From Solaris Dutamas’ Coffee Societe to Bandar Sunway’s Garage 51, brothers Kar Wai & Kar Heng have consistently been near the forefront of the Klang Valley’s cafe fraternity for nearly three years, working hard to push the envelope a bit further with each of their outlets. Their latest labour of love – Underground Societe – opens this week, a short stroll from Garage 51, representing a natural evolution of their brand & a forward-thinking peek at what the future might hold for Malaysian cafe fans.

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Triumphant Aesthetics

In terms of aesthetics, Underground Societe is a triumph – tangibly tasteful & commandingly comfortable. But what’s more important are its ideas about the maturing requirements of its customers: What happens after you’ve walked into & out of a hundred cafes, many of them slowly but steadily becoming a hyper-caffeinated blur through the years? Where do you go once you’ve devoured dozens of Big Breakfasts & had your fill of fried eggs with sausages, mushrooms & hash browns?

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Sampling Platters

With that in mind, Underground Societe’s key attraction is a menu that’s heavily & hearteningly weighted toward new recipes. Our favourites here are the tasting platters (more of them, please), built for sharing & sampling, each between RM20 & RM26.

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Avocado Delights

Avocado admirers will likely adore these ravishingly ripe, creamy-soft slices, crowned with toppings like Jamaican-inspired pineapple salsa, mashed egg, feta cheese, as well as prawns, couscous & fish roe, every one a distinctive, delicate delight.

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Yellowfin Tuna Tartare

For a photogenic pleasure, order the yellowfin tuna tartare, mixed with avocados again, along with highland tomatoes, bedecked with escargot shells that have been emptied out & stuffed with scrambled eggs & salmon roe.

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Smoked Duck and Couscous

Scoring strongly with savoury-sweet, meaty-grainy nuances, the oft-abused smoked duck breast finally finds a fulfilling partnership with hillocks of couscous, kitchen-made orange marmalade, roasted beetroot, pumpkin, broccoli & raisins.

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Pumpkin Soup

It’s also pretty easy to recommend Underground Societe’s soups – roasted highland pumpkin with cream & pimento toast.

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Green Pea Broth

A convincingly textured, Egyptian-inspired green pea broth (RM16) that reflects a thoughtful kind of love for real food.

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Eggs Benedict

Brunch fare (available 11am-6pm daily) enjoys a makeover – Underground Societe’s interpretation of Eggs Benedict comes with slipper lobster & roasted pumpkin. One thing we’d change about this might be the generically doughy muffins; some customers might also hesitate at the sight of the RM28 price tag, especially since the serving isn’t huge.

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Grilled Salmon

Still, we appreciate Underground Societe’s enjoyable attempts at complexity & creativity for these dishes, best illustrated by the juicily grilled Atlantic salmon with German-style spaetzle, thyme-boiled quail eggs, asparagus & hollandaise sauce (RM26).

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Cajun-Spiced Chicken Pizza

Ultimately, Underground Societe isn’t perfect (no place is, after all), but its flaws make it no less fascinating. We might not completely love this pizza, topped with Cajun-spiced chicken, poached egg, Caesar salad & mozzarella cheese, mainly because the crust is too thick, but we like the potential & promise of this place. It’s a step in the right direction, encouragingly influenced by its friendly founders’ passion for Melbourne’s cafes.

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Healthy Option

The healthiest option on the brunch selection: Soaked oat groats with julienne applies, strawberries, apple compote & honey (RM18). Note that Underground Societe serves a different menu during dinnertime – mint-crusted NZ lamb rack, pastas & more.

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Signature Dessert

The cafe’s signature dessert is the Underground Grenade (RM26), essentially a boozy Bombe Alaska, best shared by two.

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Flambeed meringue, indulgently rich, blanketing mint chocolate chip ice cream, for a nice finish to this meal.

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For Wine Lovers

A fair number of KL cafes – more than two dozen – do offer imaginative recipes these days, but few are able to serve alcohol. Underground Societe bucks that terrible trend, catering to the vino-loving crowd – wine really does make everything better, & it helps to super-charge the energy at a eatery. Chilean Merlot & Sauvignon Blanc start at RM18 per glass here; for exuberantly special occasions, a bottle of Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial clocks in at RM480.

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Black and White Coffee

Still, most of Underground Societe’s customers might stick to coffee – order the best-of-two-worlds Black & White (RM15) – cleanse your palate with sparkling water, sip the espresso, then have the water once more before savouring the piccolo latte.

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Cold-Brew Coffee

Nitro cold-brew coffee on tap (RM15) might taste a bit like beer, but it’s totally OK for teetotalers.

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Underground Coffee Cocktail

Though the Underground Coffee cocktail (RM26) isn’t, laced with vodka & Bailey’s. All in all, the ambition showcased at Underground Societe earns a measure of respect – with plenty of positive vibes & a sparkling service team, it’s worth visiting, & it makes us look forward to whatever Kar Wai & Kar Heng might come up with next.

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Location and Contact Details

Underground Societe

68 Jalan PJS 11/7, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. An interesting neighbourhood to place a restaurant like this.

Tel: 03 5613 3851

Open daily, 11am-2am (love the late & convenient hours)

Find: Underground Societe directory page here.