Hahasard Bakeri, Petaling Jaya

PJ’s new stop for shio pan, bagels and canelés, Hahasard has launched a takeout stand to front its upcoming two-woman bakery-cafe.

Shio pan comes classic, firm with a suitably buttery-salty pull, or filled with scallion cream cheese, yuzu cream cheese or red bean paste.

Bagels balance a crisp crust with a tender chew: Tomato pesto cheese brings herbaceous Italian-inspired richness, while other combos span matcha mochi red bean, mentaiko crispy rice or garlic cream cheese.

Pistachio canelés pair caramelised shells with nutty creaminess. 

Hunt for Hahasard Bakeri in Block B1 of PJS 8’s Leisure Commerce Square, with dine-in set to start later this month.

Twenty Five N 25, Taman Paramount

Taman Paramount’s new Twenty Five N 25 promises a Taiwanese chef’s recipes rooted in memory, its name nodding to Taipei’s latitude, its menu leaning into generations-old culinary comforts.

Our best bet: Steamed Flatfish taps into household pantry traditions, dressed with cordia fruit seeds, with gently fermented juices seeping into the delicate fish flesh for salty-sweet depth.

Peeled Chilli Chicken Soup is an island classic of soulful simmered poultry with preserved green chillies, prized for mellow savoury heat, with plump clams lending the clear broth a clean oceanic lift.

Familiar Taiwanese favourites are also featured, from richly braised pork rice to beef noodle soup, three cup chicken to egg crepes.

News & Coffee, SMTH by ELSE

Barcelona-born News & Coffee is launching its first Malaysian pop-up in SMTH by ELSE, bringing its cult combo of speciality coffee and independent print to KL, summoning the spirit of the Catalonian capital’s street-side newsstand kiosks.

A possible springboard for Asia’s first permanent News & Coffee outpost, this compact store will run 4 Sept to 11 Oct, pouring Malaysian-roasted brews while customers browse over 100 magazine titles for sale beneath a bunga kantan chandelier, spanning TOILETPAPER to Little White Lies, centred on niche-press publishing for art, design, food, film and culture.

Cha:coal, The Gardens Mall

The Gardens Mall’s new Cha:coal Brews channels cha into chic creativity, pairing Japanese tea playfulness with handmade Korean hotteok amid silvery sleekness.

The Matcha Mont Blanc is capped in cream, with fragrant flickers of citrus cutting through light umami, while the Genmaicha Corn Brûlée weaves roasted-rice warmth through caramelised-corn sweetness, thoughtfully served in aluminium cups for temperature consistency.

For something to chew on, hotteok is winter street-fare comfort, concealing cinnamon-spiced sugary nuttiness.

Cha:coal fronts the upcoming Cha:coal Korean Dining, a contemporary charcoal-championing restaurant launching within a fortnight, complete with a Josper grill that brings meat to sultry succulence.

Brasa burns brighter with a new Argentine chef firing up premium steaks at sensible prices

Brasa is feeding its open fire with Argentine flair, as new chef Francisco Bernabé García brings the ember-burnished instincts of his homeland’s asado culture to Bukit Damansara.

Promising premium steaks at sensible prices, the 30-year-old chef grew up around the restaurants of his grandmother and father in Argentina's northwestern Tucumán province. Here, he channels elemental cooking: Meat meets charcoal and mangrove wood with salt as the sole seasoning, letting flames, fat and smoke furnish the flavour.

Start with the Argentine Angus New York Strip at RM99++ for 250 grams. The Argentine-raised beef begins on grass before a 120-day corn finish, which chef García credits for its rich, rosy meat, creamy white fat and rounded balance.

Other recommendations span the Australian Grass-Fed Angus Ribeye (RM159++ for 300g) and Filet Mignon (RM149++ for 250g). Each steak is served as a complete plate with roasted vegetables, truffle mash or truffle fries, plus chimichurri or beef jus.

Brasa by the Cinnamon Group brings the heat to meat and vegetables in every way, from starters of beef tartare, fire-roasted bone marrow and charred Caesar salad to smashed Wagyu beef burgers with gorgeously grilled buns.

Weekday evenings offer a potent reason to clock in at Brasa after work: Two hours of free-flow wine at RM99++ per person, Monday through Friday, 5pm-7pm.

Fire finds its route even into a raw course: Brasa’s Black Angus beef tartare is smoked for a smooth, sultry dimension of depth, enriched with quail egg and enhanced with toasted sourdough, bridging tartare's bright freshness with the darker resonance of the grill.

Brasa roasts its wagyu bone marrow until its buttery core turns molten, complemented by caramelised onions and grilled sourdough for a savoury-sweet interplay of silken succulence and carb crunch. Irresistible to the last luscious mouthful of marrow.

Even greens go through Brasa's fire: For charred Caesar salad, romaine is recalibrated for a steakhouse built on flames, drenched in the classic anchovy dressing, shaved Parmesan and crackly croutons for recognisable robustness in a contemporary form.

For Brasa’s most accessible Argentine steak, the 250g 120-Day Corn-Fed Angus New York Strip supplies firm-structured grain for a proper bite beneath a strong sear. The preparation is precise: Fire builds up a beautiful crust over clean, concentrated flavour, complete with a choice of potatoes, vegetables and chimichurri or jus for full-bodied steakhouse satisfaction.

 

Craving an even juicier chew? The 300g Australian Grass-Fed Angus Ribeye leans into the cut’s luxurious character, carrying more fat for the open flame to work with. The result: Indulgently rendered richness with deeply browned edges, sumptuous to sink your teeth into. 

Beef dominates Brasa’s domain, but lamb proves persuasive too: The 300g New Zealand lamb cutlets are grilled directly over the flames, true to Brasa's stripped-back philosophy on live-fire cooking, picking up sensuous smokiness and confident caramelisation over a tender centre. 

Brasa brings firepower to burgers too: The Wagyu smash is the ultimate burger, pressed for maximum browned surface, layered with cheddar, caramelised onions, garlic aioli and green lollo lettuce. The buns themselves hit the grill for an extra trace of toast.

For grazing with wine, Brasa's charcuterie board generously gathers cured meats and cheeses in a seasonal selection that spans air-dried beef to aged, blue-veined and semi-hard cheeses, a vibrant variety rounded out with delicate parsnip jam.

For a fine finish, our choice is chocolate parfait, smooth and seductive, its dark decadence brightened by raspberry ice cream for a captivating contrast of texture, temperature and taste.

Before the sun sets, head to Brasa for its weekday two-hour fiesta of free-flow wine at RM99++ per person, currently pouring a red and white of Château Lafont Bordeaux and De Bortoli DB Winemaker Selection Chardonnay, Monday through Friday, 5pm-7pm.

Brasa
Jalan Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
Open Monday-Saturday, 5pm-10:30pm; Sunday 12pm-3pm, 5pm-10:30pm. 

Tel: 011-5110-2857