Le Lapin Cafe @ Taman Desa

Fellow cottontails born in the Year of the Rabbit, here's one cafe that cottons to us completely.

 Le Lapin (The Rabbit) is a homey hideout, not a hipster hangout; it's the kind of unassuming locale that'll likely never be considered cool, but its supporters will nonetheless cherish it for the everyone's-welcome, come-as-you-are burrow that it is.

 Coffee here comes in multiple forms & temperatures: Try the Arabica heart-shaped ice cubes with cold milk (RM12), the caffeine addict's antidote to a sweltering afternoon.

 Suck & savor slowly. Le Lapin has a no-hurry vibe; its radio transmits Lite FM. Did you ever know that you're my hero? What can I do to make you love me? Where do broken hearts go? Inquisitive divas badger us persistently throughout our hour here.

 Hot Irish coffee (RM12), mixed with a knockout infusion of whiskey & topped with deliriously thick cream. This puts numerous bars in KL that serve feebler-but-pricier Irish coffee to shame.

 Americano crowned with ice cream (RM10), an alternative to affogatos. Le Lapin uses an Italian Musetti blend, so phrases like 'single-origin coffee' & 'Sumatran Mandheling' won't be heard here.

 Need food? Le Lapin's scones (RM5), beautifully baked by cafe owner Eliza, should satisfy.

 Substantial in size, served warm & boasting a buttery fluffiness, this proved even more enjoyable for us than scones sampled at a Cameron Highlands resort's high tea.

 Fresh cupcakes are also a treat here, lighter than they look & fairly far from sugary.

 Also an unexpected pleasure: Le Lapin exhibits the swagger-free humility of its animal namesake. The owner won't gracelessly brag about her cafe & seems genuinely encouraged by thoughtful compliments. And when someone makes a positive remark about Le Lapin's logo, she acknowledges freely that it was something they simply stumbled upon online.

 The selection of savory meals is compact: breakfasts of croissants, muesli & egg sandwiches that start from RM5 to pasta & pie lunches that stay south of RM15.

 Chinese-language books line Le Lapin's shelf, including a translated 'Who Moved My Cheese?'

 Le Lapin's on one of the least-busy streets of Taman Desa's Plaza Danau 2 commercial center; even on a weekday, there were enough parking spaces within a ten-second stroll of the cafe. But it's near-impossible to spot casually, since there's no signboard; instead, look out for the above.

 Cafe 'hopping'? That's what rabbits are built for, that's one of the things they do best.

Le Lapin Cafe,

31-1, First Floor, Plaza Danau 2, Jalan 109F, Taman Danau Desa, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-7497-0407

Open 8am-5pm weekdays, closed Tuesdays. Weekends 9am-5pm.

Pig Out Cafe @ Parklane, Kelana Jaya

Gettin' piggy with it at this cafe that opened this week, promising a primrose path of pork in Kelana Jaya's fledgling Parklane commercial center.

 The marquee attraction: Roast pork belly, 200 irresistible grams of meat marinated overnight & served with chunky-cut carrots, potatoes & applesauce (RM18 only). 

 Cafe owner Seet Yan, who launched Pig Out after months of running a catering service, prepares limited portions of this roast pork, so to be safe, call ahead to reserve.

 Grilled pork chop with garlic sauce, coleslaw & creamy-flavorsome mashed potatoes (RM16). Pig Out's food features a home-cooked feel, not a restaurant's polish; this is honest fare, without lofty ambitions of revolutionizing the cafe industry.

 Spaghetti bolognese with pork meatballs (RM16). Servings are generous; our only quibble is that some of these recipes can seem heavy on the salt.

 Caesar salad with own-smoked bacon (RM12, prices are nett for now). It's like eating at a favorite aunt's house or at a potluck where friends spent days poring over the menu & pouring every ounce of energy into making each dish.

 But accidents can happen: This cottage pie (RM7) emerged burnt at the bottom, with overly charred minced pork beneath the mashed potatoes.

 Redemption is nevertheless near: Pig Out's pork burger (RM16), topped with enoki mushrooms, might well exceed certain expectations ...

 ... thanks to its luscious patty, the polar opposite of so many other blandly dry pork patties. With a little more fine-tuning, this could become one of the Klang Valley's best pork burgers.

