The Riff District, Bangsar

A herb-struck cocktail, nodding to nasi kerabu, laced with ikan bilis-infused liquor? Or one with Parmesan-permeated bourbon, topped with torched banana, paying playful homage to pisang cheese?

The Riff District is Bangsar's distinctive new den, tended by thinkers and tasters in Telawi, including founding force John, who traded his profession in litigation for libations, crafting this space from scratch.

Both the bar and kitchen impressively blend imagination with intention: The Riff District takes familiar flavours on a spin, striking creative chords by remixing everything from Chinese sweet-sour guluyuk in the glass to Malay masak lemak and Peranakan pie tee on the plate.

The Nasi Kerabu cocktail harmonises the vegetal grassiness of rhum agricole with kaduk, kaffir lime and turmeric leaves, butterfly pea flower, lemongrass and ginger. The ideal dish distilled into a drink, minus rice but memorably nice with a zesty zen.

Pisang Cheese imbues the sweetness and smokiness of bourbon and Scotch whiskies with subtly savoury Parmesan, decadently deepened with banana liqueur and chocolate bitters, soothingly suffusing street-snack swagger with speakeasy sophistication.

The bar reinterprets classics too, like the Tom Collins, Manhattan and daiquiri. 

Try the tropical take on a Martini of mischief: The Papatini winks with a whiff of papaya in its gin and kaffir lime in vermouth, bittersweet with Aperol, bright in allure.

Meals blaze a culture-conscious path beyond basic bar nibbles. 

The Vegetable Medley is a vibrant crop of Brussels sprouts, four-angled beans, zucchini and pickled white fungus, recalling but redefining Four Heavenly Kings stir-fries.

There's much to explore: Handmade pitas and pasta; rarities like French-inflected aligot; and ambitious affairs of broccoli-jalapeno espuma with akaebi ceviche and coconut jelly.

Effort is poured into fun, funky, flirty enticements: Cheese is smoked with bunga kantan; butter buttressed by laksa spices; duck dry-aged for 10 days, juiced up with whiskey-washed jus.

For the coda, find cold comfort in kaya mousse with a goji berry core, coupled with Earl Grey ice cream.

GoodNosh, Petaling Jaya

Feel-good fare at GoodNosh: Section 17's new creative cafe for kombucha beverages and kombucha-infused food specialises in tropical vegetarian temptations, by a friendly team that focuses on fermented fun spanning tempeh to tauchu.

GoodNosh crafts its own kombucha mindfully and meticulously: The Summer Green Origin springs up with green tea, while the Winter Black Origin is powered by pu-er black tea. Fruit kombuchas shine with seasonal stars, from strawberries to passionfruit to lovely lemon honey.

A thoughtful touch: Kombucha is poured over kombucha ice, so the drink remains deliciously undiluted even as the ice melts.

For a wholesome meal, Nasi Ulam unveils butterfly pea rice circled with herbaceous leaves, red cabbage, tempeh and tofu, plus sambal and pickles infused with GoodNosh's kombucha starter, replacing vinegar for vibrant uplift.

Complete the order with Peranakan pongteh, gently garlicky and gingery with mushrooms, lotus roots and radish, and curry blended with GoodNosh's own lightly aromatic paste, brimming with brinjals, tomatoes and pineapples in coconut milk. Salsa makes a smooth snack - once you scoop, you might not stop.

GoodNosh is now in its soft-launch transition, welcoming walk-ins on a limited basis before officially opening next week.

Hong Kong Roasted Goose King, Pavilion Damansara Heights

A Hong Kong-style goose chase: Check out Pavilion Damansara Heights’ new HK Roasted Goose King for princely poultry.

Glossy geese glisten in the display, an air-dried attraction served with a choice of noodles or rice, blanched greens and plum sauce for roasted, rendered richness.

Shishido Express, Bangsar South

Ramen in a rush? Bangsar South’s new Shishido Express serves up soul food, fast - our bowl landed less than 10 minutes after ordering, bearing all the allure of the Shishido brand with its signature spectrum of broths. The Midori broth is as soothing as ever, bathed in basil, like a comforting cross between tonkotsu and leicha.

Silly Bee Bagel, Bandar Botanik Klang

BKT-inspired bagels in Klang? Buzz on over to the new Silly Bee Bagels for its playfully pork-free BKT Bagel, sandwiched with succulent lamb shoulder suffused with herbs that convincingly evoke a light bak kut teh broth, placating cravings for carbs and protein alike. 

Silly Bee bakes its own bagels, full-bodied to the bite, tender to the chew, hearty enough to stuff us silly. The bagels come in Plain, Sesame, Matcha, Earl Grey Yuzu, Double Chocolate Sea Salt and more.

Have them with cream cheese (in flavours like Pistachio, Honey, Truffle, Garlic or Blueberry) or layered with savoury or sweet stuffings - maybe a mala bagel with unagi, hash brown and scallion cream cheese?