18 new restaurants to visit in KL and Selangor in September 2016

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

What do a contemporary appam cafe, a cricket-themed gastropub and a secret banana leaf hideout have in common? They’re all among our recommendations for 18 intriguing new venues to visit in September.

1. Hoppers

14. Hoppers KL

Here’s something we don’t see every month: Contemporary hoppers – pancakes inspired by South Indian and Sri Lankan traditions, infused with Malaysian flavours – representing a family passion of sisters Sugania and Nishalni Naidu, who grew up relishing their mom’s appams and hope to spread the love for these crepe-like creations made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, served in a beautifully refurbished colonial-era building in Pudu.

Address: 76, Jalan Pudu, City Centre, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Hoppers KL at Pudu
Find: Contact details and map for Hoppers KL

2. Tree 15

4. Tree 15

Tree 15’s founders have a mission to carve out a secret hideaway, where time slows down and the tumult of the world recedes for awhile. It’s improbable that this cafe can remain a secret, but it’ll still nonetheless serve as a shelter from emotional storms, spread out over two spacious levels of an industrial enclave lot with glass hardware and printing material makers for neighbours. Artwork on the wall entreats customers to seek ‘some beautiful place to get lost’ – Tree 15 could be that place, free of pretense. You may have spotted head barista Mervin Chin before, but he finally has a locale here to find his voice and articulate his imagination without suppression – expect an evolving repertoire of coffee and tea-based beverages, sometimes created to partner with cakes.

Address: 15, Jalan Tembaga SD 5/2G, Bandar Sri Damansara, 52200 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Tree 15 at Bandar Sri Damansara
Find: Contact details and map for Tree 15

3. The Sticky Wicket

8. The Sticky Wicket

A cricket-themed pub might sound traumatic for those of us who were forced by tyrannical PE teachers to carry the bat back in secondary school, but The Sticky Wicket turns out to be a winning destination. Despite the copious cricket memorabilia lining the walls and matches playing on every screen, it’s worth heading here even though we wouldn’t know a cow corner from a diamond duck – The Sticky Wicket features a unique selection of food and cocktails with witty links to cricket.

Address: 34, Plaza Damansara , Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: The Sticky Wicket at Plaza Damansara
Find: Contact details and map for The Sticky Wicket

4. Luce

5. Luce Osteria Contemporanea

Luce boasts a beautiful setting and warm service, but its chief allure rests in its menu, which showcases more than 50 pizzas crafted by chef Cristian Grandi, who comes to KL from Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region.

Address: 6, Lorong Raja Chulan, 50250 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Luce at Old Malaya, Raja Chulan
Find: Contact details and map for Luce Osteria Contemporanea

5. Puchong Chettinad Mess

1. Puchong Chettinad Mess

Possibly the Klang Valley’s most secretive and well-hidden venue for banana leaf rice, Puchong Chettinad Mess began running in recent weeks in a first-floor shop-lot on one of Puchong’s less-travelled streets (incredibly for Puchong, parking is a breeze in front of Puchong Chettinad Mess, with several vacant spaces even at noon). Look for the signboard of Chakra Catering Services, then head upstairs to the hushed, curtained hall, where you might have the entire outlet to yourselves. Chakra owner Param insists that he’s not pushing for massive crowds or maximum profits here – he charges only RM5.50 per person for refillable helpings of rice, vegetables and curries, with a selection that changes every day and comprises some intriguing choices, such as pisang kari and tamarind curry brimming with sundakkai vathal.

Address: 11-1, Jalan 7/9, , Bandar Puteri Puchong, Selangor
Read review: Puchong Chettinad Mess
Find: Contact details and map for Puchong Chettinad Mess

6. Sis & Co

2. Sis & Co

The Kok sisters are doin’ it for themselves, ringin’ on their own family-run restaurant in a striking warehouse space at an unlikely location, on a street in Kampung Sungai Kayu Ara that’s primarily populated by car washes and auto repair workshops.

Address: Lot 1077 Jln Jenjarum, Kg Kayu Ara Damansara, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Read review: Sis & Co at Petaling Jaya
Find: Contact details and map for Sis & Co

7. Pho King

1. Pho King

Our favourite Vietnamese home cook now has a venue where customers can get a good lunch filled with genuine Vietnamese flavours: Pho King is a stall that runs five days a week in a popular SS2 kopitiam, serving pho and more amid a sea of Malaysian chicken rice, chee cheong fun and char kuey teow.

Address: Restoran WDS PJ, Jalan SS2/6, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Read review: Pho King at SS2, PJ
Find: Contact details and map for Pho King

8. Nippori

8. Nippori

Calling itself a Japanese home cooking cafe, Nippori seeks to kindle the spirit of family-made meals, served fresh from the kitchen in a charmingly cosy space that evokes the welcoming warmth of a friendly household from the Land of the Rising Sun. The cafe offers teishoku – meal sets that comprise a main dish (we tried the flavourful fried lotus roots stuffed with minced chicken) plus rice, miso soup, vegetables and fruits for a fulfilling feast.

