Eat Drink KL

If we had to paint a mental picture of Watercolour, it's one of those cafes that flies under the radar, quietly churning out good sandwiches & pastries for its fans.

Watercolour isn't content to serve the same old stuff available anywhere. Its Beef Burger Gipfel (RM19) features an Aussie meat patty stuffed with fresh veggies in between croissant-like flakiness. A fun change from ordinary burgers (tastes healthier too, like a real balanced meal).

European bread recipes do feature prominently on the menu: Watercolour's hot dog takes a chicken mushroom sausage & jams it into a laugen lye roll, topped with mustard, mayo, olives, onions & gherkins. With potato crisps on the side, it's a fair bargain for RM14.

Much more available, from baguettes, bagels, pain au chocolate, sourdough & rye bread ...

... to cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts & muffins. It's a smorgasbord of starch; note that air-conditioned seating is limited here, so most customers will have to take a table outdoors. On the bright side, parking is a breeze; plenty of visitors' space inside the Mont Kiara Meridin building.

Watercolour's coffee is OK, though not the memorable highlight of this cafe.

Less than a five-minute drive from Watercolour, there's Uneed, another low-profile cafe, this one tucked away at the back of Solaris Dutamas, behind the primary stomping grounds of Publika.

The menu's eclectic: Caesar salad with oak-smoked salmon, nasi kerabu & burgers of Arab bread filled with beef, chicken or even ikan bilis. But we skipped the savories & tried only dessert: This thick, doughy creation with strawberries, mascarpone cheese, cranberry sauce & almonds seemed interesting but tasted a bit too tart. Maybe the savories would fare better.

No real complaints about the affogato or the latte. Wouldn't remember what they taste like the next morning, but wouldn't hate ourselves for ordering them either.

Watercolour Gourmet Bakery & Cafe.

G2A, Mont Kiara Meridin, Jalan Duta Kiara, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-6207-8942

Open daily, Mon-Fri 730am-8pm, Sat-Sun through 6pm

Uneed Cafe

D5-G3-1, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur

Open Mon-Sat, morning through nighttime. Tel: 03-6206-1640

The Oct.-Dec. inaugural edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews & information for 100 pretty nice eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets. Please click here: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013 (This link expires Dec. 31, 2013; see blog entries after that date for new link).

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Lucid Lounge serves a remarkably distinctive menu: All its starters, salads, pastas & pizzas comprise components cooked with alcohol, from tomato soup tinged with red wine to lasagna laced with beer & chili cheese fries enhanced with gin.

This burger boasts a juicy 200-gram beef patty marinated in whisky for a smoky-sweet boost that makes its RM36++ price tag easier to swallow.

Spicy butter prawns prepared with vodka (RM21++), mixed with curry leaves & cili padi. The liquor is intended to increase the intensity of flavor; the results are debatable but nonetheless deserving of consumption.

Lucid Lounge's variation of the Filipino sizzling 'sisig,' this one with chicken flakes mingled with beer, chilies, onions, mayo & a raw egg (RM24++). An ideal bar snack.

Service is fairly friendly here, but if we could quibble, the music's too loud at this watering hole, which might force some customers to retreat to the outdoor seats.

Bonus stop for booze: Most folks might know D'Italiane for its Italian fare, but there's a respectable range of creative cocktails here too.

Close Encounter (gin, blackberries, pineapple juice, clove syrup).

Thyme For Pears (gin, pear juice, elderflower, thyme, sauvignon blanc, soda).

Delusions Of Grandeur (vodka, grand marnier, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, sage). All three cocktails seem tasty enough but could be much more potent.

Lucid Lounge

D2-G4-01, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur

Open 5pm through late daily. Tel: 03-6211-5161

D'Italiane Kitchen

Paradigm Mall, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

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Setapak is this entry's suburban spot for simple egg-filled brunches by neighborhood newbies Aspresso & That Place La.

