Ri Yakitori @ Gardens Hotel Mid Valley & Sumi-Ka @ Subang

After months of teasing, The Gardens Hotel & Residences have finally unveiled Ri Yakitori, which joins The Spread and Sage as the final piece of a dining triumvirate.

Physically, Ri Yakitori is reminiscent of Sage in subtle ways, but it's more spartan and less imposing. Service is as warm and efficient as can be expected. The last call for orders is 11.30 pm, so you can still head here after the shops shut at Mid Valley.

The menu includes a vast range of yakitori (skewered chicken meat and organs). Portions are small but prices are very reasonable _ many of the basic skewers cost only RM5 nett.

Complimentary appetisers of grated radish, minced chicken and carrot sticks.

The salad of white radish, mizuna and tomatoes provided a healthy counterpoise to the relatively oily, salty yakitori. Dieters and cholesterol-watchers beware: the rest of this entry is filled with the most evil temptations.

Kampung chicken egg with leek and chilli oil. Addictively yummy.

Chicken liver and gizzard. We're big fans of liver, so this was a real treat.

Foie gras with strawberries. We've had foie gras in so many other preparations, but never in yakitori. This was heavenly; the strawberries were a welcome change from the apples, pears and other fruits that typically accompany foie gras.

Chicken trachea (chewy but surprisingly flavourful) and Wagyu beef.

From top: chicken liver; two skewers of chicken tail; tomatoes.

The best of the rest: Maitake mushrooms, green chillies, chicken skin, knee soft bone, heart skin, kidney and heart. Great for snacking.

Green tea and hot sake with fugu fin (strangely mesmerising).

Also worth hitting: Sumi-Ka, a hidden hangout in Subang that serves a lot of skewers - pork, chicken, beef, you name it. 

Ri Yakitori,

The Gardens Hotel.

Tel: 2268-1188

Sumi-Ka

19 1st Floor, Jalan SS15/ 4, Subang Jaya

Tel: 5632-9312

Click here for online reservations.

This restaurant is available for bookings under TABLEAPP, which enables customers to make instant reservations at Malaysia's top restaurants, while saving time and money in the process. Reserve your table at this restaurant by clicking here.

Two Monkeys

Two Monkeys is working to establish itself as a "satay bar" _ a cool concept except that it specializes in mocktails more than cocktails.

Chilli lime chicken satay. Tender and flavourful, but its price tag seemed steep. Each satay platter costs between RM8 and RM18 for a few sticks.

Mixed seafood satay. Succulent scallops, prawns and squid.

Beef, mushroom and cheese satay. Also very nicely done, but we wondered why all the satay came with a side of mayonnaise and none with peanut sauce.

Mint Bits Juice and Coconut Rush Latte.

Two Monkeys Satay Bar,

Jaya One.

Lobby Lounge @ Sunway Resort Hotel

A plush setting with a formidable house band that belts out lots of '80s classics.

Brandy Alexander and Double Fudge Martini.

Scarlett O'Hara (Southern Comfort, lime & cranberry juice) and Seduction (Kahlua, Melon Liquour and Baileys Irish Cream).

Lobby Lounge,

Sunway Resort Hotel.

Krispy Kreme @ Berjaya Times Square

We braved the stampede to Krispy Kreme and queued for about 20 minutes to take part in the latest food fad to hit KL.

The kitchen crew seemed to have heaps of fun churning out these much-hyped babies (supposedly they can produce nearly 18,000 everyday).

Bonus points to the staff members who handed free original glazed doughnuts to all the waiting customers.

Finally! Clockwise from top right: the Green Tea Lover, Hershey's Cookies & Cream (our favourite of the bunch!), Chocolate Ice Kreme Filled, Cappuccino Kreme, Hershey's Dark Chocolate and New York Cheese Cake.

The verdict: Krispy Kreme's offerings trump Big Apple and J Co's slightly in terms of taste (especially if you prefer your doughnuts sweeeeeet). We probably won't be returning anytime soon (too sinful!), but we certainly relished each of the doughnuts.

There's a comfortable lounge upstairs where we ended up in sugar shock after scarfing down the six doughnuts in 10 minutes.

Krispy Kreme,

Berjaya Times Square.

Pacifica @ Mandarin Oriental

Recently revamped and relocated to Mandarin Oriental's basement, Pacifica offers an ethereal, jaw-dropping ambience that my camera couldn't quite capture. It's almost like stepping into an underwater world.

Everything here is designed to impress, including the use of Echire butter _ reputedly one of the world's best butters _ made from the milk of cows in far-flung French villages.

Pacifica 18 Vegetables Salad. Not sure whether there were really 18 types of vegetables here, but it was still a massive, utterly satisfying serving.

French scallop crudos with caramel and chili dressing. If only this came in a supersized portion too! The scallops were fresh and went stunningly well with the unorthodox dressing.

Shrimp cocktail salad prepared at the table. Mmmmm, avocados.

Mixing everything up with precision probably isn't as easy as it looks. Kudos to the guy for making it seem like a breeze.

Voila! Huge shrimps make this a salad to remember.

Pacitini (blue curacao and pineapple) & After Eight (vodka, creme de cacao, creme de menthe and creme fraiche).

Sit back and watch the live fish swim in their tanks through the portholes.

Pacifica,

Mandarin Oriental.