The X @ Bangsar, Hoopla @ Desa Sri Hartamas & O'Galito @ Pavilion

The X shows signs of potential, with a promising menu of small plates that spotlight contemporary, cross-continental dining. But some fine-tuning was still needed when we visited at the start of 2016 - the tenggiri fish with fig tempura might have hit the spot with fresher produce, while the mussels with turkey bacon bits in saffron sauce suffered from heavy-handed seasoning.

The X At Telawi

67G, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Daily, 4pm-2am

2017 Update: The X is now one of 12 restaurants in Bangsar participating in the ‘Dine, Earn & Redeem with your mobile number’ initiative by AirAsia BIG, AirAsia’s loyalty programme. Earn and/or redeem your AirAsia BIG Points here! For more details, see: https://goo.gl/EVsBGH

Hoopla may well be one of Hartamas' most elegantly bedecked restaurants, endowed with an imaginative menu of snacks for sharing - everything from house-made bacon with Carenero cacao & Gula Melaka syrup (RM10) to ladies' fingers with mentsuyu noodle sauce, garlic oil & sesame oil (RM5). The food's more or less inoffensive, but service is wearingly obtrusive, with a member of the service team persistently hovering too close for comfort near the table & pressuring folks to order more.

 Hoopla

First Floor, 72-1 Jalan 27/70A Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 036-2116484

It requires a stronger will than ours to resist visiting a restaurant that promises fettuccine with braised lamb ragout or braised beef cheeks with mashed potatoes in mushroom sauce. But O'Galito serves middle-of-the-road versions of these recipes - passable perhaps for casual tourists & shoppers, but what we had made us long wistfully for food that tastes more inspired.

O'Galito At Pavilion

C3-05-00, Connection Level 3, Pavilion Shopping Mall, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2141-0418

The Eat Drink KL mobile app is now available, connecting restaurants & customers to promote a positive spirit of community.

For iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/my/app/eat-drink-kl/id958657326?mt=8

For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eatdrinkkl.EatDrinkKL

Every restaurant on this app rewards users with a 6 percent discount, instantly & conveniently, everyday, all day long. 

In return, users share photos of their experiences at these eateries, creating a new community of restaurant lovers.

For every transaction, at least RM0.10 will be channelled to a charity of the month.

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings, F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.

Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: 

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Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter will be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.

Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, with 100 recommended restaurants for Jan-Mar 2016. This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://issuu.com/eatdrinkkl/docs/ebook

Buckle your seatbelts: Eat Drink KL is partnering with Uber to take restaurant lovers on new adventures across KL & Selangor!

If you haven't used Uber yet, it's time to begin! For new users, just follow the steps below to redeem free rides:

1. Download the Uber app from the App Store, Play Store or Windows Store - and register your Uber account.

2. Apply the code EATDRINKKL as your first promotional code & you'll receive 2 Free Rides worth RM30 each.

3. Request a ride through the app and ride for free to any destination (with two ride values of up to RM30 each).

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co @ Citta Mall

It's been nearly eight years since Bubba Gump first landed in Malaysia, bringing its globally beloved range of shrimp, seafood & American-style soul food to our shores. We've enjoyed several visits to Bubba Gump's first branch at The Curve in the past, but we've never checked out its subsequent outposts in Citta Mall & Sunway Pyramid. Boasting a crowd-pleasing menu that's both diverse & distinctive, Bubba Gump's call to return to its fishing-boat-themed setting - complete with memorabilia from the restaurant's film inspiration, 1994's Oscar-winning Forrest Gump - proved irresistible.

Meals at Bubba Gump can be memorably playful & action-packed - start with the Shrimp Mayan Salsa, which showcases a medley of chilled shrimp, cilantro, tomatoes, avocado, onions & chillies, 'all shook up' beside your table by a smiling server, for a salsa with perky, refreshing nuances, partnered with plenty of crunchy tortilla chips & a lusciously flavour-packed Far Out Dip that's creamy with spinach, artichokes, roasted red peppers & Monterey Jack cheese. RM37.90.

Set your table sign to "Stop Forrest Stop" to signal your waiter to pop over & take your order: There's no shortage of intriguing shrimp recipes at Bubba Gump, with specialities that range from the southern U.S. preparation of Cajun Shrimp in a spicy butter sauce with garlic toast (RM32.90) to an Asian-influenced Dynamite Shrimp that spotlights succulent 'popcorn' shrimp with a blend of Thai spices & a sweet glaze (RM29.90).