Address: F-02, Empire Damansara, Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Read review: Nippori at Empire Damansara
Find: Contact details and map for Nippori

9. Chocha Foodstore

2. Chocha Foodstore

Welcome to the neighbourhood: Petaling Street’s latest destination is an ambitious amalgam of a tranquil restaurant called Chocha Foodstore and an upcoming wine lounge, coffee bar, co-working space, newsagent and bicycle rental shop, initiated by the MentahMatter design firm, with a raw, almost unvarnished authenticity shored up by charming embellishments (check out the lovely, leafy courtyard), squeezed into yet another former brothel on the same street as smash hits Merchant’s Lane and PS150.

Address: 156, Jalan Petaling, 5000 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Chocha Foodstore at Petaling Street
Find: Contact details and map for Chocha Foodstore

10. Kenny Hills Bistro

5. Kenny Hills Bistro

The menu here evolves as day turns into night; it’s worth visiting for lunch, when Hong Kong master roaster Chef Chan carves out a crowd-pleasing rendition of roast duck rice – the bird is halal and of a superior grade, marinated in herbs and spices for 12 hours, then hung to dry for another 10, in a painstaking process that results in irresistibly tender, irreproachably flavoursome slices of meat, with each satisfying bite of crisp skin yielding to a fleshy chew, capably complemented by multiple condiments.

Address: Lot H-1, Taman Tunku, Off Langgak Tunku, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Kenny Hills Bistro at Bukit Tunku
Find: Contact details and map for Kenny Hills Bistro

11. Nosh, Tipple & Brew

1. Nosh, Tipple & Brew

Upbeat eats in downtown KL: This new brasserie serves a cheerful, something-for-everyone selection that spans both East and West; top temptations include a satisfyingly spiced mutton jalfrezi with a substantial portion of pretty tender meat and pumpkin gnocchi that most Italian restaurants would be reasonably proud of.

Address: Ground Floor, Bangunan Ming, Jalan Bukit Nanas, 50250 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Nosh, Tipple & Brew at Bukit Nanas
Find: Contact details and map for Nosh, Tipple & Brew

12. Via Pre

3. Via Pre

One of Penang’s top venues for Italian cuisine extends its reach to KL: Via Pre first opened up north in George Town in 2012, run by founders who played key roles in the creation of KL establishments like Bukit Ceylon’s Nerovivo and BSC’s Vineria. Now, it embarks into Bukit Damansara, with Florence-born Chef Luca conveying a taste of la dolce vita in this casual space.

Address: 25, Lorong Setiabistari 2, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Via Pre at Bukit Damansara
Find: Contact details and map for Via Pre

13. Artelier Coffee

4. Artelier

KL’s beloved Japanese barista makes his much-awaited return to Pavilion – Masahiro ‘Masa-san’ Aoki has reunited with his WA Cafe alum Rain at their new venue Artelier Coffee, restoring the reason to visit this mall for your flat-white fix in the city

Address: Lot 2.75.00 , Level 2 , Pavilion Mall, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Artelier Coffee at Pavilion
Find: Contact details and map for Artelier Coffee

14. The Narra

3. Narra

The Narra is fast becoming a magnet for fans of Filipino fare, with a spacious venue appealingly flooded with natural light and agreeably located in PJ.

Address: Ground Floor, Dataran Millennium, Jalan 14/1, 46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Read review: The Narra at Petaling Jaya
Find: Contact details and map for The Narra

15. Commoners Space

2. Commoners Space

Twenty-two-year-old Syed Asyraf wants everyone to feel at ease at his new neighbourhood cafe, even though his offerings prove far from plebeian – linguine is buoyed by kitchen-made pesto sauce blended with broccoli and spinach, topped with local pucuk paku leaves.

Address: 71, Jalan Snuker 13/28, Seksyen 13, 40100 Shah Alam, Selangor
Read review: Commoners Space at Shah Alam
Find: Contact details and map for Commoners Space

16. Demitasse

3. Demitasse

Tucked in a residential neighbourhood, a short stroll from rows of homes, Demitasse offers crowd-pleasing fare with a twist or three. Eggs Benedict are revamped with crispy rosti instead of muffins, and lasagna is made specially for pork fans, with minced pork and bacon.

Address: 29, Jalan USJ 16/2F, 47630 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Read review: Demitasse at Subang Jaya
Find: Contact details and map for Demitasse

17. Farm To Plate

2. Farm to Plate

Farm To Plate specialises in a surprising pairing: Iberico de Bellota pork ribs and coffee. The former supplies the main reason for the restaurant’s name, with the meat sourced from a contract farming business in Spain that’s run by Farm To Plate’s founders.

Address: 4, Jalan SS 20/10, Damansara Kim, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Read review: Farm to Plate at Damansara Kim
Find: Contact details and map for Farm to Plate

18. Gwaku

2. gwaku

If we worked in Q Sentral, we’d be pretty pleased that Gwaku opened recently in this office building, offering lunch specials from both East and West that seem to change daily to keep everyone excited each afternoon.

Address: Level 12, Q Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, KL Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Gwaku at Q Sentral
Find: Contact details and map for Gwaku