Maruhi Sakaba @ Taman Desa

Heralding an exciting expansion of Sanuki Udon creator Seiji Fujimoto's empire in Taman Desa, Maruhi Sakaba _ loosely translated by the man himself as "secret drinking place" _ specializes in "kushi" skewers & some surprising selections.

Chicken carpaccio? These slick-slimy slivers might teeter too close to uncooked for some customers, but they taste terrific _ like raw tuna, but with a more delicate flavor & chewier bite.

Pork liver sashimi (RM6, no taxes). Full-flavored in an offal (not awful) way, muscular in texture. 

Pork small intestine carpaccio with egg yolk (RM15), slippery & savory, not stinky at all.

Pork big intestine stew (RM10), steaming-hot soul food that feels nourishing to the last drop.

Risk-averse patrons can stick to the grilled skewers, which encompass everything from yakitori (a basic chicken leg serving costs RM4)...

... to greasy-juicy rolls of pork meat stuffed with red-ripe tomatoes (RM5).

Maruhi's signature "kettle cocktail" is fascinating fun, a kooky mix of shochu, angostura bitters, lime & soda water (RM45).

Maruhi Sakabar has no English-language signboard; look for this storefront on the same row as Public Bank. A Bon Jovi song might be blasting from the speakers.

Maruhi Saka Bar,

6A, Faber Plaza, Jalan Desa Jaya, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur.

Open 6pm-1030pm, except Mondays.

The Daily Habit & Ben's @ Bangsar Shopping Center

"Healthy eating, worth repeating" is the tagline for The Daily Habit, a comfy cafe within the confines of BSC's first-floor CHi Fitness workout club. 

Customers have to pass through CHi's welcome lounge to reach The Daily Habit, but no worries: the cafe remains open to everyone & is isolated from the gym section.

Begin with breakfast: The Daily Habit rises at 8am weekdays (9am Saturdays) to start serving scrambled free-range eggs with Scottish smoked salmon, French Lescure butter & caraway rye bread (RM20+).

The salad selection is small, but this one's certain to be a big hit: Quinoa, pear, toasted walnuts, rocket leaves & pomegranate (RM18+), as guilt-free as food gets.

Slow-braised pulled beef & veggies wrapped in multigrain tortilla & paired with chickpea salad (RM20+), for folks who must have meat.

Wholemeal scone, could be KL's most wholesome, with house-made pear jam (RM7+). 

Desserts aren't forsworn here; try the mix of quinoa, granola, cranberries & ricotta (RM16+).

Equally enticing: Raw cacao chocolate bars, dairy-free, gluten-free & with no added sugar.

Sold here with the likes of acai & goji berries laced within, about RM10 per bar.

Complimentary flour-free chocolate cake, to wrap up a surprisingly filling lunch.

The Daily Habit's juices are antioxidant-rich: Clean Red (beetroot, carrots, apples & ginger) & Fountain Of Youth (apples, strawberries, wolfberries & raspberries). 

That's Amore (banana, strawberries, mango, coconut milk & soy milk) & Vanilla Whey Protein Shake with added 72 percent dark caraibes chocolate.

 Immunity-improving Probiotic Shot. The Daily Habit closes 5pm weekdays, 4pm Saturdays.

The Daily Habit offers no alcohol, but no worries: Head up to BSC's third floor to check out the most recently opened branch of The BIG Group's Ben's restaurant chain.

The menu here at BSC will be familiar to fans of Ben's at Pavilion, Publika & KLCC, featuring crowd-pleasing food & beverages that no longer need introduction.

Cocktail recommendations include the Rum Jumper (rum, mint, lime, apple juice) & Garden Elixir (gin, cucumber, elderflower syrup, rosemary sprig).

The Daily Habit & Ben's Restaurant,

Bangsar Shopping Center, Kuala Lumpur.

AVA Bistro @ P Ramlee

One of KL's few eateries that serve tasty Middle Eastern specialties with lots of liquor.

Opened beside Modesto's on P. Ramlee Road, this friendly outlet mainly pulls backpackers and foreign businessmen, but Malaysians who venture here will be rewarded with the Mirza Ghasemi, a warm, creamy tomato-and-eggplant dip topped with a lovely fried egg.

Other intriguing Iranian recipes include the Ghorme Sabzi, supposedly regarded by many in Tehran as their national dish. Not exactly photogenic, but this ultra-thick herbal lamb stew partners perfectly with rice.

Speaking of rice, AVA Bistro offers Zareshk Polo, mixed with barberries for a mild sourness.

Slow-braised saffron chicken. Prices here are not too agonizing; a feast for two will easily come below RM100 without alcohol.

Shawarma is served starting about 9 p.m. daily. We'd skip this though, since it tastes too much of ketchup and too little of seasoning.

Kubideh and barg kebab: lamb and beef. The latter is better, thanks to its beautiful succulence.

Doogh, a traditional Persian yogurt drink evocative of goat cheese that's a fearfully acquired taste compared to the Cosmopolitan cocktail.

Red wine, totally drinkable, and Mojito, totally acceptable.

AVA is alfresco. It's coolly shaded, with occasional traffic noise presenting the only irritation.

AVA Bistro,

Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur.

Open daily, lunch through late.

Cake Tella & Fa Ying Princess Bakery

Homemade cakes for sale _ seems like something that everybody does nowadays, but it's still worth supporting creative & conscientious bakers like Eddie Tan, a 24-year-old talent who pours not only his heart but a hearty helping of hooch into his treats. 

Tan's "Cake Tella" enterprise has lots going for it: a 100% refund & 50% off the next order for unsatisfied patrons, plus the use of surprising ingredients (Pop Rocks carbonated candy!) & plenty of customization possibilities.

Tan hopes his cakes will become a memorable component of merry celebrations for families & friends. Many thanks to the man for providing us with one of his signature selections: Baileys Chocolate Mousse with caramelized hazelnuts. A 1.2-kilogram cake costs RM95 & contains at least three shots of Baileys (that's some 120 milliliters).

Smooth & creamy, with a terrific nutty crunch (it's loaded with hazelnuts!) & fizzy fun from the Pop Rocks hidden within the chocolate men. Tan uses Couverture chocolate for this cake, but customers willing to fork out extra cash might want to request even higher-grade chocolate for a more luxurious flavor. 

Other cakes by Tan, a KDU culinary graduate & sous chef for the central kitchen of Dave's Deli, include a milk chocolate peanut one & a Nutella mille crepe, some of which are available at cafes like Bangsar's Tedboy Bakery. Ordering information can be found at Caketella.com.

Need even more cakes? Here's another nice one: Princess Bakery, a desserts counter recently launched inside Paradigm Mall's Fa Ying Thai restaurant.

Main entry on Fa Ying by Rama V: November 19, 2012.

Green curry chocolate cake exemplifies the fusion fare here. Let this sit & soften a little once it leaves the chiller; the taste of the curry spice is subtle but discernible, supplying a pleasant zing to a worthwhile cake.

Cempedak tarte tartin. Might taste a bit more like nangka than cempedak, but surprisingly, we liked this, since it was heavy on a fruity sweetness instead of a stench.

Thai lemongrass creme caramel. This one can probably be skipped; not bad, but not memorable.

Fa Ying's Thai-inspired cocktails to wrap this up: Anna & The King, served in coconut.

Fruity Pattaya cocktail. For the suggestion box: list the cocktail ingredients on the menu.

Caketella by Eddie Tan

Princess Bakery by Fa Ying