If you're craving seafood beyond shrimp, cast your net on the Fisherman's Catch, comprising not only golden shrimp but flash-fried calamari & breaded white fish, dusted with Cajun spices, served in a bucketful of fries with coleslaw & sauces (RM41.90). Other oceanic offerings include chipotle-crusted fish fillets, salmon & veggie skillets, & seafood pastas with mussels & clams.

Meat is available too - one of Bubba Gump's top recommendations is the BBQ beef ribs, an encouragingly hearty platter of slow-roasted slabs of meat, perfect for sharing, paired with fries & coleslaw (RM45.90/RM69.90). You'll also find everything from southern fried chicken to grilled leg of lamb for red-blooded carnivores.

We love Bubba Gump's pear & berry salad, a mix of fresh greens with charbroiled chicken, strawberries, pears & glazed pecans, tossed with raspberry vinaigrette, topped with feta cheese - a substantial serving with beautifully balanced flavours (RM30.90). It's wholesome enough so you can indulge in a sweet treat at the finish line - the Alabama Mud Pie, layered with chocolate & vanilla ice cream with ribbons of caramel & chunks of Snickers, crowned with chocolate syrup, whipped cream & crispy peanuts (RM22.90).

Bubba Gump's beverages are lively, served in totally thirst-quenching portions - you'll find everything from Fun Coolers & Glass Combos that you can take home to smoothies & sparklers, in varieties like a Strawberry Mango Chiller (RM26.90; combining frozen lemonade with mango & & strawberry swirls) & Chocolate Root Beer Float (RM26.90; with fresh milk, chocolate syrup, vanilla yoghurt & root beer). If you like smooth, premium Margaritas, those are worth trying too, also finished with flair by the table, helping to ensure a terrific time for family & friends. Many thanks to Bubba Gump for having us back.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co Malaysia

Citta Mall, The Curve & Sunway Pyramid.

The Curve +603-7710 9863 l Sunway Pyramid +603-5635 3559 l Citta Mall +603-7832 4200/300/600

The Midnight Baker @ Seni Mont Kiara

Jason bakes bread, his wife Cheryl crafts cakes & pastries, & their buddy Neil makes coffee - The Midnight Baker is a fetching new stop for a fuss-free breakfast, lunch or tea, run by a small, self-reliant team with skill & soul. Fun Fact No. 1: Curious about the cafe's name? Jason has a separate day-job, so he oversees the oven only after most of us have headed to bed. Fun Fact No. 2: If you've missed popular barista Neil Ng, he'll be here for the next several months, helping his friends set up shop.

Recommendations? The chicken sandwich is constructed with satisfying bread, fresh & flavoursome, dense but yielding, stuffed with a substantial balance of tender, well-marinated meat & wholesome vegetables. The pesto tomato quiche succeeds as a light, savoury meal, while the scones come crumbly-buttery, infused with real vanilla & served with kitchen-made cream. Cap off your visit with a caramel chocolate pecan bar, an indulgence worth the calories, paired with coffee that hits the spot. And if you have kids, they might enjoy the play corner here, ideal for a idyllically cosy cafe in a calm Mont Kiara condominium.

The Midnight Baker

SENI Mont Kiara, Jalan Changkat Duta Kiara, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. Tues-Fri, 7am-5pm; Sat-Sun, 8am-6pm

The Eat Drink KL mobile app is now available, connecting restaurants & customers to promote a positive spirit of community.

For iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/my/app/eat-drink-kl/id958657326?mt=8

For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eatdrinkkl.EatDrinkKL

Every restaurant on this app rewards users with a 6 percent discount, instantly & conveniently, everyday, all day long. 

In return, users share photos of their experiences at these eateries, creating a new community of restaurant lovers.

For every transaction, at least RM0.10 will be channelled to a charity of the month.

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings, F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.

Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: 

https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/5106C196432BB23D

Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter will be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.

Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, with 100 recommended restaurants for Jan-Mar 2016. This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://issuu.com/eatdrinkkl/docs/ebook

Buckle your seatbelts: Eat Drink KL is partnering with Uber to take restaurant lovers on new adventures across KL & Selangor!

If you haven't used Uber yet, it's time to begin! For new users, just follow the steps below to redeem free rides:

1. Download the Uber app from the App Store, Play Store or Windows Store - and register your Uber account.

2. Apply the code EATDRINKKL as your first promotional code & you'll receive 2 Free Rides worth RM30 each.

3. Request a ride through the app and ride for free to any destination (with two ride values of up to RM30 each).