Eat Drink KL: Malaya Garden, Off Petaling Street

Chinatown's next themed-cafe hit is a hotbed of playful pleasures with plenty of Malaysian twists and thrills, set in a multi-level space that strives to bring the leafy outdoors inside, with tapirs, tigers, elephants and hornbills watching over your brunch.

Malaya Garden's Big Breakfast is laced with likeable local touches, including soft-and-savoury chicken otak-otak patties in percik sauce, a herb-infused, ulam-inspired salad, soft-boiled egg with smoked duck chips, and house-baked coconut toast (RM26).

The Kopi Tiramisu Affogato is also a creamy, bittersweet medley of inspirations, with layers of mascarpone and cocoa crumble rounded out with teh tarik ice cream and Hailam coffee espresso (RM16). If you need extra caffeine, order the medium roast local kopi with milk (RM5).