18 new restaurants & cafes to visit in KL & Selangor, August 2016

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

Vietnamese, Thai, smoothie bowls, affogatos, and more for the curious foodies of the Klang Valley.

1. Manja at Raja Chulan

16. Manja

Pampering guests with distinctive fare that draws inspiration from Malaysia and beyond, Manja is a labour of love by professionals who clearly take pride in their work, from founder Navin Karu (proprietor of TTDI’s popular Vin’s restaurant) to Chef Vic to front-of-house leaders Zainal Shukur and Melinder Dhaliwal, whose winning team strives to ensure from the start that guests enjoy their experience in Manja’s sumptuous setting. The menu is a unique ensemble of original dishes that rise above borders and boundaries, layering familiar Malaysian flavours and textures with influences from across the globe, from the sushi joints of Japan to the tapas bars of Spain, the soul food shops of New Orleans to the osterias of Tuscany.

Address: Old Malaya, 66, Jalan Raja Chulan, 50200 Kuala Lumpur
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2. Breakfast Thieves at Bangsar

2. Breakfast Thieves

Serving its long-anticipated sentence in Bangsar beginning this week, Breakfast Thieves heralds a homecoming of sorts for a posse of Malaysians who launched their first cafe in Melbourne in 2012. After acquitting themselves to full-throated praise in the suburb of Fitzroy, founders Brandon, Kevin and Edwin are ganging up with fresh partners-in-crime to pull off an offshoot of Breakfast Thieves in KL, locking up the first spot at Paper Plates, the new F&B belt of Bangsar’s APW multi-function venue.

Address: Lot M, 29 Jalan Riong, 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
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3. Pretty On Plate at Taman Maluri

1. Pretty on Plate

‘Pretty’ sums up the plated desserts and various sweet treats crafted by Malaysian pastry chef Aaron Quay; begin with the brioches, injected with fillings like peanut butter, vanilla custard and chocolate, topped with ice cream and sorbets in flavours that span salted caramel, coconut and mixed berries.

Address: G3, Amaya Maluri Serviced Apartments, Jalan Jejaka 2, Taman Maluri, 55100 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur
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4. Poke Bowl Rice at Puchong

3. Poke Bowl Rice

The Hawaiian-inspired poke bowl finally makes its way to Malaysia: Poke Rice Bowl (‘poke’ is Hawaiian for slice or cut) is one of the pioneering local purveyors of this pleasure – warm steamed rice topped with cubed raw salmon and your choice of fresh veggies and sauces, such as broccoli, corn, carrots and cauliflower with togarashi, shoyu and sriracha.

Address: Inside the Korea Wallpaper showroom, 2-1, Jalan Merbah 1, 47170 Bandar Puchong Jaya, Selangor
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5. Iron River Studio at Sungai Besi

15. Iron River

This new ‘experimental art gallery,’ which aims to champion the work of unheralded local artists, houses a pop-up coffee bar that runs Friday through Sunday. Iron River is a very casual space that’s like an Aladdin’s cave of knickknacks; come in to chat with founder Kim Seng while sipping iced Laotian coffee and aeropress green tea prepared by Serdang-based Halalao Coffee.

Address: 39-2, Second Floor, Jalan Tasik Utama 6, Medan Niaga Tasik Damai, Sungai Besi, WP Kuala Lumpur
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6. 3B Drip & Dutch Café at Sungai Buloh

1. 3B Drip & Dutch

This secluded coffee bar could be worth the jaunt to Sungai Buloh – true to his new cafe’s name, Korean coffee crackerjack Will Jung promises hand drip coffee and Dutch coffee, serving both in engaging ways to brighten up each patron’s experience.

Address: 21-G & 1, LGSB 1/4,, Pusat Komersial LGSB, Off Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor
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7. Xin Chao Vietnamese Cuisine at Solaris Dutamas

5. Xin Chao

Xin Chao brings a bit of Vietnam to Solaris Dutamas, tackling traditional classics like pho (a bowl bristling with beef brisket, flank, meatballs, tendon and tripe) and bun ga nuong (rice vermicelli with grilled chicken in lime-tinged chilli vinaigrette) with a reasonable air of authenticity.

Address: A1-G2-01, Solaris Dutamas, PJS 13, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, WP Kuala Lumpur
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8. The Affogato Guys at Puchong

2. The Affogato Guys

Affogatos conceived with carrot juice or black tea instead of coffee, rounded out with a variety of Haagen-Dazs ice creams and unconventional toppings: The Affogato Guys create surprising twists that deliciously freshen up one of our favourite desserts.

