Gino's Gelato @ Hong Kong

Here's a cool creation that could probably only be found in Hong Kong, combining the classic & the contemporary, the time-honoured & the trendy: A warm egg waffle, stuffed with local milk tea-flavoured gelato. Get it at Gino's Gelato at The Peak.

Wingstop Malaysia @ The Curve

Having reputedly served nearly four billion chicken wings since 1994, from its birthplace in Texas to more than a thousand outposts that stretch from Ohio to Oregon, Wingstop lands in Malaysia this month with commanding credentials, seeking to stake out a position as a clear winner for chicken dinners.

Variety is the spice of this franchise: Choose from classic, breaded or boneless wings, or breast fillet tenders, or thigh burgers, prepared to order with 10 flavours available - a taste of Americana in the Louisiana Rub, Hickory Smoked BBQ or Buffalo, fancy fusion in the Garlic Parmesan, Mango Habanero or Lemon Pepper, a nod to Asia in the Balinese Spice, Malaysian Sambal Pedas or Oriental Sweet Soy, & for-the-masochists Atomic fiery. Flavours are savoury & sometimes sauce-soaked - these calorie bombs won't be for healthy eaters. Six wings comprising two flavours cost RM14; complete your meal with jalapeno cheese fries (RM7.50) & a surprisingly satisfying spicy-sweet Mango Habanero shake (RM18.50). Service is friendly.

Wingstop Malaysia: The Wing Experts

G-51, The Street, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

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Naughty Babe Dirty Duck @ Telawi, Bangsar

Bacon-sistently se-duck-tive: Naughty Babe Dirty Duck has proven itself to be a prime destination for hearty meat dishes over the past three years, but our latest visit to its Bangsar outpost surprised us with how the restaurant has widened its selection, with everything from seafood to signature cocktails to tempt both new & existing patrons.

Start with the smoky, striking octopus, flown in from Spain, served in a smoldering, vaporous swirl lifted at the table, tender to the chew, flavoursome to the palate, well-executed enough to possibly merit a spot at a Galician table (RM72 for a full tentacle above, or RM38 for half). If you love the nuanced flavours & textures of Spanish fare, you'll very likely relish this.

Other offerings also show evidence of European-inspired finesse: A sampling platter of serrano dry-cured ham, chorizo sausages & other luscious cold cuts, alongside Camembert, Parmesan & blue cheese, plus mixed olives, gherkins, dried apricots & crusty bread, makes for terrific, can't-fail sharing (RM98). Whet the appetite also with a virtuously wholesome duck confit salad with crisp watercress, rocket & curried almond flakes with a zesty honey lime dressing & balsamic reduction (RM26) & vice-loaded, lip-smacking garlic chilli prawns, served tapas-style with mushrooms & a drenching of olive oil (RM26).

Ultimately, most customers come to NBDD for their protein fix, which is where the restaurant shines: First, sample a couple of pork platters, such as the beautifully oven-roasted Iberico spare ribs, aromatic with a gentle herb marinade (RM78), & the chunky-juicy cured ham knuckle with sauerkraut & mildly tangy tomato-tinged mash (RM98, sufficient to feed a table of four) ...

... then lean into the other fleshy highlights, like a robust roulade of duck leg, stuffed with a mince of pork & turkey ham, complemented by spinach mashed potatoes & red wine sauce (RM38), a carnivore's delight of pork tenderloin rolled with sausage meat & wrapped with bacon, completed with pork gravy reduction, tomato mash, dried fruits & nuts (RM52) & Balinese-inspired grilled whole spring chicken with lip-smacking skin, served with a spicy sauce, chips & salad (RM32).

The fun doesn't end there: Desserts exude more than a whiff of playfulness, particularly the Magnum Explosion, a cold-&-hot, eye-catching creation of ice cream dipped in molten chocolate, for a treat that everyone will want to photograph (RM18), & Deconstructed Apple Pie, which assembles a baked apple hollowed out & filled to bursting with mixed nuts & dried fruits in gula melaka & cinnamon sauce, with a side of roti pastry (RM16).

 Cocktails will capture the imagination too: Sweet Babe is the house speciality of muddled sugarcane rum, drizzled on pink cotton candy for another camera-worthy indulgence (RM28), while the Pain Killer injects a sense of spirits-lifting thrill with its trifecta of midori, vodka & sweet-&-sour mix, with Tic Tac 'tablet' antidotes on the side (RM28). And for those of us who love wine-based potions, NBDD's wine cooler & classic sangria both hit the spot; bonus fun fact - throughout July, if this is your birthday month, you'll receive a free bottle of wine if you spend at least RM400++ here. Many thanks to NBDD for having us.

Naughty Babe Dirty Duck
42, Jalan 25/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-6211-9966
25, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2288-8188