Start with Aspresso, a cozy first-floor hideout at the Danau Kota commercial blocks where customers can customize their all-day-brekkie platters to choose what exactly they want to eat.

Five items in one serving cost a very fair RM11.90: An egg-pork-potato fiesta of scrambled/sunny-side-up/omelet (six eggs in one shot!), bacon & hash brown.

Other possibilities that can be ordered for this plate include chicken sausages, mashed potatoes, mushrooms & baked beans. Aspresso also offers light meals of sandwiches & pastas.

The coffee comprises specials ranging from Indonesian Gayo Highland Acehnese single-origin to Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, crafted meticulously through V60, aeropress, chemex & siphon methods.

Aspresso's affogato? Pleasantly creamy.

Caution: Wi-fi is not yet available at Aspresso; since Maxis' connection erodes to an E here, phone surfers won't want to linger very long for now.

Next up, only a one-minute drive from Aspresso: That Place La, a Platinum Lake condo cafe where expectations should likely be lowered. It's a nice, bright & clean setting nevertheless.

Wish we could call this a morning-glory, but the baked egg with tomatoes, cheese & chicken ham seems reminiscent of something I'd mix & microwave as a teen. Still, it's merely RM3.50.

Not much to say about That Place La's latte; maybe the other dishes here fare better. There's roast chicken, spaghetti bolognese, sago gula melaka & more.

That Place La scores in the soundtrack department though, playing John Hiatt's 'Have A Little Faith In Me'& Tasmin Archer's 'Sleeping Satellite;' Aspresso relies on 'All Of Me' Sinatra muzak.

Aspresso Coffee & All Day Breakfast

16-1, Lot B-8-1, Plaza Usahawan Genting Klang

Jalan Danau Niaga 3, Taman Danau Kota, Kuala Lumpur

Weekdays noon through midnight (except Tuesdays), weekends 10am-midnight

Tel: 03-6270-0016

That Place La

PV13, Platinum Lake Condominium, Jalan Danau Saujana 1, Danau Kota, Kuala Lumpur
Tues-Sun, 730am-midnight

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Returning to Porcelene for Round Two. Earlier entry on Porcelene: Oct. 11, 2013.

Beefing up this entry with Porcelene's interpretation of 'sup gearbox' (RM19++), bristling with all manner of bovine cuts & components.

Terrified of tripe? Skip this then. Still, for some of us, this 'soup for the soul,' as the menu calls it, might be the best thing for a rainy night.

Porcelene's 'Black on Black' burger (RM32++) is a big one, boasting a Black Angus beef patty in a toasted charcoal bun with onion rings & cross trax fries.

Not bad; maybe we won't recall what it tastes like in ten months, but we enjoyed it well enough.

More memorable: Porcelene's paella, prettily presented. RM58++, sufficient for two or three.

The platter smells seductively of saffron, with Spanish rice simmered in beef broth & adorned with spicy beef brisket & chicken sausages.

The grains might be mushier than we'd prefer, but did we still finish every bite? Definitely.

Wrap up with coffee cocktails that include the likes of illy coffee with frangelico, chocolate & whipped cream or with Bailey's & milk.

Coffee, Sailor Jerry rum, kahlua & whipped cream.

Porcelene & The Bowler Room
Empire Damansara, Jalan PJU 8/8A, Damansara Perdana
Open noon through midnight, except Mondays. Tel: 03-4065-0039

The Oct.-Dec. inaugural edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews & information for 100 pretty nice eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets. Please click here: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013 (This link expires Dec. 31, 2013; see blog entries after that date for new link).

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The windmill district of Zaanse Schans represents one of the most ideal day trips from Amsterdam, with plenty of pleasant cafes to feed its visitors.

One eatery, De Kraai, supplied us with sweet & savory snacks after a sunshine-blessed morning of romping in & out of well-preserved windmills in a picturesque village.

Working hard to make the perfect pancakes.

