Spoon & Spark, Klang

Klang's new Spoon & Spark ignites the imagination for irresistible East Asian desserts and drinks with a Malaysian twist or two.

Taiyaki is the top treat, in creative savoury styles such as stuffed with curried potatoes for karipap taiyaki or sweetly crowned with luscious sakura ice cream for a hot-and-cold, crispy-and-creamy contrast of temperatures and textures. Perfect for the young at heart.

Try the Cendol Bingsu - soft, smooth, santan-saturated shaved ice, rounded out with red beans and cendol for a beautiful take on a classic. Might be worth travelling to Klang purely for this. 

Snack on taro-topped egg tarts while sipping Taiwanese winter melon tea to beat the heat at this friendly space, founded by the folks who also run Dai Jin Dining next door. Other intriguing temptations span rose-shaped almond pudding to tofu pudding in wood barrels.

A.R.T by Pearlite, Klang

Klang's new A.R.T by Pearlite seeks to stamp its own mark on classic crowd-pleasers - its Truffle Zenith chicken chop is marinated for three days with kulim oil and 10 different spices for extra flavour and fragrance.

Hoifan Company, Sin Chew Kee Road

Sin Chew Kee Road's new Hoifan Company is a welcoming stop for wonderfully playful takes on familiar favourites.

Expect the unexpected - chicken siew bao is served Wellington-style, with sweet-savoury barbecue-flavoured chicken in buttery-flaky puff pastry, while fresh-baked egg tarts come in fun varieties like Citrus, laced with dried mandarin peel for a subtly candied tang.

Try the tasty, textured bowl of Hainanese-style aromatic chicken rice topped with tornado omelette and crispy-juicy chicken with lean and fatty layers, crowned with crunchy chicken crackling and chilli jam.

End with Rujak Rambutan, a refreshing chilled dessert of rambutan and pineapple, piquantly punchy with sour plum, lime and torch ginger.

Gerson Batik x 16 Degrees Coffee, Panggung Road

Gerson Batik and 16 Degrees have a beautiful new base for batik, bakes and brews on Panggung Road, with a counter for pecan pies and apple pies paired with coconut lattes and yuzu cold brews.

Above The Clouds, Old Klang Road

Chase the clouds away at Above The Clouds, Old Klang Road’s new Korean-inspired container cafe for cheerful desserts like blueberry cream cheese bagels and charming drinks such as Blue Sky Cloud Lattes, crowned with fluffy cotton candy.

Gannendo, Solaris Dutamas

Solaris Dutamas’ new Gan-Nen-Do is KL’s first restaurant to specialise in juwari soba, aromatically made with 100% pure buckwheat flour, not mixed whatsoever with wheat flour.

This Japanese-headed venue relies on Hokkaido-sourced buckwheat flour for its noodles, kneaded, rolled out and boiled in fresh portions, smooth and supple with a mildly earthy nuttiness, served chilled with a rich dipping sauce or hot in soup.

Mori Soba is the ideal introduction - cold noodles that convey the pristine flavour of buckwheat, paired with a dip blended with bonito, mackerel flakes and two soy sauces, enlivened with spring onions and wasabi. True to tradition, a steamy pouring of soba-cooked water is served near the end to create a soulful soup with the dip.

Complement the soba with a pork-free selection of firm-battered seafood and vegetable tempura, clean-tasting with no excess oil; grated yam or radish; and crispy or spicy chicken.

For Kake Soba, hot bets include a robust bowl of soba with thick-sliced duck breast and leeks, brimming in broth with a concentrated depth of sweet umami.

Gannendo also has a cultural corner to showcase Japan's artistic bounty - its current exhibit comprises a retail section of Japanese-produced upcycled acrylic beads and chopstick rests.