New Restaurants, Cafes and Bars in Kuala Lumpur: September 2019

From the team behind Foremula comes this new resto-cafe in PJ. Pretty-in-pink, this spacious cafe is accentuated with salmon-coloured walls, gold trimmings and lush flora and fauna. The menu here is an elevated take on the Malaysian-influenced fare at Foremula. Go for the popular Tom’s Yummy Two (RM21), a tom yum-flavoured pasta dish with grilled veggies. For more protein, you can add on chicken, beef bacon or salmon. Also worth a try is ayam percik-inspired I Am Percik (RM29), a tender grilled chicken dish served with an aromatic gravy and Mediterranean salad. Opt to have it with a side of rice for a more belly-filling meal.
Photo by Burppler Jesuis Enamourez

American household name Ben & Jerry’s lands in Sunway Pyramid with their first-ever physical store in KL! The small kiosk on the lower ground floor boasts plenty of seats, beckoning you to come in groups and dig into yummy scoops. Popular flavours include the Cherry Garcia, Chocolate Therapy and Chunky Monkey. Grab a Kid Scoop (RM11.20) or a Double (RM16.90) to go, or dine in and slowly enjoy a sundae. The Mix & Match (RM24.90) features three flavours of your choice encased in a sweet and crispy wafer, and finished off with hot fudge sauce, whipped cream and toppings of your choice.

Contemporary Malaysian restaurant, Li, expands its current bread selection with this brand new bakery-cafe just next door. Start your mornings here – sip on a fruity Long Black (RM8) and tuck into the simple and delicious Slow Scrambled Egg on Sourdough With Tomato Jam (RM14). After 12pm, the lunch menu sports sandwiches made for quick and easy meals, like the Grilled Cheese Sandwich (RM20). Toasted sourdough is filled generously with gooey cheddar cheese, and comes with a tangy tomato soup for slurping or dunking. The baked goods are not to be missed either – grab a Cinnamon Roll (RM7) or Banana Cake (RM7) for teatime at home.

A new addition to Restoran Foh Foh is this stall specialising in authentic Thai beef noodles. There are three options available, and we can attest they're all equally yum. A crowd favourite is the Sliced Beef & Beef Ball Noodles (RM10) that sees a piping hot bowl of savoury beef broth filled with al dente noodles, juicy beef balls and tender beef slices. If you're a fan of innards, the Mixed Beef Noodles (RM12) inludes beef tendon and tripe. Pro tip: Dip the beef into their housemade chilli for more kick!

Bookmark this cool Spanish tapas bar in SS2 for the next treat-yourself dinner. Swing by for a quiet meal with your best pal over some small plates, or with the gang for a delicious Spanish feast. Start off with small plates like the Potato Bravas (RM23), Crispy Pork Belly Eel Bao (RM34) and Assorted Cold Cuts platter (RM28) featuring fine-cured Iberico Lorno Loin, Salchichon and Chorizo. Then, fill up with the must-have of any Spanish meal — paella. Order the signature Squid Ink Filini Paella (from RM42) that's best paired with a glass of the Signature House Sangria (RM30).

Nestled on the 8th floor of Tribeca is a spankin’ new cocktail bar brought to life by the brains behind Wizards and Yellow Brick Road. They’re open from 5pm onwards, so swing by for after-work drinks, or for an early tipple before the sun sets. All drinks on the menu centre around the theme of The Land of Oz, as seen in the gin-based Elphaba’s Brew (RM40) made with NikoNeko matcha, peach, lemon and soda. Potterheads, get excited for Wizards’ Butterbeer (RM45). This is a magical combination of Laphroaig 10-year-old single malt scotch, Guinness stout, brown butterscotch and nutmeg served in a goblet. If you’re feeling peckish, look to the bar snacks menu for sweet and savoury bites.

Still feeling peckish after dinner? Swing by this brightly lit store near Pavillion Bukit Jalil for yummy traditional desserts. The hot desserts rotate daily – up to six choices a day with options like Creamy Peanut Soup and Bubur Cha Cha. On our visit, we tucked into the mildly sweet Red Bean Soup (RM3.90) chock-full with red beans and the warm Glutinuous Rice Ball Ginger Soup (RM5.50) with chewy tang yuen filled with peanuts and black sesame, perfect for rainy days. Also available are hot food items like Nasi Lemak Chicken Geprek (RM5) and Indo Mee Combo (RM8.90) that comes with a hot dessert of your choice.

Beach vibes, healthy eats and friendly service – pen this cafe down for future brunch dates with your gal pals. For breakfast, tuck into the vegetarian Shakshouka Eggs (RM18) loaded with eggplant, green capsicum and chickpeas served with housemade bread. For something sweet, the Mana Bowl (RM22) is tasty and good for you. The base sees blended organic maqui berry mixed with an array of fresh fruits and topped with more fruits, goji berries and local Kelulut honey. Lunch is served from 11.30am, and you can look forward to a mix of Asian and Western delights such as Truffle Mac and Cheese (RM28) and Gohma Mee Hun Kueh (RM20), made hand-pulled duck egg noodles.