Red Clementine @ MKH Boulevard, Kajang

Kajang's new culinary darling is not this town's typical cafe - both the setting and the food are decked out in contemporary flourishes, so even though the menu comprises merely brief descriptions like 'slow-roasted chicken' (RM27.50) or 'chicken confit' (RM35), what emerges looks far more inventively ambitious and visually alluring; even the carrot and sweet potato accompaniments have undergone elaborate transformations. The appeal is not only cosmetic; the chicken tastes good.

Red Clementine's chef is Vietnamese-born, and he pays tribute to his heritage with the dressing for the Alexandre 1620 tuna salad (RM 22). The selection isn't extensive, but you can have a complete meal culminating in a dessert of French toast with mango coulis (RM20) or sticky date cake (RM11). If you're fortunate, Red Clementine's Malaysian founder might present you with a complimentary gift of a clementine, her favourite fruit, which also makes its presence known in the Clementito mocktail.

Red Clementine,

3A & 5, MKH Boulevard, Kajang. Open Tuesday-Friday, 10am-10pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-11pm. Tel: +603-8740-8935

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

Preview: Nice Catch @ Pavilion

By Aiman Azri

“Nice Catch” seems like a phrase used to compliment fishermen - but fans of the ocean’s bounty may harbour similar sentiments about KL’s latest premium seafood restaurant, opening at Pavilion shopping mall on Saturday, 30 September, 2017.

Nice Catch brings together specimens from the open seas that span the globe - Canadian Lobsters, Chilean King Crabs, Caribbean Lobsters, French Crabs, Norwegian Salmon, and more.

Every speciality here features homemade sauces that are freshly prepared every morning, and each one has its own special twist.

The Spicy Seafood Feast is the signature, with seafood and vegetables poached in a steaming pot of Hot and Spicy Lemongrass Sauce. Other temptations include the Lobster Bisque, Crispy Prawn Cocktail, and Great Ocean Fiesta.

We’ll have our complete review of Nice Catch next month, but for now, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages, or just drop by starting Saturday. You’ll find Nice Catch downstairs near Pavilion’s food court.

Nice Catch

1.18.02, Level 1, Pavilion, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. Daily, 10am-10pm.

This post was brought to you by Nice Catch.

Marg & Bein @ Bergen, Norway

Turn the other cheek: One of Bergen's best restaurants is Marg & Bein, where the top temptations comprise comfort food of pork cheek & belly confit with beans, mustard & aubergine, & ox cheek with carrots, shallots, tomatoes, potatoes & marrow in red wine jus - a lovely dinner after a long day after exploring the Norwegian fjords.

Nasi Lemak Tepi Jalan 1996 @ Cheras Selatan

Nasi Lemak Tepi Jalan 1996 pays tribute to a late matriarch who started selling nasi lemak at a street-side stall in Desa Petaling more than two decades ago; her family members have preserved her legacy with this full-fledged eatery where the signature temptation hits the spot for both taste and texture.

You can have your basic nasi lemak, fragrant and flavoursome, with accompaniments like crispy ayam goreng rempah and spicy sambal kerang. But the latest generation that helms Nasi Lemak Tepi Jalan hopes to also galvanise customers with a Nasi Lemak Ketam (RM25) and Nasi Lemak Lobster (RM20).

The crab version is surprisingly satisfying, coated in a cheese sauce - it's a messy, finger-licking meal, but the tender crustacean flesh and mild sauce work well with the nasi lemak, reinforcing the versatility of Malaysia's ceaselessly relevant national dish.

Nasi Lemak Tepi Jalan 1996

D1-28-G, Block 7 Jalan Dutamas, Cheras, Balakong, Selangor. Daily, 12pm-2am. Tel: 017-632-8772

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

The Cart @ SkyWorld Gallery, Sentul

By Aiman Azri

Inspired by Sentul’s history as a railway hub that became home to thousands of immigrant workers, The Cart is a new pop-up cafe that serves Indian-Western fusion fare in SkyWorld Gallery @ Sentul. It’s an intriguing new collaboration between SkyWorld Development Group and three KL-based F&B brands - creative cuisine purveyors The Bowls, dessert destination Pretty On Plate, and coffee specialists The Mad Alchemy.

The Cart is billed as the first themed cafe operating within a property gallery in Sentul; its ambiance is meant to be serene, in line with SkyWorld's upcoming project launch of Bandar Baru Sentul's SkyMeridien residences.

A lush wall makes for a picture-perfect backdrop at SkyWorld Gallery

We were invited to a preview of The Cart before its recent launch, with the house special of a Giant Curry Puff with Cheese serving as a striking introduction to the concept here. This is huge - potentially the biggest curry puff commercially available in KL. It’s both crunchy and chewy, stuffed with a filling mix of chicken and potatoes, plus the savoury novelty of melted cheese that dribbles out irresistibly, making each bite richer.

For main courses,we checked out the Premium Seafood Curry Marinara, served with a choice of Spiced Biryani Rice or Pasta. The curry is mildly spicy, packed with fresh oysters, prawns, and squid. Having this with rice feels like an upmarket variation of biryani, while enjoying it with pasta helps to spotlight the spices and the sauce even more thoroughly.

For dessert, the Pancakes with Bananas, Whipped Cream, Salted Caramel Compote and Cinnamon Ice Cream prove to be a comforting conclusion, with thick pancakes and a very evident flavour of cinnamon in the ice cream. The Cart’s Chai Latte is a refreshing beverage to wash down the meal.

The Cart @ SkyMeridien

SkyWorld Gallery @ Sentul, Lot 9924, Jalan Sentul Bahagia 2, Kg Puah Seberang, Kuala Lumpur. Open Wednesday-Monday, 11am-6pm.

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