The first restaurant has opened at Mont Kiara’s Verve Suites – B-Lab, run by master baker Yukichi Matsubara & his wife Zenn.

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Leisurely Meal Spot

B-Lab is a bakery, bistro & bar – ideal for a casual, leisurely meal, blessed with lots of sunshine & warm, welcoming colours. Parking’s a breeze – free basement lots are bountiful, even on weekdays; it’s easier to park here compared to Publika nearby.

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Alfresco seating with a verdant suburban streetside view is available; for cafe lovers, note that Solaris Dutamas’ La Casa will be launching a new branch at the Verve shops row very soon too, right beside B-Lab.

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Complimentary Bread Basket

Meals at B-Lab kick off with a complimentary bread basket served with Lescure butter; the restaurant’s business hours are conveniently extensive, running 7am-midnight daily (except Mondays), though the kitchen is closed in between lunch & dinner.

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Experimental Endeavours

B-Lab is meant to reflect the experimental endeavours of the Kobe-born, Paris-polished Matsubara; if his name rings a bell, it might be because of his previous bread-making stints that earned him recognition in Malaysia at The Loaf & Bonjour Garden.

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Signature Creations

Signature creations include a reinterpretation of the club sandwich (RM22) that comprises this striking-green spinach toast with avocado spread, stuffed with streaky bacon, honey-baked ham, sunny side-up, house-made tartar sauce & butterhead lettuce.

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Promising Menu

Cider-braised pork belly with herb gnocchi (RM35), a succulent sight for sore, starving eyes. B-Lab’s kitchen is still getting its act together, so maybe the gnocchi didn’t turn out quite as fluffy as it should be, & the fennel & carrot puree listed on the menu for this recipe were missing, but the place has obvious potential.

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The rest of the menu sounds promising; there are distinct European proclivities sprinkled throughout – Spanish anchovies with piquillo peppers & aioli (RM22) to Italian pizzas with serrano ham & goat’s cheese (RM28).

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Bakeries

For takeaway, French gorgonzola cheese foccacia & bacon quiche to espresso walnut loaves & raisin almond sourdough.

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Sweet Treats

Absolutely no absence of sweet treats either, from pistachio chocolate beauties to chiffon cupcakes & cream puffs.

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Refreshing Beverages

Putting the final ‘B’ in B-Lab: Wine that starts at RM19 by the glass & RM99 by the bottle (Emiliana Cab Sav), & cocktails like pear-&-thyme sparklers, espresso martinis & mango sangrias at RM19 each.

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Location and Contact Details

B-Lab

G-3A, Ground Floor, Verve Shops, Jalan Kiara 5, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-6206-1880

Open 7am-midnight, except Mondays. Last orders at 10:30pm.

Find: B-Lab directory page here.