauerkraut, harnessing Sichuan pepper for balance instead of burn; dried scallops with ikura, mushrooms and Mu soy sauce on egg custard, inheriting influences from five decades of Japanese rule in Taiwan; restorative old hen soup with abalone-coated Koshihikari rice; lusciously rendered lamb saddle with sesame oil and black garlic; A5 wagyu with beef guotie and chilli-centred century egg; texture-rich eight treasures, tinged with Malaccan palm sugar, and salted egg pineapple tart, buttery-hot from the oven.

Credit to Tangram and its young team for an excellent experience at a relatively reasonable price (from RM298++), a strong start for a restaurant constructed in less than two months.

Tsukiji Sushi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Offering omakase-quality seafood and beef at wallet-friendly prices that start from as low as RM2 for selected sushi, Tsukiji Sushi is TTDI's choice for cheerful Japanese meals.

Popular with the neighbourhood's office workers and residents, Tsukiji Sushi promises fish and premium oceanic treasures delivered fresh throughout the week from Tokyo's Toyosu market.

Tsukiji Sushi also serves halal-certified Japanese Shimomuragyu A5 Wagyu beef, which has won the top prize at Japan's prominent wagyu championship for 10 consecutive years. 

Take a seat at the sushi counter to watch Tsukiji Sushi's skilled chefs prepare your meal to order, from elegant engawa sushi to opulent oysters and much more.

For the flagship sampler of top specialities, the Tsukiji Signature Platter (RM168) showcases a luscious medley of sushi and sashimi, such as Ebi Sushi, Hotate Sushi, Squid Sushi and Tamago Sushi, plus Hamachi Sashimi, Shiro Maguro Sashimi, Tako Sashimi and Salmon Sashimi, as well as coveted delicacies of Chutoro Sashimi and Uni with Russian Caviar.

Also memorable are melt-in-the-mouth indulgences like Engawa Sushi (RM8.80) and Shimomuragyu A5 Wagyu Sushi (RM14.80), beautifully representing the best of land and sea.

Japanese Oysters (RM11.80) prove pleasurably plump, with a pure, naturally sweet brininess that speaks cleanly and clearly of the sea, showered with ikura and caviar for extra luxury.

Crowd-pleasers like Salmon Belly Sashimi, topped with ikura (RM12.80), and Soft Shell Crab Inari (RM6.80) make Tsukiji Sushi an affordable destination for a delightful Japanese feast.

Platters offer reasonably priced convenience: For salmon seekers, order the Salmon Aburi Sushi Platter, torched and topped with mentai ebiko, ikura, fried carrots and Russian caviar (RM14.80). If you're on a tighter budget, try the Tamago Sushi (RM2), Inari Sushi (RM2), Shiro Maguro Sushi (RM2) and Wakame Gunkan (RM2).

Hot meals are available, spanning the Asari Mini Udon with fresh clams (RM13.90), Ebi Fry for crunchy crustacean cravings (RM11.80) and Saba Shio Yaki (RM10.80).

End with a light, cooling Dessert (RM6), with a classic, comforting choice of Yuzu Sorbet, Black Sesame Ice Cream or Matcha Ice Cream.

Recommended drinks include the Umenoyado Yuzushu, a quenching blend of sake with yuzu juice, as well as House Wine from Hut Sake Bar, DASSAI 45 Junmai Daiginjo Sake, Kirin Beer and Sapporo Beer. Non-alcoholic beverages include Hata Ramune, a Japanese soda with a variety of flavours such as blueberry, strawberry, lemon or pineapple.

Private spaces are also available for intimate celebrations.

Tsukiji Sushi
G-1, The Greens, 1, Jalan Wan Kadir 3, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.
Open Monday-Thursday, 11am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm; Friday-Sunday, 11am-10pm. 

Tel: 011-3309-6881