14 New Restaurants To Visit In KL & Selangor: October-November 2014

You can view a list of our most recent new restaurant features here. This is part of a monthly series.

1. Midsummer Night

Midsummer Night is helmed by a college lecturer who’s fascinated with film; this is a cave for movie geeks, filled with posters & postcards for Hollywood & Hong Kong’s best-known extravaganzas. It’s also well-hidden, above an auto workshop on the same street as MyBurgerLab in OUG. Come here to relax over coffee & rum-&-raisin cakes.

Address: 36A, Jalan Awan Hijau, Oversea Union Garden, Kuala Lumpur

Find: Midsummer Night’s directory listing here

See Also: Review of Midsummer Night

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2. Calavera

The Day of the Dead has dawned in KL, thanks to Calavera, the city’s most macabre restaurant ever. Wisely timed to become this year’s Halloween haunt, Calavera opened this month as part of Jalan Mesui’s new boutique hotel; it’s a natural fit for the eclectic eccentricities of this street. A colourfully creepy-cool setting seems like Calavera’s strongest hook, crawling with sugar skulls on the walls & tables, plus skeletons on the ceilings & by the bar.

Address: 13, Jalan Mesui, 50200 Kuala Lumpur

Find: Calavera’s directory listing here

See Also: Review of Calavera

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3. Roa by Jovian Mandagie

Manado cooking is set to make its mark in Malaysia, thanks to this red-hot new restaurant that specialises in fiery fare from the capital city of Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province. Roa by Jovian Mandagie is the first F&B enterprise by popular fashion designer Jovian Mandagie, whose family’s roots stretch back to Manado.

Address: No 1a, Jalan Kristal K 7/K, Seksyen 7, 40000 Shah Alam

Find: ROA by Jovian Mandagie’s directory listing here

See Also: Review of ROA by Jovian Mandagie

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4. Café K

Cool new Korean-run cafes are popping up across Mont Kiara; our favourite is the family-run Cafe K, tucked beside a condo pool, with highlights including a nasi lemak-inspired interpretation of bibimbap that’s sure to raise a smile.

Address: No 1a, Jalan Kristal K 7/K, Seksyen 7, 40000 Shah Alam

Find: Café K’s directory listing here

See Also: Review of Café K

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5. Metal Box

From the Beanbag to the Box: Chef Ryan, formerly a familiar face for fans of The Red Beanbag, has left that pioneering cafe to spearhead his own place at Empire Damansara, partnering with fellow Taiping-born chef June to open Metal Box, where familiar recipes are infused with thrilling twists.

Address: G12 Empire Damansara, Jalan PJU 8/8, 47820 Damansara Perdana, Selangor

Find: Metal Box Restaurant & Cafe’s directory listing here

See Also: Review of Metal Box Restaurant & Cafe

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6. The Bar by Sam Kinugawa

Spearheaded by the two-man show of Japanese bartender Osam ‘Sam’ Kinugawa & his Malaysian partner Chin, The Bar opened in Empire Damansara with no fanfare or flashy launches, hidden on a secluded corridor with no foot traffic; the story goes that Chin once visited Kinugawa’s Tokyo workplace, Bar Nems in Meguro, & was so impressed that he coaxed Kinugawa to come to Malaysia & helm a similar bar here. Come for cocktails prepared with mangosteens & The Bar’s own-made ginger ale, served at a counter with elevated seating that’s meant to evoke the feel of a sushi bar, & nibble on The Bar’s own-smoked ham & cheese.

Address: 112, Empire Damansara, Heritage Lane, No.2, Jalan PJU 8/8A, 47800 Damansara Perdana, Selangor

Find: The Bar by Sam Kinugawa’s directory listing here

See Also: Review of The Bar by Sam Kinugawa

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7. Eau De Vie

A full-blown seafood eatery in Bangsar South, merged with a fully stocked liquor store. Worth noting: Eau De Vie’s (extremely) happy hours for wine stretch from noon through 9pm every day, with house pours at RM10 nett per enjoyable glass.

