Las Vacas @ Mont Kiara

Las Vacas' second outlet has opened in Mont Kiara _ a more convenient location for many of us compared to the Kelana Jaya premises of this butcher shop/restaurant.

Beef is the name of the game here. We wanted a Wagyu steak, but the store's credit card machine was not yet online. Reluctant to hunt for an ATM, we pooled the limited cash in our pockets and chose a cheaper cut, the Angus rib-eye, a hearty slab prepared medium-rare.

Carrots, asparagus & cheese wrapped with beef. Succulent and enormously flavorful; even more enjoyable than the good-but-not-great steak, frankly.

Beef burger. The basic, no-frills 150gm version (we couldn't afford the 500gm one, which would have been topped with beef bacon & fried egg, sob!). This might not win any awards, but it should still satisfy anyone who loves biting into a juicy burger.

A small selection of lamb is available. These chump chops were easy on the wallet, though they were bony and kinda chewy. Las Vacas also serves wine by the bottle, but not by the glass, so the cruelest cut of all was that we had to forgo our usual alcohol indulgences.

Las Vacas,

Mont Kiara Shoplex.

Switchblade @ Solaris

This memorably named outlet brings a sense of spunk to Solaris Dutamas.

The tagline here is "Come for the clothes, stay for the food" _ highlighting its concept as a one-stop outlet to both clothe and feed the body.

The menu and the decor might remind customers of places like The Pink Sage. There are teething problems with the food, but things should improve in the weeks ahead.

Switchblade Salad, with feta & Italian dressing. Crisp and fresh, but rather ordinary.

Gnocchi with radicchio & gorgonzola sauce. Surprisingly decent, considering this isn't an Italian restaurant. The texture was terrific, without the stodginess that afflicts gnocchi elsewhere. But the sauce tasted a bit too mild to take this to the next level.

Rockabilly Burger (homemade grilled beef patty with mushrooms, beef bacon, cheese, egg & mustard). Hearty and flavorful, but the patty could have been juicier.

Gostoso Chicken (pan-fried chicken breast layered with mash potatoes & spinach). Sounded interesting on paper, but the meat was kinda dry and tough.

Trejo For President, comprising deep-fried folded tortilla with ground chicken mix, tomatoes, chilies, shredded lettuce, cheese & arrabbiata sauce. One of those supremely sinful _ and absolutely addictive _ Mexican-inspired platters.

Lamb burger with yogurt mint sauce. Too gamy to recommend.

Blue cheese, spinach & truffle oil pizza. Not bad at all; the crust was thin and crunchy, while the toppings worked well together.

Switchblade Ice Cream (vanilla & choc flavor with crushed almonds & cocoa powder). A frosty favorite, certainly the best way to finish this meal.

Chamomile tea and Oreo Milkshake.

"Passion Me" flavored tea & Kiwi Fruit Milkshake.

Switchblade Kuala Lumpur,

Solaris Dutamas, KL.

Bakita @ Berangan

Aren't there enough watering holes already around Changkat Bukit Bintang? Absolutely, but it's still nice to see a new outlet here with sparkling potential.

Bakita takes over the location of the late, lamented La Terrasse on Jalan Berangan, becoming the latest neighbor of Bar Italia and Albion.

It's a breezy, casual space, with welcoming service that put us instantly at ease.

Food will be served starting next month, but for now, there's beer aplenty, including Tetley's & Leffe Blonde. Seemed like popular choices for World Cup watchers here.

Cocktails are available too: Long Island Iced Tea & White Russian.

Bombay Sapphire & Tequila.

Bakita,

Jalan Berangan, Kuala Lumpur.

Babycakes Sweet Shoppe @ G Tower

Macarons seem very much in vogue now; if you live or work in the city center, this family-run counter at G Tower's lobby level is the best place to get your fix.

Are their macarons as marvelous as the ones at Nathalie's? Yes, but in a different way. The crusts have a similarly light, elegant crispness, but the fillings are significantly heavier and richer. So it's really a toss-up; some will prefer Nathalie's, others will like Babycakes better. Let's just say that both are worth risking the extra sugar consumption.

We loved the creativity of the flavors here. Our favorites were the caramel with salted butter & the red velvet with nutella (!), but there are at least nine varieties, including green tea, black sesame, vanilla, chocolate, cherry, orange & lemon.

Man cannot live on macarons alone; thus, soft-baked chocolate chip cookies are also sold here. Not bad, but probably not as memorable as the macarons.

Price-watchers will be pleased to hear that the macarons are only RM2.20-2.50 apiece (depending on the flavor) _ basically half of what Nathalie's ones cost.

Babycakes Sweet Shoppe,

Ground Floor, G City Club Hotel,

Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

(Look for the florist stand at G Tower's lobby, 10am-6pm. Closed Sundays)

Sakura Sakura Hakata

Click here for earlier entry on Sakura Sakura Hakata (May 20).

Mashed potato salad with sliced pork. Not as comfort foodish as we had expected. The potatoes could have been creamier and the pork less bland.

Omelet with mentaiko & cheese. The pollock roe left little impression. Tasted like an ordinary omelet _ not necessarily a bad thing though.

Tofu prepared Hakata-style (we assume this refers to Hakata in Fukuoka). A wholesome broth. It's mostly fuss-free cooking at this outlet.

Inaniwa udon. Not as pleasurably slippery as usual. Strangely sticky, in fact.

Yellowtail jaw. Good but not great; you'll find fresher, more succulent versions elsewhere, including Xenri and Kampachi (though those places charge more).

Fish sausage. Had the texture of chicken sausage, but tasted less flavorsome.

Sakura Sakura Hakata,

4, Jalan SS12/18,

Subang Jaya.

Nasi Lemak Tanglin @ Bangsar

Did a hostile takeover of Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa at Bangsar cause it to be renamed Nasi Lemak Tanglin? The mystery remains unsolved.

Thankfully, the nasi lemak here is scrumptious; the rice is served warm and moist, with hearty helpings of fresh, flavourful accompaniments.

Tender ayam masak merah & not-too-chewy paru goreng.

Sambal kerang (a bit too sweet) & fried egg (a bit too bland).

Sup tulang. Wasn't overly peppery or salty. The meat was surprisingly succulent.

Cekodok pisang. A disaster; tasted like it had been fried in bad oil.

Bubur durian with pulut. Unremarkable; stick to the savory fare here instead.

Assam boi juice & mineral water.

Nasi Lemak Tanglin,

Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar.