Koru Cafe @ Empire Damansara

Oct 2016 Update: Koru Cafe is now closed.

It makes sense that after spending five years in Christchurch, Malaysian-born Alison chose to open a New Zealand-themed restaurant after she returned home. Koru Cafe (the name refers to a spiral-shaped symbol in Maori art) offers a tranquil escape from the rest of Empire Damansara, with a soothingly understated decor that features a few witty nods to the Kiwis.

Alison says the food's meant to represent what an NZ cafe might offer - her recommendations from the savouries display include chicken white wine pies, pastries stuffed with house-made sausage meat, & paninis packed with grilled pork bacon, eggs & hollandaise sauce. Sweets include mint slices, lamingtons, custard squares & pinwheel scones. We only had space for a snack, but we enjoyed the Hokey Pokey honeycomb toffee ice cream (RM5) & Anzac rolled-oat biscuit (RM4), as well as a Latte Bowl (RM15; a huge cup of coffee, with four shots of espresso!) & signature beverages like the Stupendous Kiwi (RM15; muddled kiwi fruit with mint leaves over ice) & Lemon Lime Bitters (RM15; lemon, lime & Angostura bitters).

Oct 2016 Update: Koru Cafe is now closed.

Koru Cafe

125, First Floor, Empire Damansara, Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Open Mon-Wed, 8am-7pm, Fri-Sun, 9am-8pm. Tel: 03-7732-6068

The Eat Drink KL mobile app is now available, connecting restaurants & customers to promote a positive spirit of community.

For iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/my/app/eat-drink-kl/id958657326?mt=8

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Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, with 100 recommended restaurants for Oct-Dec 2015. This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://issuu.com/eatdrinkkl/docs/ebook

Buckle your seatbelts: Eat Drink KL is partnering with Uber to take restaurant lovers on new adventures across KL & Selangor!

If you haven't used Uber yet, it's time to begin! For new users, just follow the steps below to redeem free rides:

1. Download the Uber app from the App Store, Play Store or Windows Store - and register your Uber account.

2. Apply the code EATDRINKKL as your first promotional code & you'll receive 2 Free Rides worth RM30 each.

3. Request a ride through the app and ride for free to any destination (with two ride values of up to RM30 each).

Luretta DOP Italian Deli @ 1 Utama

It's always cause for celebration when a decent new destination for Italian fare unfurls - Luretta is a place for hams, cheese, pastas, wine & more, with produce brought in from Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany & elsewhere across Italy to ensure authenticity. This deli-restaurant is tucked inside Isetan's department store in 1 Utama, but it's reputedly run independently by the Sassolini brothers from Cesena; they weren't around when we visited, but their affable team keeps things humming along at a brisk clip.

Luretta's platter of mixed cold cuts (RM39) works for sharing, but for a more distinctive order, try one of the sandwiches or folded pizzas, made with Italian piadina flatbread & interesting fillings. Our sandwich showcased a successful combo of Parma ham, rocket leaves & traditional Squacquerone, a soft, full-fat cow's milk cheese (RM27). The folded pizza (crescioni) came stuffed with a rustic mix comprising bits of savoury pork sausage, lots of creamy mashed potatoes & slivers of onions (RM25).

For hot, hearty Italian comfort food, spaghetti heaped with tender Italian sausage meat & green peas in cream sauce (RM26) is enjoyable, though its heaviness makes it best suited for two customers. Our favourite here is probably the porchetta (RM35) - fatty, moist & robustly seasoned, this boneless pork roast should prove irresistible to the final glorious, guilty-indulgence bite.

Complement your meal with Tuscan craft beer, aromatic & smooth, or Emilia-Romagna organic wine, with a surprising number of varieties available by both glass & bottle (averaging out at RM30/RM160). And if you're inclined to shop, Luretta's shelves are stocked with everything from baby artichokes & giant green olives to red pesto sauce, gluten-free pasta to organic coffee.

Luretta D.O.P. Italian Deli

Isetan Eat Paradise, Second Floor, 1 Utama, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 017-293-0521

The Eat Drink KL mobile app is now available, connecting restaurants & customers to promote a positive spirit of community.

For iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/my/app/eat-drink-kl/id958657326?mt=8

For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eatdrinkkl.EatDrinkKL

Every restaurant on this app rewards users with a 6 percent discount, instantly & conveniently, everyday, all day long. 

In return, users share photos of their experiences at these eateries, creating a new community of restaurant lovers.

For every transaction, at least RM0.10 will be channelled to a charity of the month.

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings, F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.

Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: 

https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/5106C196432BB23D

Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter will be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.

Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, with 100 recommended restaurants for Jan-Mar 2016. This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://issuu.com/eatdrinkkl/docs/ebook

Buckle your seatbelts: Eat Drink KL is partnering with Uber to take restaurant lovers on new adventures across KL & Selangor!

If you haven't used Uber yet, it's time to begin! For new users, just follow the steps below to redeem free rides:

1. Download the Uber app from the App Store, Play Store or Windows Store - and register your Uber account.

2. Apply the code EATDRINKKL as your first promotional code & you'll receive 2 Free Rides worth RM30 each.

3. Request a ride through the app and ride for free to any destination (with two ride values of up to RM30 each).

November @ Shah Alam

November's a cafe with a few unorthodox ideas - the quirkiest example is a piping-hot pan of beef meatballs smothered not only with cheese but peanut butter & jelly too (RM18), a savoury-sweet curiosity that a precociously scrappy eight-year-old budding chef might conjure. We were tempted to also try November's macaron sandwiches, stuffed with The Last Polka ice cream in flavours like mint choc fudge, Nutella or salted Gula Melaka, but those weren't available when we popped by, so we settled for a monster milkshake mixed with Kinder Bueno chocolate (RM16). Elaborate whole cakes are offered on bookings.

November Kitchen & Dessert Shop

Persiaran Akuatik, Seksyen 13, Shah Alam. Same row as Lembaga Zakat. Sun-Fri, 12pm-9pm. Tel: 012-240-4687

The Eat Drink KL mobile app is now available, connecting restaurants & customers to promote a positive spirit of community.

For iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/my/app/eat-drink-kl/id958657326?mt=8

For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eatdrinkkl.EatDrinkKL

Every restaurant on this app rewards users with a 6 percent discount, instantly & conveniently, everyday, all day long. 

In return, users share photos of their experiences at these eateries, creating a new community of restaurant lovers.

For every transaction, at least RM0.20 will be channelled to a charity of the month.

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings, F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.

Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: 

https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/5106C196432BB23D

Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter will be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.

Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, with 100 recommended restaurants for Oct-Dec 2015. This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://issuu.com/eatdrinkkl/docs/ebook

Buckle your seatbelts: Eat Drink KL is partnering with Uber to take restaurant lovers on new adventures across KL & Selangor!

If you haven't used Uber yet, it's time to begin! For new users, just follow the steps below to redeem free rides:

1. Download the Uber app from the App Store, Play Store or Windows Store - and register your Uber account.

2. Apply the code EATDRINKKL as your first promotional code & you'll receive 2 Free Rides worth RM30 each.

3. Request a ride through the app and ride for free to any destination (with two ride values of up to RM30 each).