Umai, Taman Tun Dr Ismail

With a name like Umai, it's no surprise that this Sarawak-inspired restaurant's top temptation is the namesake Melanau traditional delicacy - lime-marinated raw prawns, juicy and tangy (RM6.90). You'll also find other hearty highlights that channel the spirit of Sibu, Bintulu and Kuching, including Sarawak laksa (RM13.90), mee kolok, nasi lalapan, tomato kuay teow and corned beef fried rice.

Umai TTDI

12, Persiaran Zaaba, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. 

Open Tues-Sat, 830am-10pm; Sun-Mon, 830am-6pm. Tel: 03-7731-4266

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Haji Nanna Biryani, Bangladesh

One of Dhaka's best-known names for biryani, Haji Nanna offers the Bangladeshi version that's strongly seasoned with herbs and spices, intensely aromatic, complemented with choices of protein that range from chicken to goat meat.

Dough & Dolce, Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Essere buono come il pane, le dolce vita: If the love of loaves and craving for cakes consume your food-fuelled imagination, Dough & Dolce could be your next delightful date with oven-baked destiny, winning our hearts with warm meals coupled with fresh bread in a lively setting where The Supremes and Stevie Wonder blast from the speakers.

Early birds are enjoyably rewarded: Brunch, served from 8am through slightly before noon, showcases hearty highlights like Australian rib eye with runny-yolked eggs (RM35; steak for breakfast? With 150 grams of well-seasoned and perfectly medium-rare beef, this makes the morning worth waking up for), crab meat with fluffy scrambled eggs (RM18; sparked up with chilli oil) and piping-hot baked eggs with chicken sausage (RM24; with spices meant to evoke a little of Lisbon and a modicum of Madrid). Each comes with sourdough toast that's mild-tasting with a gentle bite.

Lunch is more extensive, with soups and pastas, but our best bet might be the buttercream chilli clams, a cocotte brimming with molluscs in a briny broth that breathes the fire of cili padi, with sliced baguette for savoury dunking (RM28).

Sweet temptations should surface soon, including intriguing, leave-no-crumb-behind rye brownies, tres leches milk sponge cakes with raspberry compote, and sourdough kouign-amman pastries.

Dough & Dolce
24A, Lorong Datuk Sulaiman 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur. Open Tues-Sun, 8am-6pm.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Eclipse Rooftop, Berangan Road

This new lounge offers an open-air, second-floor rooftop view of Bukit Bintang, in a much calmer setting that most bars in this neighbourhood. Its cocktails are basic, ranging from Long Island Iced Teas to Old Fashioneds, but on certain nights, you'll also find a smattering of African fare, from jollof tomato rice to egusi melon-seed soup.

Eclipse Rooftop Lounge & Bar

33B Jalan Berangan, Off Changkat Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 8pm-late.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Hiso Thai Edible Insect Snacks

As insects march toward their inevitable destiny as food of the future, Thailand's Hiso Snacks brand rallies its invertebrate troops with crisply munch-worthy silkworms and crickets - both feature earthy-gritty flavours and textures, but we prefer the plumper silkworms to the scrawnier crickets, a size difference that's similar to peanuts versus sesame seeds.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

City Coffee, Petaling Jaya

A taste of honey: City Coffee offers its own take on the Spanish cafe con miel, which is basically coffee with milk and honey (RM8.50 for 8oz). This friendly, fuss-free caffeine bar currently serves two coffees for a total of RM10, so it's worth ordering a second cup, perhaps a caffe mocha.

City Coffee
No. 38, Jalan SS2/67, Petaling Jaya, 47300 Selangor. Open Mon-Sat, 8am-10pm.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com