Farmer's pancake, brimming with bacon, cheese & onions. A nicely executed, piping-hot mix of carbs, protein & fat _ all the building blocks for a fulfilling recipe.

Pancake with apricot jam, eggnog & whipped cream. Pour some sugar & cinnamon powder on this most pleasurable pancake _ crisp & not too thick or doughy.

What goes well with pancakes? Why, wine of course.

We also stopped by D'Vijf Broers, a lodging inn bar, for a quick drink.

Idling by the river seemed like the ideal way to spend a breezy afternoon on vacation.

Port & sherry to keep our spirits high.

And some iced lemon tea for the teetotaler.

Cute, curious & seemingly cuddly goats.

But don't feed them; as the sign warns, too much bread & they are dead (gulp!!!).

De Kraai & D'Vijf Broers, Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands.

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No need for snow: Bangsar is freezing over, suddenly & strategically in time for Christmas, transformed into an ice cream wonderland by the milky magicians of Telawi's new Inside Scoop.

Taking over the venue vacated by Little Wonton (which has moved to Taman Tun Dr Ismail), this ice cream shop is all about the quintessential melt-in-the-mouth delight, perhaps the most universally beloved of any dessert. Whether you're seven or 77, ice cream can seem irresistible.

At least half-a-dozen people _ Edmund, Shiew Li, Derrick & their friends _ appear to labor behind the counter, a clear indication that Inside Scoop is a team effort. The ice cream is produced fresh on-site, channeling skills from a co-founder's Italian gelato-making training.

The current flavors favor the classics & the crowd-pleasing choices: Vanilla bean to hazelnut, tiramisu to cookies-&-cream, Valrhona chocolate to pistachio, blueberry cheesecake to durian, pink grapefruit sorbet to strawberry yogurt.

The results straddle the line somewhere between ice cream & gelato, leaning closer to the latter.

Inside Scoop scores strongly for both texture & taste, beautifully lush in smoothness, pleasurably concentrated in purity of flavor.

Edmund's fave: Pistachio, a true treat that distills the deep, distinct essence of this culinary nut.

Durian flavor, cursed/blessed with a pungently telltale stench; this might be the one ice cream that KL's hotels should consider outlawing.

Pink grapefruit sorbet, also an acquired taste. Waffles with ice cream are available here too; each generous scoop of ice cream costs RM7.80, two's RM12.80 & three's RM17.50 (with a surcharge of RM1.50 per scoop for premium flavors like Valrhona choc).

All in all, Bangsar's hottest attraction might soon also be its coolest, harboring a potential for greater risk-taking & experimentation in the months ahead. Give Inside Scoop space to evolve; as those of us who enjoyed Cielo Dolci on its opening day would remember, even Cielo wasn't armed with a nasi lemak flavor in the beginning.

Bonus Bangsar treat: Cross the road from Inside Scoop to pop-up caffeine bar Nowhereman Coffee, which started selling glazed nuts by local entrepreneurs Nutty Nuts this past weekend.

A fun snack, but maybe not ideal for those of us who prefer nuts to be completely savory instead of nearly candy-sweet. Still, to steal one of Nutty Nuts' catchphrases, this would work for patrons who'd rather be nutty than nice this Christmas.

Inside Scoop

9, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Near Nosh.

Business hours not finalized, but likely to be noon through 11pm everyday for now

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Adult content ahead: Checking out a popular coffee shop in Amsterdam's Red Light District.

The highlight here: Hash brownies laced with cannabis. Taste like regular brownies, moist & chocolatey. Our fingers turned slightly tingly & we became a bit sleepy an hour after eating this. But that might have been mainly in our mind.

Space muffin, containing hashish. Addictive; we'd have eaten more of these if only they weren't reputed to work as both sedatives & laxatives.

Bonus: Store-bought, hemp-based cookies. Safe, with a bitter, medicinal taste, but no effects.

Ah, if only we could have brought these all back home.