 Pig Out is in a trial opening stage (offering 20 percent discounts off its already-low prices), with a limited menu & insufficient staff members to cope with crowds; be patient if your food takes time to surface. This has the potential to evolve into a crowd-pleasing landmark.

Pig Out Cafe (within one minute's drive of Paradigm Mall),

A-G-3, Park Lane Commercial Hub, Jalan SS7/26, Kelana Jaya.

Tel: 016-232-9248

It's a casual, sandals-&-shorts cafe, where the owner's friends might breezily stroll in & out.

Currently open only for lunch weekdays & dinner on weekends. Will expand hours in September.

El Sid's South American @ Bukit Damansara

Returning to El Sid's to check out its complete menu. Earlier entry: July 18.

Ceviche (RM16 before taxes), comprising tangy shrimp accompanied by avocado & mango. Might these shrimp have been cooked with heat? Maybe, maybe not; it's much too tricky to tell.

Quinoa salad (RM18), a hearty helping, drenched in chimichurri-inspired sauce that might be creamier & more mayo-like & mass-market than necessary.

A riff on Peruvian 'papa rellena,' stuffed with chili con carne. Comes out kinda like TGI Friday's baked potato skins. El Sid's other savory offerings include lomo saltado beef sandwiches, grilled sardines, cod fish fritters, courgette omelets & breaded jalapenos.

Cookie-like sweet corn tamale cakes (RM14) with salsa verde.

South American sweet treats here include 'alfajores' caramel-coconut cookies (RM12).

The cocktail list is extensive. Of course, Pisco Sours are available.

Numerous beverages here are spiced up with chili. This one's like a fiery Bloody Mary: Tequila, orange juice & tomato juice, shaken with honey & chili flakes, topped with some Lea & Perrins.

Potency is unexpectedly poor but the cocktails are cheap. Authenticity? Debatable. There seems to be a somewhat 'processed/commercialized' feel to both the food & beverages here that some patrons might nonetheless be fine with.

Chatelle VSOP brandy, gin, condensed milk & freshly brewed coffee. El Sid's atmosphere is good though _ energetically friendly. And its team has clearly worked to provide customers with something different from the typical, tried-&-tested pub. Maybe that's what counts the most.

Fairly fun tequila shooters: Tequila Fuego (with jalapeno syrup & hot sauce) & Dirty Sanchez (with Baileys & Kahlua).

El Sid's Cocktail Bar,
1, Jalan Setiapuspa, Bukit Damansara, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur.
Same row as Sri Ayutthaya, Jake's & Passage To India

Mi Na Rae @ Sri Petaling

Sri Petaling's best Korean restaurant? Possibly, probably.

Mi Na Rae's menu delves deep, going beyond barbecued beef to grasp other traditional favorites such as 'gamjatang' (RM50 before taxes), a mildly spicy soup of pork backbone & ribs, potatoes, veggies, peppers & sesame seeds.

No hatin' on the hog, hear: This is the kind of recipe that might work best on a wintry night, but we like it well enough for rainy-evening nourishment.

The price might seem high, but the portion's princely, more than sufficient for two customers.

Fans of other types of meat will find their needs fulfilled here too. Mi Na Rae's beef ribs (RM45) are beautifully steamed with potatoes in a sweet-savory sauce.

'Samgyetang,' a soup of chicken stuffed with sticky rice, cooked with ginseng & dried red dates. Piping-hot pleasure, soulfully slurp-worthy.

Don't duck the duck: Mi Na Rae serves smoked, bone-free fowl, barbecued in the kitchen.

Wrap it up: The makings of balanced meals begin right here. RM25 for this.

Bibimbap, full of fresh ingredients. Slightly blander than the norm, but still comfort food.

Dry noodles, their coldness countered by a surprising spiciness, served with a tangy iced broth.

Mi Na Rae's banchan is worthwhile, everything we could want (& then some).

Small dishes here are free-flow, of course, & vary from day to day.

Lovable liquor: Bokbunja, the Korean fruit wine made with blackberries.

Makkoli, the acquired-taste fermented beverage built with rice & wheat.

Baekseju, the Korean ginseng-laced "hundred-year wine."

Chung Ha rice wine. Mi Na Rae's bar is certainly nicely stocked.

Mi Na Rae,

39, Jalan Radin Bagus, Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur.

Open daily for lunch & dinner, except on two Tuesdays a month.