Urbanfresh, Pestle & Mortar & Taste Better @ Setia City

Congratulations! You've safely navigated the highways to reach Setia City Mall; the next challenge is finding somewhere worthwhile to eat here amid the parade of usual suspects like KFC, McDonald's, Secret Recipe, Subway and Sushi King.

We'll stick to the lower ground level. First, peek inside Urbanfresh, the anchor supermarket, where a little bakery churns out fresh bread all day long.

Who knew that fine scones could be found in this mall? This savory, herb-filled one should counter hunger pangs for at least 15 minutes.

Beside the bakery, a patisserie beckons, promising sweet treats galore.

Lamingtons make an unexpected appearance. Take a table, rest your feet and nibble on one, enjoyably soft and spongy.

It's also surprising at first to see a superbly stocked liquor section here, especially since the rest of the mall is abysmal for alcohol.

Whiskey, rum, gin and more; pick your poison, all at reasonable rates.

Personal mini-bottles of wine; bag them and sip slowly while window-shopping.

Stepping outside the supermarket, the intriguingly named Pestle & Mortar is worth a stop.

Savories here include nasi lemak and chicken chop, but the attraction's the Nyonya kuih, tasty and authentic enough to spend a ringgit or two on.

Wrapping up with a visit to stinky-sweet specialist Taste Better.

Durian custard puffs, with fresh batches prepared every couple of hours.

There's also soft-serve ice cream (or was it frozen yogurt? Hmmmmm).

Durian-flavored as well. Deliciously creamy, with minimal stench.
Entries on other Setia City eats: Khao by Rama V (May 2012) and Griffiths Coffee (Nov 2012).

Urbanfresh, Pestle & Mortar and Taste Better,

Setia City Mall.

Doi Chaang, Tipsy Brew O'Coffee & Griffiths

Coffee cultivated by the Akha tribe on Thai mountains in the Golden Triangle has come to KL, brewed for latte lovers at Jaya One's Doi Chaang cafe.

Certificates confirm Doi Chaang's credentials: single-estate organic Arabica coffee, shade-grown, hand-picked & sun-dried, with profits shared fairly with thousands of indigenous farmers in lush, ecologically sustainable Thai plantations.

Prices are perhaps 20 percent steeper than what many KL cafes charge, but thankfully, the people who run the show at Doi Chaang's first Malaysian outpost (we hope there'll be more!) seem more passionate than most about their coffee.

Can't say the coffee here tastes discernibly different though. Our taste buds remain unrefined.

Doi Chaang also offers kopi luwak, assuring customers that the civets responsible for production are fully wild, roaming freely & never force-fed coffee cherries.

Doi Chaang opens 9am-6pm & is closed Sundays. The cafe is extremely hidden & tiny, probably fitting little more than a dozen seated patrons.

Checking out more stops for coffee, here, there & everywhere: here's Tipsy Brew O'Coffee at Puchong's SetiaWalk complex.

Reasonable range at Tipsy Brew, including the likes of this hand-dripped Ethiopian Ninety Plus Amaro Dernaye (RM20.90) ...

... & a French Press Kenyan Kirinyaga AA Kiunyu (RM20.90).

Next up: Griffiths, a family-friendly offshoot of an Australian coffee company founded by James Griffiths in Melbourne in 1879.

Coffee & juices are all available at Griffiths' branch in Shah Alam's Setia City Mall. Nothing spectacular, but nicely serviceable.

And yep, there's another Griffiths somewhere in PJ New Town too.

Tipsy Brew O'Coffee @ Setia Walk Puchong

Doi Chaang Coffee @ 49, LG2, Block D, The Retail Lab Project, Jaya One.
Tipsy Brew O'Coffee @ Setia Walk Puchong.

Griffiths Coffee @ Setia City Mall Shah Alam.

Khao by Rama V Setia City & My Elephant Aman Suria

The cult of Thai cuisine is setting the suburbs on fire, with two of the Klang Valley's top tom yam specialists _ Rama V and My Elephant _ burning brighter with new branches at Setia City Mall and Aman Suria respectively.

First up, Khao by Rama V is one of the better eateries at Setia City Mall, which features mainly predictable outlets that range from Tony Roma's to TGI Friday's, Secret Recipe to Starbucks and Papa John's to Pappa Rich.

More excellent news for Rama V fans: there'll likely be a THIRD branch opening this year, named Fa Ying, located at Paradigm Mall.

Khao's starters are perfect for sharing: the mieng kham is loaded nicely with the necessary shrimp, peanuts, lime, shallots and chili, while the crispy fried prawns are cutely constructed and the tom yam chicken with coconut milk will spice up everyone's lives.

Can't complain about the crispy catfish salad ...

 ... or the red beef curry ...

... or these shrimp and minced chicken wrapped in fried egg noodles.

Duck and lychee curry, the crowd-pleasing choice.

Larb kai. Portions and prices are fair; a meal for two here shouldn't exceed RM80.

Fried rice. Khao's menu is familiar, with no surprises, which can either be a comfort or a curse.

Complimentary hot Thai tea. Unfortunately, wine is unavailable at Khao.

Next up, My Elephant is embarking on its third branch, which should easily repeat the success of its Section 17 and Hartamas outposts.

Expect all of My Elephant's signature recipes, like thick, tongue-tingling tom yam ...

... and creamy green chicken curries ...

... and outstanding omelets here, located somewhere in between Rosemary Bites and Chatime

Crunch crunch, munch munch; these platters were part of a recent meal for friends and family. My Elephant at Aman Suria might open either Tuesday or Wednesday this week.
Note: there's no signboard yet for My Elephant.

Khao by Rama V,
LG 21, Setia City Mall.
Tel: 03-3358-3159

My Elephant,
22, Jalan PJU 1/43, Aman Suria Damansara, Petaling Jaya.