Blurry photos mirror our foggy memories of this particular evening.

Baba,

Somewhere in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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This Penang-based porridge specialist, which runs multiple branches in Georgetown, has expanded south to the Klang Valley, opening outlets at Scott Garden & SS2 in recent weeks.

Zhou's calling card: the creativity channeled through its congee. Here's where patrons can have piping-hot pumpkin porridge with frog legs (RM11.80 before taxes) ...

... herbal porridge with raw salmon (RM11.80) ...

... & laksa-paste porridge with beef & egg (RM10.80). These prices are reasonable, considering each bowl is pretty big, & the soft, smooth texture should satisfy fans of congee. But the flavors seem too weak & bland to leave a lingering impression.

A better bet: the congee steamboat; a RM40 serving is sufficient for two or three diners, who can choose from a selection of flavor bases including Szechuan spicy, tomyam, curry, prawn & fish.

Lots to toss into the steamboat: Prawns, broccoli, egg, crab meat, crab sticks, battered fish fillet, fish maw, fish balls, Taiwan-style sausages, mushrooms, sliced pork & fried beancurd skin.

The result's thick, hearty & fulfilling, thanks largely to the multitude of savory ingredients.

Not into congee? Zhou also serves a small variety of East Asian-inspired fare that range from Hong Kong's sweet-salty Swiss chicken (RM18 for half a chicken) ...

... to crisply addictive, deliciously spiced Taiwanese fried chicken (RM11.90).

Roast duck, siu yok & char siew are available too; all in all, Zhou has both hits & misses, but it's probably still worth a mention.

Zhou Porridge Restaurant,
1-17, 1st Floor, Scott Garden, Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur.
Daily, 11am-midnight. Tel: 03-7980-1277

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Returning to La Scala for more Italian inventions. Earlier entry on La Scala: Nov. 26.

Squid-&-pistachio tartare accompanied with salmon, a pleasingly conceived amuse bouche.

Need more marine mollusks? La Scala's selection of starters also includes octopus carpaccio with panzanella salad (RM48++). Lovely-looking plating for this too.

Need more carpaccio? Chef Lucio Russo serves a beefy one as well, theoretically elevated through the use of Italian organic Fassona Piemontese meat, topped with a salad of wild leaves, balsamic dressing & parmesan slices (RM56++).

Need more cattle? It's convenient how one dish flows into the next: Try the oxtail, braised Vaccinara-style for satisfying succulence & deep-fried in crisply battered cubes (RM46++), coupled with dill mayo & 'Bloody Mary' tomato sauce.

Cheese lovers can have a field day at La Scala: Ravioli surfaces in a colorful foursome of flavors, one filled with taleggio cheese & walnut pesto, another with mozzarella & eggplant, the third with pecorino cheese & porcini mushrooms & the final one with ricotta & spinach. RM62++.

Gorgonzola cheese risotto (RM48++), something for admirers of simplicity.

There's cheese in this delicate dessert too: Amalfi coast Buffalo Ricotta cheese mousse with sliced pear in lemon syrup. RM26++.

Seeking a spot with cool views to hang out at on the night of New Year's Eve without being suffocated by crowds? La Scala's alfresco terrace bar is open for business. Could be fun here.

La Scala Restaurant & La Terrazza Bar

183, Jalan Mayang, Off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur

Open weekdays for lunch & dinner, & Saturdays for dinner. Tel: 03-2161-2291

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Another cafe for brunch enthusiasts surfaced this week, seeking success in Damansara Utama, the increasingly noteworthy F&B hub that welcomed a parade of standouts like Obanhmi, Capital Nasi Dagang, The Good Batch & Ecole P this year.

Epicuro scores points for its feel-good casualness & for keeping its recipes relatively interesting. The presence of pork is welcome; the star attraction so far is undoubtedly the sandwich of savory pulled pork crowned with a sunny-side-up (RM18 nett).

