6 restaurants, cafes and bars to visit at APW Bangsar

This former printing factory in Bangsar has increasingly become a distinctive hive for F&B buzz, housing venues that hum with visitors from morning to midnight, serving show-stopping wood-fired pizzas, ultra-quirky cocktails, playful Japanese-Thai fusion recipes, Melbourne-approved brunches, and more. Art Printing Works, better known as APW Bangsar, is at 29, Jalan Riong, Bangsar.

1. Proof Pizza + Wine

The proof is in the pizza: The final piece of APW Bangsar’s F&B puzzle was completed in December 2016, coming brilliantly close to being the pizzeria and wine bar of our dreams. The intriguing pizzas here are completely wood-fired by chef Meg and her team, in an irresistibly sexy setting that’s Tuscany by way of Tribeca. Try the Calabrian Pizza, spread with soft, spicy ‘nduja sausage, pumpkin, mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, or the Luganega, crested with a firmer sweet salsiccia, egg, yoghurt, cauliflower and feta.

Address: Lot 29-2, Paper Plates, Jalan Riong, , 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
Read review for Proof Pizza + Wine.

2. Kaiju Company

Enter the Dragon: Kaiju Company is powered by a hybrid of mainly Japanese and Thai gastronomic inspirations, unleashed under the spectacle of a 30-metre origami dragon that’s lit up like a lantern after sundown. The wild-card creations range from rice and salad bowls to pasta platters, striving to show reverence for fresh, fun and feisty flavours: Tender tuna tataki topped with a sauce of green chillies and yuzu makes for the ideal introduction, followed by tangy-spicy pasta with prawns, minced lamb and cheese sprinklings in a lime-based sauce, intended to evoke the soulfulness of Bangkok’s street food.

Address: Paper Plates, APW Bangsar,, 29, Jalan Riong, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Read review for Kaiju Company.

3. Case Study

A true study in the art of compelling mixology: Dapper bartenders Alvin AuYong and Joel Poon have made a meaningful return to Malaysia after years away in Singapore, Bali and Melbourne, offering KL’s drinkers an experience that’s fresh, relevant and reinvigorating. Case in point, the Mexican Cantarito partners shiitake mushroom-infused tequila with red bell pepper water, salted wildflower honey and aperitivo rinomato for a creation that’ll surprise with its citrusy earthiness. The purple-hued Terrarium (practically every cocktail is named for the vessel that bears it, served on a printing conveyor belt bartop) is also a delight, showcasing lotus root gin with sweet potato, Indian borage tincture, butterfly pea and apricot infusion.

Address: 29, Jalan Riong Bangsar , 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Read review for Case Study Bar.

4. Breakfast Thieves

After acquitting itself to full-throated praise in Melbourne’s suburb of Fitzroy, Breakfast Thieves became one of KL’s hottest tickets for weekend brunches in 2016. The open kitchen argues a persuasive case for guilty indulgences galore, capably judged and confidently executed: The Legend represents baked eggs with beef salami, okra, caramelised onion jam, sweet corn, mushrooms and basil oil with herbed garlic toast, while Leprechaun is a lucky charm of zucchini-corn fritters balanced with creamed mushrooms, pickled radish, avocado mousse and poached eggs.

Address: Lot M, 29 Jalan Riong, 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
Read review for Breakfast Thieves.

5. PULP

The granddaddy of APW’s outlets opened way back in 2014, run by respected Singaporean coffee boutique Papa Palheta – it’s since become a staple of KL’s café terrain, paving the path for further invasions by the island city-state’s coffee purveyors into the Klang Valley.

Address: 29-01 Jalan Riong, 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
Read review for PULP by Papa Palheta.

6. Agak Agak

Agak Agak describes itself as “an eatery that employs individuals from high-need communities to attain a holistic, practical apprenticeship in the world of F&B and Hospitality.” Its attractions include an Ulam Quinoa Salad, Kambing Sandwich and Pulut Hitam Cheese Tart.

Address: 29-01 Jalan Riong, 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.