Siru, Desa Sri Hartamas

Named for the Korean earthenware steamer used for centuries to make rice cakes, Desa Sri Hartamas' new Siru celebrates tteok tradition with handmade confections that bridge the classic and contemporary.

The Rice Cake Sampler changes everyday: You might find pillowy pumpkin injeolmi coated in castella powder; Gaeseong juak, gently fried and glistening in syrup; chunky pea with ground mung bean rice cakes; chocolate seolgi with a cocoa-rich crumbliness; pumpkin seolgi; and matcha chocolate chapssal, unified by a full-bodied chew.

Fun fact: Siru is run by the friendly Korean founders behind Hartamas' popular Buldojang and Dubu Dubu restaurants.

Dough Days, Lin Ho Building

It’s a new dawn for Dough Days, leaving Ampang for a lovingly restored locale with weathered textures in the decades-old Bangunan Lin Ho, a five-minute stroll from both Chinatown and Central Market.

Wander into this fresh-faced space in the nick of time for fresh-baked butter kaya toast, brioche sandos, bronzed bagels, croissants, cookies and more.

Ramen David, Taman Tun Dr Ismail

TTDI’s new Ramen David engineers pork-free ramen with scientific precision and soulful passion, calibrating noodle to broth, tare to toppings, by the founders of Cafe Bistrot David. 

The Kaki Shio is richly structured: Noodles cut to a 1.4mm width at medium hydration, holding their springy bite while carrying the briny broth, a semi-creamy slow simmer of golden sea bream and chicken bones, kombu and shiitake mushrooms, enriched with blended oyster meat, finished with shio tare, katsuobushi and niboshi oil, topped with poached oyster, chicken and house-aged tai fish ‘cha siu.’ With that extent of care and effort, this is ramen to remember.

The Maruu, Ara Damansara

The Maruu comes full circle with rounded warmth, a beautiful retreat that blends a cafe’s charm with a lounge’s comfort in Ara Damansara.

Escape the world with Nina Simone and Nat King Cole singing on the speakers; snack on Hawaiian chicken pain suisse and sip lemonade in a calm, cosy space with artwork collected from Copenhagen, Jaipur and other cities where The Maruu’s founders have travelled.

Fun fact: The Maruu is named for the family’s cat.

OPIS Cafe, Taman Desa

Beat the workweek blues with bakes and brews at Taman Desa’s new OPIS Cafe, open for walk-ins at OPIS Coworking Space.