Mao, Taman Melawati

Mao's menu makes it worth the march to Melawati: Bao and rosti come together for the steamed bun stuffed with a Japanese purple sweet potato fritter, crowned with a prawn cake and circled by pumpkin puree, plus Belgian-inspired waffle fries flavoured lightly with salted egg yolk - a border-smashing ensemble that works tastily together (RM20).

The cafe has equal success with bread, both savoury and sweet - the pulled beef sandwich features six-hour slow-cooked short ribs, brisket and sirloin meat in sourdough toast (RM24; add RM4 for Gouda cheese), while the brioche with honey, mascarpone and jam is a treat for fans of French toast, piled with caramelised bananas, dragon fruit and pomegranates (RM16), showcasing the kitchen's effort to come up with meaningful offerings for customers.

The house-baked chocolate cream pie merits mention on its own, lushly layered - it's so compelling, you won't want to share this, calories be damned. Down the dessert with a flat white or kombucha.



Mao
344, Lorong Kedah, Taman Melawati, 53100 Kuala Lumpur. Daily, 8am-12am. Tel: 03-4161-1766

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Brewing Thai, Taylor's Lakeside Campus

Students at Taylor's Lakeside Campus flock here for contemporary Thai fare - succulent Coca-Cola braised chicken with rice (RM12.50) and green curry pasta (RM13.50) make for cheerful, fairly priced meals, downed with soothingly mellow Thai iced tea (RM10.50).

Brewing Thai

LG1-10, The Boardwalk, Jalan Taylor’s, Subang Jaya, 47500 Selangor. Daily, 10am-10pm. Tel: 012-399-8548

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

The 3rd Place, Kota Damansara

The 3rd Place brings extra appeal to staples like chicken chop and fried rice - the former is sous-vide cooked to ensure customers enjoy moist meat (RM18; completed with black pepper sauce, fries and a side salad), while the latter surfaces not only with prawns and eggs but Hokkaido scallops and edamame for a little more luxury to your lunch (RM22).

Trivia: The 3rd Place's name alludes to how home comes first for most of us, followed by our workplace, then potentially the places where we head out to eat.

The 3rd Place

Lot 24 (Signature Kitchen Building), Jalan Teknologi, Taman Sains Selangor 1, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Open Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm; Sat, 9am-5pm; Sun, closed. Tel: 03-6286-7033

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Hanthawaddy Restaurant, Myanmar

A beautiful Burmese house, refurbished as a restaurant, Hanthawaddy offers fare that's familiar throughout this country, from crunchy samosas to robust pork curries and richly herb-steamed fish.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Waroeng Isabella, Rasta TTDI

Serving up Indonesian specialities from Lombok and Bali, Waroeng Isabella is a destination for fiercely fiery fare like the ayam taliwang (RM10), smoky grilled chicken saturated with two types of sambal, rounded out with rice, tempeh and vegetables for a lip-smacking, tongue-scorching platter.

Waroeng Isabella

Rasta, Lot 3052 Jalan Datuk Sulaiman, Kampung Sungai Penchala, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur. Open Tues-Sun, 11am-10pm. Tel: 011-5624-7420

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

EatAtLevelSix, The Regency Scholar's Hotel

EatAtLevelSix serves up halal Chinese cooking in a contemporary setting, courtesy of chef Loke, who reputedly has nearly half a century's experience in the cuisine, including professional stints in China. Start with warm, tender chicken siu mai (RM8), then keep the poultry theme running with Cantonese roast duck (RM32 for a quarter portion, fleshy and reasonably juicy though not crisp-skinned). The Penang-inspired char kuey teow is a little wetter and less smoky than George Town's, but it does come with a fair amount of prawns and cockles to keep each mouthful worthwhile for a rendition that's absent of pork lard and lap cheong (RM15).

EatAtLevelSix

Level Six, The Regency Scholar's Hotel, Residensi UTM KL, Jalan Maktab, Kampung Datuk Keramat, 54000 Kuala Lumpur. Daily 10am-10pm.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Farmer's Bar, Kota Damansara

Lovers of smoked beers can swipe right for a date with Farmer's Bar, where the selection includes Germany's classic Rauchbier in the form of Aecht Schlenkerla by Bamberg's six-century-old Schlenkerla brewpub (RM32) and the more modern Australian Feral Smoked Porter, hickory-tinged with German malts smoked over beech wood (RM25).

Farmer's Bar
Sunsuria Avenue, Persiaran Mahogani, PJU 5, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Daily, 3pm-12am. Tel: 016-391-9301

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com