Not into pork? Try the juicy turkey ham sandwich, bolstered with handmade nutty-peppery, garlicky-tomatoey romesco sauce (RM15 nett). Not into meat at all? No fear, Epicuro has got you covered, with a croissant filled with creamy eggs, buna-shimeji mushrooms & rocket leaves.

Come in, the coffee's fine: Sumatra Mandheling single-origin French-press (RM8). Pair with cheesecakes supplied by Sophia Foo of Frost & Flourish; watch out for a modern/reinvented Black Forest cake to emerge here sometime.

The rest of the menu at Epicuro, run by a small team spearheaded by a Malaysian former engineer who returned last year after a decade in Germany, should be unveiled in stages from the middle of next month; expect a wider dinnertime selection of salads, soups, burgers & pastas (the specialty might be a spinach cream creation with bacon & toasted sunflower seeds).

Epicuro

20G, Jalan SS21/35, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya

Currently 11am-6pm, Wed-Mon. Will be extended to 9am-11pm eventually

The Oct.-Dec. inaugural edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews & information for 100 pretty nice eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets. Please click here: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013 (This link expires Jan. 2, 2014; see blog entries after that date for new link).

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Ideal for this Instagram age, Chaiwalla & Co could be the Klang Valley's first "container cafe" _ an eye-catching construct of converted cargo containers, plopped into The Curve & unwrapped this Christmas week.

If the name sounds familiar, it might be because Chaiwalla originally launched in Johor Baru earlier this year, reportedly conceived by two Malaysian childhood friends, one a former seafarer.

'Honest tea' is Chaiwalla's catchphrase, though 'hipster tea' seems equally apt; customers can choose a beverage base of tea, milk tea, coffee or fresh milk, add flavors (caramel, winter melon, vanilla & more) & fillings (including basil seeds & nata de coco), plus select a sweetness level.

Saffron-&-rose-flavored milk tea with yogurt pops & zero added sugar (RM5.80 nett). Enjoyably mild-tasting, without the curse of cloying artifice, & sufficiently thick, though filled with a bit more ice than expected.

Coffee with honey & coffee jelly. Ultimately satisfying for a refreshment on a hot afternoon; worth the price. Service is fast & fairly friendly.

Pastries & brownies are also available; expect to see more photos of Chaiwalla pepper KL's social media networks for months to come.

Need more drinks? Coffea Coffee has opened its latest branch at The Curve too, adding to its outlets at Bangsar, Sunway Pyramid & Subang. Note: Chaiwalla is on The Curve's relatively placid end, outside RadioShack & Borders; Coffea is amid the restaurant-packed Piazza zone.

Chaiwalla & Co Container Cafe

Ground Floor (outdoors), The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

Daily, 10am-10pm

The Oct.-Dec. inaugural edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews & information for 100 pretty nice eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets. Please click here: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013 (This link expires Jan. 2, 2014; see blog entries after that date for new link).

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Si Chuan Dou Hua, the Parkroyal hotel's Sichuan-&-Cantonese restaurant, serves an all-you-can-eat menu for lunch & dinner everyday (except public holidays) at a relatively economical _ but not necessarily rewarding _ RM55++ per person.

Customers can order from a roughly 60-dish selection that looks promising on paper, featuring plenty of prawns, served steamed ...

... or deep-fried in kataifi-inspired pastry ...

... or with cashews & chili. Each ends up being less than memorable though, whipped up with competence but little complexity or flair.

Prawns in garlic sauce, battered with wasabi mayo & deep-fried with spicy salt, mainly examples of irrefutable quantity over irresistible quality.

Roast chicken. Patrons should probably request dark meat, since the breast & wings provided here border dangerously on dryness.

Chicken braised with black mushrooms, deep-fried with butter & with lemon sauce. To be fair, it's difficult to find deals elsewhere that stretch RM55++ this far.

Fish of the evening, with hot bean sauce. Could have been fresher & less muddy-tasting.

Stir-fried beef (a bit mushy in parts) & bean curd all succeed in stuffing the stomach.

Skip the xiao long bao, cursed by the thickest skin we've ever seen.

Soup's up: Eight-treasure with slivers of seafood is worthwhile, while the dumpling soup isn't.

Seasoned baby octopus & ginger-sauce mushrooms. Service could be more cheerful; also note that dishes can sometimes take a lengthy time (up to half-an-hour) to emerge from the kitchen.

Marinated spicy chilled cucumber & stir-fried vegetables with garlic.

Crispy noodles with shredded chicken. Enjoyable enough, this one.

Dan Dan Noodles, sufficiently flavorful. Perhaps it might be prudent to return someday to sample Si Chuan Dou Hua's regular a la carte menu instead; that would probably prove more satisfying.

Watermelon & honeydew, Chinese pancakes (too doughy), bean curd with wolf berries, longan with inexplicably nonexistent lotus seeds (served sadly at room temperature instead of cold).

Fortune cookies can be fun, even when they spout nonsense like "You have a potential urge and the ability for accomplishment."

Be warned that tea costs an extra RM7++ per person, separate from the RM55++ for the food. It's tasty tea nevertheless, served with stylish showiness.

Si Chuan Dou Hua

Parkroyal Hotel, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2782-8303

The Oct.-Dec. inaugural edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews & information for 100 pretty nice eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets. Please click here: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013 (This link expires Jan. 2, 2014; see blog entries after that date for new link).

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KL's former High Street won't run low on caffeine, thanks to Lucy In The Sky, a newbie on the fringe of Chinatown that's set to soar in the popularity stakes.

This easygoing hangout, surprisingly spacious inside, might be a magnet not only for backpackers but nearby white-collar workers on weekdays & cafe-hoppers on weekends.

Breakfast is served: Lucy is the latest place where people can customize their brunch platters, choosing three items for RM12.90 & adding RM3 for every extra selection.

Lucy In The Sky promises relatively healthy cooking, relying on organic ingredients whenever possible. But that's not necessarily meant to provide customers with carte blanche to overdose on four preparations of eggs in one sitting: poached, scrambled, sunny-side-up & over-easy ...

... even if the eggs are partnered with deliciously nutritious lentils & buttered corn. Other possibilities for this plate include chicken sausages, sauteed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, onions & hash browns.

Other options: French toast made with Hailam bread (RM10), pancakes paired with raw honey (RM8.90), plus cream of cauliflower, pumpkin or mushroom soup with muesli bread (RM10.90).

Come lunchtime, the starving masses can munch on pasta (pesto's recommended, flavorsome with sun-dried tomatoes & spinach, RM15), beef & chicken burgers made with wholemeal buns, as well as basic salads & sandwiches.

Lucy's coffee, constructed with Arabica beans, should please. Praise outpaces complaints here.

Lucy In The Sky

167, Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Kuala Lumpur. Pretty near the Hindu temple landmark

Daily, 8am-6pm (but closed Dec. 30, 2013). Tel: 03-2022-1526

The latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites for January-March 2014 is now available online, featuring 100 pretty nice eateries, including more than 20 new entries for this quarter. The eBook can be read & downloaded for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones.
Please click here: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Jan-March-2014 (This link expires April 1, 2014; see blog entries after that date for new link).

Jam & Kaya brings the Klang Valley's best year yet for independent cafes to a triumphant close; visiting this winsome venue is a potent reminder to value the people who pour their hearts into creating these places. Dismissing these cafes without knowing their stories is blatant disrespect.

Jam & Kaya represents the friendship of Janice & Karen, who studied in Melbourne this past decade & left with the dream of running the kind of cafe they cherished there. Janice's subsequent stint learning the art of pastry-making at Le Cordon Bleu Paris supplied the culinary foundation for the two to open Jam & Kaya this month by the pool of PJ Palms Sports Center.

