Garuda Nasi Padang, Ara Damansara

Fonda by Calle Taco, Taman Desa

Mexican-Malaysian chap fan by the pool? Taman Desa's new Fonda by Calle Taco puts a playful spin on economy rice, with a weekly-changing menu of cross-cultural mash-ups.

Recent choices spanned orange curry sauce siakap to black varuval chicken, beef rendang with charred pisang tanduk to mixed veggies walnut lodeh and corn masak lemak with pumpkin, rich and robust with savoury spices that pop. Even condiments prove creatively compelling, from orange budu hot sauce to sambal belacan mango.

Chicken and beef tacos in soft corn tortillas, burritos and quesadillas are available, alongside flavourfully addictive emping belinjo crackers with adobo barbecue sauce and telur mata.

Fonda, inspired by Mexican mom-and-pop eateries for home-style comfort fare, welcomes the public inside Faber Ria Condominium. Reservations are highly recommended.

Antra Mediterranean Grill, The MET Corporate Towers

Antra is Mont Kiara’s new modern Mediterranean restaurant, breathing fire and smoke into everything from grilled sea bass to grilled broccolini and nectarines, nine floors up at The MET Corporate Towers.

Start with house-smoked trout, silken with full-bodied sultriness, brightened by pickled wasabi on crackly masa tostadas for layers of textured contrast.

Go for gnocchi, creamy with kitchen-strained ricotta, crunched up with focaccia croutons, fragrant with sage, earthy with gently grilled seasonal maitake, nutty with brown butter.

Executive chef Emir Farid and his team do luscious justice to lamb with crisply caramelised, succulent-fleshed racks, lively with pomegranate jus and plump piquillo peppers, charred on the outside, stuffed with firm-grained rice within.

Teochew House, Steppes Mont Kiara

Steppes Mont Kiara's new Teochew House tackles Teochew traditions in modern style, from braised meat to porridge, marinated seafood to mung bean cakes, mustard greens and more.

Start with the raw sea prawns, steeped in an aromatic bath of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, Chinese wine, chillies and coriander, shimmeringly fresh, smooth and succulent.

Get your goose cooked with goose oil-glistened noodles buoyed by bouncy goose meatballs, plus a flavourful fried rice bowl, colourfully blanketed with braised goose, egg and veggies.

Familiar favourites like pan-fried oyster omelette are available, thick and tempting with a crisp, golden-crusted bite.

Wild Table, Taman Paramount

Poutine with a chicken crackling twist, mac and cheese made meaty with beef ribs: Taman Paramount’s friendly new Wild Table puts scrumptious spins on carb-loving comfort fare.

Poutine purists might scoff, but most of us will scarf down Wild Table’s Golden Mess take on Québécois fries, crisp and rustically chunky, showered with chicken gravy, grated Emmental cheese, chives, plus chicken crackling for can’t-stop-snacking indulgence.

Also try the Steakhouse Mac of macaroni with slow-braised beef short rib, three-cheese mornay, pecorino tuile and pickled cucumber, tasty and thoughtfully textured. Balance the richness with a brightly citrusy orange-lemon cooler buoyed by burnt honey.

Flusso, Botanic Klang

Creativity flows at Bandar Botanik’s new Flusso, founded by a friendly brother-and-sister team, serving Italian-inspired pasta and French-style bread with Malaysian twists.

Cavatelli, pappardelle, ravioli, tagliatelle and trenette are crafted from scratch in Flusso’s kitchen, laced with local flavours.

Try the Trenette Mamak, tossed in house-blended sauce that captures the sweet-savoury, fragrant spices of mee mamak, finished with tender marinated chicken breast, bean sprouts and chives, and Ravioli Di Gamberi, bathed in umami-rich crustacean bisque that channels prawn mee, topped with kangkung, crispy shallots and egg.

Flusso bakes its own brioche for the Apam Balik, blanketed with bruleed corn, corn cream and toasted peanut crumble for a playfully unique indulgence.

Pair with the Cold Brew Old Fashioned, coffee buoyed by gula Melaka and orange zest.