Ode To The Beans, Petaling Jaya

With Sade, Streisand and Spandau Ballet singing on the speakers, Sunday afternoons are soothing and serene at Ode To The Beans, possibly PJ’s most well-hidden cafe.

Our odyssey to Ode: Find the back-alley entrance in SS7’s Parklane Commercial Hub, take the elevator to the fifth floor, then climb a flight of stairs to reach Ode To The Beans, spearheaded by two friendly female founders.

Food here is honest, simple and satisfying - house-baked sourdough toast comes thoroughly topped with tasty produce like smoked salmon, cream cheese and avocado. True to its name, Ode To The Beans does justice to coffee - the oat milk flat white is smooth and balanced. 

Need a laugh to pair with your latte? On Thursday nights, comedians take the stage for stand-up shows.

Ode To The Beans

G-5-1, Parklane Commercial Hub, Jalan SS 7/26, Ss 7, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Bara on Six, Traders Hotel

Traders Hotel's new Bara on Six might mainly be a grill and oyster bar with craft gins on the side, but it's worth exploring for everyone who enjoys Malaysian ingredients and influences infused into its repertoire, from Bornean hinava to Tapah free-range chicken.

Bolstered by warm hospitality that befits an established hotel in the city centre, the Bara experience begins promisingly, with focaccia of sweet potato and pumpkin paired with paprika butter and olive tapenade.

Farmed Kuala Selangor tiger prawns are the star of the starters, inspired by Kadazan-Dusun hinava, Borneo's equivalent of ceviche. The generous portion of prawns proves large and fleshy, lively with Malaysian peninsular highland chives and lime juice, ginger, shallots and subtle chillies, a luminous appetite-whetter (RM35).

On the shell, freshly shucked and served on ice, the Irish Gallagher oysters (RM75 for three) promise plump lusciousness with a mellow salinity, splattered with red pepper chermoula for a spicy splash.

Perak free-range chicken is pleasantly prepared, though the kitchen only offers white meat - those of us who prefer the leg can safely skip this, even though it's respectably moist and richly seasoned, cushioned with a robust lentil ragout, highland cherry tomatoes and braised lemon olive French beans (RM58).

Dry-aged Stanbroke Black Angus steaks are a definite highlight - the rib-eye is aged 45 days, resulting in a commandingly earthy flavour, grilled for a crisp, pronounced crust that harbours fork-tender meat, complete with Kedah rock salt and Sarawak pepper, plus a selection of sides like garlic polenta and sauces such as Genting herb chimichurri (RM188 for 320 grams).

The cheese board is princely (RM68) - four people could share the four-cheese ensemble of Soresina Provolone, Grana Padano and the funky Fin Briard Aux Truffes and Jacquin Buchette Cendree. Gin cocktails are worth checking out too - Ginawo Ku (My Heart) blends gin with sparkling wine, raspberry jam, vanilla syrup and lime juice.

Bara on Six

Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur.

7CAFé by 7-Eleven's Oatly Choco-Lot Soft Serve offers chocolate oat milk goodness in a limited-time indulgence

Swirling with the wholesome goodness of pure chocolate oat milk, 7CAFé by 7-Eleven's new Oatly Choco-Lot Soft Serve offers indulgent satisfaction in one oat-standing dessert!

The Klang Valley's coolest temptation is now available for a limited time only at all 7CAFé outlets - it's 100% vegan-friendly, crafted with premium Oatly Chocolate Oatmilk.

Beautifully rich and creamy, it's hard to believe this is truly dairy-free and nut-free - every refreshing bite is full-bodied and dense, with the well-balanced chocolaty flavour that we love.

Cone or cup? We'll happily have both! 

The Oatly Choco-Lot Soft Serve is the perfect treat to chill out with on a hot afternoon, bringing a smile to our lips and melt-in-the-mouth bliss to our taste buds! Soft serve enthusiasts, make sure not to miss this one, uniquely exclusive to 7CAFé.

For more cool promotions, follow 7-Eleven Malaysia on these channels:

Facebook: facebook.com/7ElevenMalaysia

IG: instagram.com/7elevenmalaysia

TikTok: tiktok.com/@7elevenmalaysia_official

Website: 7eleven.com.my

Minami Omakase launches new lunch menu with donburi & omakase sets in Bukit Jalil

If you're craving a captivating Japanese lunch in Bukit Jalil, Minami Omakase makes for a marvellous choice - the restaurant recently launched its new lunch menu, which includes omakase feasts as well as simpler donburi sets.

Whether you're seeking a fast, fuss-free bowl with flavourful ingredients, or you have time for an omakase lunch of seasonal specialities, Minami makes sure you enjoy the experience.

For the set lunches, which include choices like Miyazaki A5 wagyu beef, sashimi and unagi, sets include an appetiser (such as fried whitefish), chawanmushi (with ingredients like ikura), miso soup with abura age, and dessert of rejuvenating yuzu sorbet.

For the omakase, two lunch menus are available - the Do Lunch Omakase costs RM288, while the Kin Lunch Omakase clocks in at RM388, both promising multi-course satisfaction.

All guests are welcomed with complimentary refreshing beverages as they take their seats at the sushi counter, with a view of live seafood in the aquarium and a mural of Mount Fuji.

Let's start with set lunches: The Una Don (RM79.90 for the entire set) is the best bet for eel enthusiasts, showcasing Japanese grilled river eel with shredded egg over Japanese steamed rice for a hearty, soulful lunch.

If you relish raw seafood, the Chirashi Don (RM118 for the entire set) is a bounty of the ocean's spectacular sensations - it generously brings together precious produce like chutoro, uni, shrimp, scallops, barracuda, amberjack and ikura, for all the greatest hits in a single bowl.

Beef buffs, bookmark Minami Omakase for this Premium Wagyu Don (RM250 for the entire set) - it's one of KL's ultimate indulgences, brimming with gorgeously grilled Japanese Miyazaki A5 wagyu beef, rounded out with melt-in-the-mouth foie gras, uni and half-boiled egg. A brilliant bowl!

Let's move on to the main omakase menu.

The Kin Lunch Omakase kicks off with a beautiful treasure box of starters, with possible highlights like monkfish liver that's coveted in colder months, firefly squid that have their spawning season in springtime, and fugu (best from October to March) with vinegared jelly.

Sashimi sparkles to whet the palate - luscious chutoro, lovely barracuda, plus crunchy geoduck that surfaces straight from Minami's own tanks for maximum sweet freshness. 

Minami Omakase's sushi is the star of the show for many customers, presented in creative combinations that result in terrific flavours and textures.

Our lunch comprised memorable miso shima aji, bluefin tuna akami with white wasabi shavings, akaebi with a pleasurable prawn head paste, and hotate with truffle paste, finished off with a sea urchin hand roll that crackles and pops colourfully.

Our omakase also included cooked fare, spanning Japanese grouper delicately steamed with leeks and dried chillies, chawanmushi with the aromatic depth of truffles, a comforting soup of fugu with tender maitake mushrooms, and dessert of house-made mochi and matcha pudding.

Minami Omakase
H10-1, Pusat Perdagangan Bandar Bukit Jalil, 1, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur.
Open Tuesday-Sunday, 12pm-230pm, 530pm-10pm. Tel: 016-255-1010