Brunches are a treat here; the Eggs Royale (RM21) feature irresistibly delicious poached eggs, resting atop thick slices of smoked salmon & crisp leaves in a croissant.

Available through 5pm, so late risers like us can mercifully still have breakfast for lunch.

The menu remains a work in progress, but it's excellent to see these baked eggs that borrow inspiration from the Tunisian-origin recipe of 'shakshouka' ...

... creamy with a thick, tomato-rich base that conceals soft chunks of eggplant. RM18.90. Dinner specials include chicken ballotine, beef stew with potatoes & salmon with couscous.

Pancakes are a pleasure here: try the one with salted caramel & macadamia nuts (RM16.50). Other varieties come with caramelized bananas & yes, even jam & kaya.

Save space for dessert; these babies are a star attraction in their own right.

Praline cheesecake, very rich, sumptuously smooth. Gotta try the tarts next time.

Coffee's constructed with Colombian beans; not a bad latte, definitely.

Love the hot chocolate here, mixed with tiny, crispy chocolate balls for extra enjoyment.

One of Jam & Kaya's charms: It isn't trying to be cool. Its musical selection of Peabo Bryson & All-4-One might send hipsters screaming out the exit.

All in all, Jam & Kaya has the potential to become a firm favorite, surmounting its relatively hidden location & avoidance of advance publicity. It's our top cafe recommendation for December (followed extremely closely by Damansara Uptown's Ecole P).

Jam & Kaya Cafe

PJ Palms Sports Center, Lorong Sultan, Petaling Jaya

Open 10am-10pm, Tues-Thurs, 8am-11pm, Fri-Sun

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Wrapping up 2013 with an exploration of Pyramid Secret, which we visited once this year & subsequently sought to return to, but it seems to be closed for now; let's hope this mysterious restaurant springs back to life in 2014.

Pyramid Secret is/was run by several Egyptian friends who came to Malaysia in search of opportunities; this was one of the few eateries in a high-profile location like Solaris Dutamas where customers could feast on true-blue Egyptian fare.

Kushari's the highlight here, a moreish medley of macaroni & spaghetti topped with chickpeas, chicken liver, lentils, fried onions, garlic juice & house-made tomato sauce.

Filling & fulfilling, comfort food to the max. Four can share a serving that costs under RM30.

Also intriguing: Mulukhiyah, a somewhat slimy but healthy-tasting broth ...

... made with the leaves of the Corchorus veggie & mixed with chicken. Below RM20.

Pyramid Secret's team was friendly, serving us complimentary desserts even though the two of us were stuffed on what we ordered. The food was exotic to our taste buds & seemed well-priced; we really hope this restaurant will be reincarnated someday, in Solaris Dutamas or elsewhere.

Pyramid Secret

A2-G1-1, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur

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Sniffing out a menagerie of caffeine bars launched in recent weeks: Cat In The Box at Jaya One, Three Little Birds at Sentul & The White Fly at Setiawalk in Puchong.

First up, Cat In The Box, hidden within the Center for Asian Photographers community center in The School annexe of Jaya One.

Cat In The Box is meant to help keep the center buzzing as a meeting point for photographers; here's where folks can come to chat, check out exhibitions, purchase gear particularly for outdoor shooting, engage in workshops & even organize trips & tours focused on photography.

It's welcoming, comfy & roomy, thoughtfully stocked with books & magazines (not only on photography but food & other topics too) for customers to browse while nibbling on cream puffs, bagels supplied by Subang's Brooklyn B& chocolate peanut butter cakes.

Cat In The Box features coffee made with single-origin East Timor beans roasted in KL. Also available: Fruity & herbal teas & milk 'frothies' (the recipe calls for fresh milk from local farms blended with natural syrup & poured over ice).

Next up: Three Little Birds at Sentul East's D7 office building; powered by the forces behind Artisan Roast, it's the latest in a line of spin-offs that also hatched Bangsar's Nowhereman Coffee less than two months ago.