Address: G-03, Ground Floor Nexus Bangsar South, No 7 Jalan Kerinchi, 59200 Kuala Lumpur

Find: Eau de Vie Retail & Bar’s directory listing and map here

See Also: Review of Eau de Vie Retail & Bar

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8. Thirty Seconds

A welcoming family-run café, hidden in a housing estate in Bandar Sri Damansara, where father Richard greets the guests, while his wife runs the kitchen & his son Aaron is the head barista. Thirty Seconds is currently the only cafe to carry ‘Shamaziin’ – the Klang Valley’s newest independent ice cream brand. Try the Shamaziin ice cream burger, stuffed with a deliciously rich scoop of Horlicks-&-Maltesers flavour, or the childhood-evoking Milo-&-peanut-butter ice cream as an affogato.

Address: 7-G, Jalan Margosa SD 10/4A, 52200 Bandar Sri Damansara, WP Kuala Lumpur

Find: Thirty Seconds’s directory listing here

See Also: Review of Thirty Seconds

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9. Salt N Koffie

The ‘salt’ in this cafe’s name could be a reference to ‘salt water’ – Salt ‘n Koffie in Jaya One is reputedly run by diving enthusiasts who sell a plethora of paraphernalia here linked to their primary passion. A highlight here is ‘The Accidental Affogato,’ with a scoop of Sangkaya coconut ice cream partially submerged in a shot of single-origin espresso.

Address: E-83-G.3 Palm Square, Jaya One, Petaling Jaya

Find: Salt N Koffie Gallery’s contact details and map here

See Also: Review of Salt N Koffie Gallery

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10. Chai Bar

Chicken rice transformed into a salad? That’s only one of the unique creations at this new salad bar in Oasis Ara Damansara that could help the meat-preferring public turn over a new leaf.

Address: G31, Oasis Village, Oasis Square, No. 2, Jalan PJU 1A/7A, Oasis Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya

Find: Chai Bar’s contact details and map here

See Also: Review of Chai Bar

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11. Mercat

Catalan cooking is set to shine in Bangsar, thanks to this restaurant helmed by chef David Caral, a Barcelona native who’s lived in KL since 2010, & manager Jorge Fernandez, who landed in our city less than six months ago. Inspired by Barcelona’s vibrant food markets, Mercat’s oeuvre spans tapas of fire-roasted eggplant with mostillo grape syrup reduction & meatballs made with Iberico ham, beef & cuttlefish, plus some of KL’s most satisfying paella.

Address: 51 Jalan Telawi 3, 59100 Bangsar

Find: Mercat Barcelona Gastrobar’s contact details and map here

See Also:

• Preview of Mercat Barcelona Gastrobar
• Review of Mercat Barcelona Gastrobar

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12. DC Restaurant

DC’s food is infused with character & personality. Its French-trained chef-founder Darren Chin shares what he calls ‘the joy of cooking’ through innovations like lamb tartare prepared through the prism of Thailand’s north-eastern Isaan heritage with coriander oil, garlic & Thai basil. This isn’t exactly a French restaurant – it’s better described as progressive, with Southeast Asian elements crafted with impeccable technique & careful balance.

Address: 44 Persiaran Zaaba, 60000 Taman Tun Dr Ismail, WP Kuala Lumpur

Find: DC Restaurant’s contact details and map here

See Also:

• Preview of DC Restaurant
• Review of DC Restaurant

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13. Einstein Café

Gorgeously atmospheric, Einstein Café is run by a maths tutor who hopes to provide classes here to students in need. Einstein is tucked away without a signboard on the first floor of a Chinatown shop-house, but it’s worth venturing here for the pizzas with a creative ‘roti canai’ crust & other inspired vegetarian dishes.

Address: 58, Jalan Sultan, 50000 Kuala Lumpur

Find: Einstein Café’s contact details and map here

See Also: Review of Einstein Café

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14. The Front Door

Come for the old-world charm, stay for the fantastic open-face sandwiches: Fans of hidden cafes are poised to flock to The Front Door, which makes a modest entrance this month into Chinatown, tucked inside a nearly century-old, three-storey building that was formerly occupied by Cantonese-speaking retail traders & now houses the Grocer’s Inn backpackers’ retreat.

Address: 78, Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur

Find: The Front Door”s contact details and map here

See Also: Review of The Front Door

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Read more:

• 8 New Restaurants to Visit in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor: August 2014
• 9 Places For Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwiches in KL and Selangor
• 7 Places in KL to Visit for Ladies Night
• 8 Places for Mexican Food in KL and Selangor
• 5 Cupcake Outlets to Check Out Around Klang Valley
• 15 Vegetarian Meals to Try in KL and Selangor
• 5 Great Pizza Places in KL
• 5 Romantic Restaurants to Check Out in KL