12 new restaurants and bars to visit in KL and Selangor, March 2016

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

Malaysian inspired cocktails, Spanish tapas, Japanese sweet treats and more. Here are 12 new restaurants and bars to check out:

1. Li at Damansara Jaya

Bridging the gap between kopitiam classics and modern comfort fare, Li puts a millennial-pleasing spin on 20th-century staples like roti babi, kaya toast and bubur ikan bilis, fuelling a Malaysian soul-food revitalisation by a committed new generation of kitchen talents. If the people behind Li and their philosophies foreshadow the fate of local cooking, the future might be bright.

Read review: Li at Damansara Jaya

Find: Contact details and map for Li

2. Sparrow at Kota Damansara

Fixed up with mahjong tiles and tables, Sparrow takes flight as a new cocktail bar to watch, founded by Shawn Chong and Karl Too (the two pioneering men behind Omakase + Appreciate) and featuring the talents of bartenders Shirmy Chan and Joel John Timis. Expect an evolving repertoire of original concoctions that currently include the use of Malaysian elements (future sets of cocktails may borrow influences from, say, Europe for awhile, the Americas after that, and so on). It’s an interesting step forward in the Omakase + Appreciate team’s ambitious plans for this year, which include the expected launch soon of RAD, a mini-academy that aims to help raise the bar for local bartenders.

Read review: Sparrow Bar at Kota Damansara

Find: Contact details and map for Sparrow Bar

3. The Locker & Loft at Damansara Kim

This discreet den has enough potential to become a top draw for dining and wining, with a mind-broadening menu of Asian-accented small plates and an eye-opening emphasis on whimsical cocktails and other libations at liberating prices.

Read review: The Locker & Loft at Damansara Kim

Find: Contact details and map for The Locker & Loft

4. The Shire at Sri Petaling

Not all who wander in Sri Petaling are lost: The Shire Café proves as calm and cosy a retreat as its Middle-earth namesake. Spearheaded by a family of Lord Of The Rings enthusiasts – Tan and his two children – this new neighbourhood hideout is filled with fantasy flourishes that include walls touched up with a Tolkienesque map and a Hobbit’s home interior mural where customers can pose for Instagram shots while Howard Shore’s sweeping soundtrack from the movies plays on the speakers.

Read review: The Shire Café at Sri Petaling

Find: Contact details and map for The Shire Café

5. Basil Tapas Bar at Damansara Uptown

The charismatically robust flavours of Spanish cooking seize centre stage at Basil Tapas Bar, PJ’s new top spot for sharing plates and paella, a pop-up kitchen that runs six nights a week at The Great Beer Bar in Damansara Uptown. The name should sound familiar – Basil Tapas is helmed by the folks behind Kuchai Lama’s popular Italian outlet Basil Pasta House, whose head chef Alven Tan is skilled, versatile and experienced enough to tackle a motley of European cuisines with pizzazz and personality.

Read review: Basil Tapas Bar at Damansara Uptown

Find: Contact details and map for Basil Tapas Bar

6. The Pantry at Bangsar

Here’s one pantry that may be worth raiding: Lorong Kurau’s latest restaurant radiates a relaxed charm that remains true to this Bangsar street’s halcyon neighbourhood sensibilities, while tackling a contemporary cookbook’s canon of duck confit burgers, salt beef crostini and buttermilk-fried chicken.

Read review: The Pantry at Lorong Kurau

Find: Contact details and map for The Pantry

7. Tea & Tattle at Damansara Uptown

Ipoh’s Tea & Tattle café opens its first Klang Valley outpost – a cheerful spot with an inventively stimulating menu.

Read review: Tea & Tattle at Damansara Uptown

Find: Contact details and map for Tea & Tattle

8. Foo Foo Fine Desserts at Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Dessert devotees will coo over Foo Foo, which seeks to woo a slew of sweethearts with plated pleasures that come paired with house-made ice cream. It’s a beguilingly accoutred café, run by a band of friends and lovers with spirit, purpose and character.

Read review: Foo Foo Fine Desserts at TTDI

Find: Contact details and map for Foo Foo Fine Desserts

9. Greyhound Café at Bukit Bintang

Malaysia’s first offshoot of Thailand’s Greyhound Café is open, bringing one of Bangkok’s best-known F&B brands to Kuala Lumpur. If you’ve enjoyed your experiences at Greyhound in Siam Center, Emporium and elsewhere, it may be worth visiting Greyhound KL to see if the spirit of exuberant, trend-setting gastronomy can be captured in shopping-consumed Bukit Bintang.

Read review: Greyhound Café Malaysia at Bukit Bintang

Find: Contact details and map for Greyhound Café Malaysia

10. Milkissimo Hokkaido Gelato at USJ Subang

Hokkaido’s Milkissimo opens its first outpost in the Klang Valley this month, offering gelato that fuses Japanese ingredients and flavours with Italian ice cream production values. Expect a unique assemblage of chilled treats, made with milk from Hokkaido’s city of Hakodate, in varieties that span not only the classics like green tea and black sesame, but also everything from corn, melon, pumpkin, purple sweet potato and white peach to edamame, cherry blossom and hascup honeysuckle berries.

Read review: Milkissimo Hokkaido Gelato at Da:Men USJ

Find: Contact details and map for Milkissimo Hokkaido Gelato

11. The Food Parlor at Kelana Jaya

From Malacca: The Food Parlor has its roots in Malaysia’s historic state – the parents of the outlet’s co-founder Cheryl reputedly run an eatery in Malacca’s Portuguese Settlement, so it’s natural that this casual venue specialises in cherished Eurasian family recipes that Malaccans know well.

Read review: The Food Parlor at Kelana Jaya

Find: Contact details and map for The Food Parlor

12. Line Clear Nasi Kandar at Kampung Baru

From Penang: Line Clear has long been one of the northern island’s most popular haunts for nasi kandar, its heritage reaching back to before World War II. Its legacy now extends to KL with a new branch in Kampung Baru – an instant hit, with scores of patrons patiently queuing for half an hour during peak periods.

Read review: Line Clear Nasi Kandar at Kampung Baru

Find: Contact details and map for Line Clear Nasi Kandar