Lello Coffee Roasters, Kepong

Likely to launch 9/9, Kepong's new Lello Coffee Roasters shines a spotlight on single-origins, roasted and brewed with skilled expertise by husband-and-wife team Jayson and S.Y., veterans of KL's coffee scene. 

Come for carefully curated espresso-based and pour-over choices (S.Y. is a Certified Q Arabica Grader, recognised globally as a rigorously trained authority in coffee quality evaluation); stay for sourdough specialities, savoury-and-sweet bakes, plus gelato.

This neighbourhood cafe-roastery, currently still a work in progress, represents a personal labour of love. Lello's name is inspired by how Jayson and S.Y.'s young son once pronounced 'yellow,' while its wave-shaped logo is a tribute to how the couple first met on an island.

Video: Tsukiji No.8, Wisma Lim Foo Yong

Tsukiji No.8 has launched its flavourful new ramen menu, with robust recipes sourced from Japan, perfected over the past year for Malaysian noodle enthusiasts.

Try the Ebi Ramen, with firm, thick noodles in intense crustacean broth, served with a vibrant variety of tempura; Shoyu Ramen, soulful with your choice of Angus beef or smoked duck; or Chicken Miso Ramen, slurp-worthy with umami richness in savoury or spicy soup.

Also check out the smoky new hamburg meat patty series, with your succulent choice of tori (chicken) or wagyu hamburg, as well as Ocean’s 8, a signature treasure of minced tuna, crab, scallop, sea urchin, prawn and ikura, sumptuous on sushi rice in crab shell. Indulge in otoro, chutoro and akami nigiri sushi too, for a triumphant trio of tuna.

Fun facts: Tsukiji No.8 takes its name from the eighth stall in Tokyo's Tsukiji market, from which the restaurant sources the freshest seafood. Tsukiji No.8 is the city centre's sushi specialist, boasting more than 30 live tuna cutting ceremonies over time, including the Heaviest Bluefin Tuna Live Cutting Event (132kg).

Tsukiji No.8

Lot 136/8, First Floor, Wisma Lim Foo Yong, Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur.

Daily, 11:30am-3pm, 6pm-10pm.

Tel: 018-953-1888

DauntouchmeTruck, Taman Tun Dr Ismail

TTDI’s new DauntouchmeTruck rolls into the neighbourhood, lush with leaves and well-seasoned with wraps. 

Track this truck for tasty, textured tortilla wraps, tempting with tempeh, tuna or falafel with a house dressing of tahini and tzatziki. Or try the open sandwich of a sunny-side-up with sliced avocado and garlic chilli oil on sourdough toast.

Fun fact: DauntouchmeTruck’s founder formerly ran a plant store, so it’s no surprise to see pothos vines trailing over the truck’s bright-yellow frame. 

Bernie & Friends, Solaris Dutamas

Bernie & Friends is Solaris Dutamas’ new pond-to-plate prawn restaurant, by founders  who’ve farmed antibiotic-free prawns in Selangor and Penang for nearly three decades.

These crustaceans typically travel to markets in Australia, Europe, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, but Bernie & Friends lets Malaysians have the first crack at them, firm with full-bodied sweetness.

Try them plain-boiled and peeled, pristine with lemon mayo, or embrace indulgence in the signature prawn roll: Bernie’s own-baked, butter-toasted “cloud bread’ cradling whole and chunky-chopped prawns, lush with lemon cream and chives, worth a weekend at Bernie’s.

Natalina Italian Kitchen: Chef Stefano brings Italy's buoyant summer sensations to Avenue K

Summer is in the air at Avenue K's Natalina Italian Kitchen, with lemons on lush vines cascading from the ceiling and walls, infusing every corner with sun-dappled Amalfi charm.

Natalina's head chef Stefano Maria La Penna celebrates seasonal sensations that represent Italy's wide-ranging regions, including Stefano's own central province of Chieti in Abruzzo.

This is Italian cooking with a modern Mediterranean mind that remains true to tradition: Natalina sources prized produce from Italy, including Roman multi-coloured cherry tomatoes for nuanced sweetness, Tuscan truffles, flour, cheese and more.

From handmade pasta recipes rarely seen in KL, like Mezze Maniche Alla Morronese (‘half sleeves' pasta with wagyu white ragu), to hearty meat main courses like Veal Milanese and Braciole Alla Genovese (rolled beef filled with garlic, parsley and cheese), plus citrusy specials like chitarra with lobster, tuna bottarga and lemon zest, Natalina's summer spread is a must before the season slips away next month.

Natalina's menu is diverse and distinctive.

Start with Burrata, plump and pleasurable, lively with a medley of Roman-cultivated confit cherry tomatoes that run from red to yellow, fruity with a gently uplifting acidity. Possibly our favourite burrata salad in KL right now.

Crostone Mediterraneo lands on long-fermented dough, its thin crust carrying the flavours of the coast in salty anchovies and the countryside in herbaceous basil and oregano, vibrant with tangy tomato concasse and briny black olives, bursting with the bite of fresh cherry tomatoes and red onions, softened with stracciatella for a creamy, lingering finish.

Crocchette di Calamari proves irresistibly addictive, served hot and crisp with a melt-in-the-mouth savoury stuffing of calamari and baby octopus that speaks deeply of the sea, dressed in garlic tomato mayonnaise for added aromatics.

For the ultimate pasta indulgence,  Chitarrina al Frutti di Mare features Natalina's own spaghetti chitarra, a square-cut pasta with full-bodied firmness, served with a princely portion of Boston lobster and clams in velvety shellfish sauce, generously garnished with tuna bottarga and lemon zest for bursts of richness and brightness.

Mezze Maniche alla Morronese is steeped in classic Abruzzese nostalgia, harkening to chef Stefano's heritage, showcasing short ridged pasta woven with a robust white ragu of four-hour slow-cooked wagyu beef and earthy porcini mushrooms, homely and hearty, rounded out with spinach and red peppers.

Gricia al Tartufo coats handmade fettuccine in silky cheese emulsion, lavished with smoky duck bacon and fresh Tuscan black truffles for delectable layers of depth and decadence.

For carnivorous appetites, Veal Milanese is beautifully built and breaded for sharing, embodying Milan's centuries-old culinary legacy: Veal rack, lightly pounded for even tenderness, deep-fried in clarified butter for a golden crust that yields to confident succulence, complete with mushroom sauce, salad and potatoes.

Braciole Alla Genovese is a comforting cross between the rustic and refined: Rolled beef, bursting with beef bacon, garlic, parsley and breadcrumbs, thickly braised in Genovese-style mushroom truffle sauce, finished with dehydrated black olives and ricotta.

Don't skip dessert: Summer shines sweetly in Amarena e Limone Meringato, an invigorating tart with lemon custard cream, cloaked in torched meringue, zingy with lemon zest, nectarous with amarena cherries, and Crostata di Pistacchio, a classic Italian pie with a cheese filling and pistachio paste, perfect with toasted pistachios and Natalina's nutty own pistachio ice cream.

Natalina Italian Kitchen
Lot 06 - Level 03, Avenue K, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

Daily, 12pm-10pm. 

Tel: 012-673-3860