Address: 2-1, Jalan Merbah 1, 4710 Bandar Puchong Jaya, Selangor
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9. Mhera-1 Thai Fine Cuisine at Kota Damansara

9. Mhera-1 Thai

Mhera-1 replaces Kota Damansara’s revered Erawan Thai restaurant, but retains Chef Trakool ‘Korn’ Yodsuk’s recipes and some of Erawan’s kitchen crew. The venue, still one of this neighbourhood’s most elegant dining destinations, is now helmed by Maurice Hao, a family member of Erawan co-founder Anan, with a determination to uphold Erawan’s reputation for exceptional Thai fare, while making it easier for patrons to savour these signature specialities without Erawan’s stipulation of pre-ordering.

Address: 22-1, Jalan PJU 5/16, Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, 47810 Selangor
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10. Kumi Eurasian Home Cuisine at Bukit Damansara

3. Kumi Eurasian

We’re fans of Malaccan Eurasian fare, so for us, Kumi is a welcome entry to Bukit Damansara – the restaurant’s three-man team of chef Rueben Moissinac, Amos and Aaron strive to do justice to classic traditions, specialising in time-honoured staples like devil’s curry, ambilla kacang and ikan pimente.

Address: 21, lorong Setiabistari 2, Damansara Height, 50490 WP Kuala Lumpur
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11. Ola Bowls at Pavilion

2. Ola Bowls

Smoothie bowls have invaded Pavilion, supplying shoppers with nourishment such as a mix of Nutella, strawberries and milk blanketed with Koko Krunch and raisins, or a blend of peanut butter, soy milk and bananas topped with muesli and pumpkin seeds.

Address: C5.06.00, Level 5, Pavilion, Bukit Bintang, 55100 WP Kuala Lumpur
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12. 87 Restaurant & Bar

4. 87 Restaurant and bar

The architects of 87’s menu must have a soft spot for pork belly: The kitchen’s most interesting offerings include a crispy pork belly burger with garlic sauce, savoury braised pork belly with egg and roasted root vegetables in a rice bowl, and siu yok with a black mussel, chicken and egg in curry laksa.

Address: 6 Jalan SS21/35 Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
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13. Koikeshoten at Bangsar

5. Koikeshoten

Koikeshoten secures pole position as our current favourite kushiyaki bar in KL – chef Norio Koike has been part of some of the Klang Valley’s most smoking-good Japanese eateries over the past six years, including Ri-Yakitori, Shuraku, Maruhi Sakaba and Fukuda, and his work at this new restaurant seems to burn brighter than ever.

Address: No. 8 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 WP Kuala Lumpur
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14. Le Noir at TREC KL

2. Le Noir

Malaysia’s spin-off from Singapore’s Le Noir restaurant and lounge is now open at TREC KL, offering a three-storey venue that includes an alfresco street-level space for dining, a clubbing floor, and a rooftop bar that reputedly boasts 360-degree city views.

Address: Unit H-G-07, The Hive, TREC, , Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
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15. Akashi BBQ at Puchong

11. Akashi BBQ

KL’s yakiniku experts have expanded their horizons: Akashi BBQ brings the atmospheric allure of alfresco grilling to Puchong, spearheaded by the team that currently also steers Taman Desa’s much-revered Gerai Makan Japanese BBQ Taisyu Yakiniku.

Address: G2 Lot 5362, Jalan Layang – Layang 1, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47100 Puchong, Selangor
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16. Pho Street at Paradigm Mall

1. Pho Street

Singapore’s Pho Street Vietnamese chain has launched its first Malaysian branch in Paradigm Mall: True to its name, pho is the highlight – the signature noodle soup with beef shank, beef slices, beef balls, beef tendons and beef tripe (RM18.90) is bovine-bountiful, served in a light broth made aromatic with no lack of Thai basil.

Address: Lot LG 02/03, Lower Ground Floor, Paradigm Mall, SS7 Petaling Jaya, 47301 Selangor
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17. Mr Poker at Sri Petaling

1. Mr Poker

This visually sumptuous cafe is bedecked with everything from playing cards to rocking horses, circa-1970s TV sets to Bruce Lee memorabilia to a portrait of the Mona Lisa sipping coffee.

Address: No 3-1,First floor, Jalan Radin Bagus 6, 57000 Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur
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18. Summer at 17°C Cafe

1. Summer at 17

Summer at 17°C is as cheery and charming as it name suggests; springing up in Cheras’ Connaught Avenue, this is a bright suburban cafe that boasts a cool vibe and smart, fun ideas on how to entice and engage customers. No winter of discontent here.

Address: A-G-1, Connaught Avenue, Jalan 9, Taman Bukit Cheras, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur
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