Folks will flock to Three Little Birds; the cafe takes flight with the expertise of endlessly energetic barista Joey Mah (he'll spend more time here than at Nowhereman for much of January) in an immensely inviting space that's made distinctive with custom-built furnishing, shimmering sleekly & serenely in the sunlight amid hues of leafy green outside.

Right now, the coffee's light & nicely nuanced (a little nutty?), extremely easy to enjoy.

Valrhona mocha; it's not hard to let time fly here. Nearly three hours whisked by before we left.

Three Little Birds is working to boost home bakers by not only providing an outlet for their products but also helping to refine the recipes. Little Tee Cakes (which also supplies to SS2's Standing Theory) currently has a Nutella-loving creation here that's been tweaked to contain more brown sugar than white (Mah says the cafe absorbs the cost of pricier ingredients).

A lingering look at the Epoxy-coated floor before we soar away; for curious cats, Three Little Birds could be construed as a humorous reference to Artisan Roast's Michael, Amirah & Joey (even though one's really a prominently big bird).

Wrapping up at The White Fly Caffe, a newbie in the Setiawalk complex that's increasingly flooded with coffee joints (CAFFEine, Tipsy Brew, etc).

The White Fly's catchphrase: "Italian coffee, made by Italians, Italian-style." And yes, there appears to be an Italian barista behind the counter, though we neglected to interrogate him.

This one's fun: Affogato, conceived with chocolate ice cream instead of the usual vanilla.

Personal notes as we all embark on 2014: This month marks the five-year point for Eat Drink KL, dovetailing with a milestone of 10 million page-views for this blog so far, organically reached through no marketing gimmicks or giveaways (thank you for reading!), with unprecedented growth that could see that 10-million total nearly double by the end of 2014.

It's also time for me to leave my full-time job in professional journalism at the organization where I've worked since 1999. What's ahead for me following my resignation is uncertain, but Eat Drink KL will continue. Plus, the ongoing eBook & upcoming email newsletter linked to this blog will be cornerstones in a stepped-up effort to (1) encourage readers to seek out more restaurants, cafes & bars that we might all enjoy, & (2) help these places earn the following they deserve.

Genuine thanks in advance for feedback & backing.

Cat In The Box

Level 1, The School, Jaya One, Petaling Jaya

Currently noon through 9pm daily

Three Little Birds
D7, Jalan Sentul, Kuala Lumpur
Currently 10am through 6pm daily

The White Fly
Ground Floor, Block B, Setiawalk, Puchong
Thursday-Tuesday, 11am-11pm

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Talent rises to the top: Launched this past month at Damansara Perdana, Talent Lounge is a place that's difficult to define but easy to recommend, thanks to its cool concept, welcoming setting, friendly people & satisfying food.

By day, Talent Lounge, owned by a Malaysian family that runs recruitment & training services, supplies a calm, comfortable space for professionals, complete with workstations for rent & a meeting room, striking a balance between being business-like & casual.

But Talent Lounge also nurtures an artistic side, turning part of this cavernous hall into a gallery that exhibits the work of local artists. When night falls, live music is also featured (once a month, for a start). So essentially, it's an event venue with lots of facilities.

Food is what we're focused on here; on that note, Talent Lounge's cafe delivers, with Sarawak-born chef Shaik Rhyszard (formerly of Mukha) commanding a kitchen that specializes in nutritious favorites _ like this combo of smoked salmon & quinoa (RM23) _ tackled with skill.

Many thanks to Talent Lounge's event manager Azlan for inviting us here; these baked eggs (RM18), creamy with ratatouille & coupled with rye bread, proved a very pleasant breakfast, exactly the kind of food that helps to boost our spirits.

Poached eggs with alfalfa sprouts & hollandaise sauce over spinach (RM18), also pure pleasure. Other potential highlights on the all-day-breakfast menu include pancakes & French toast (customers can choose a savory version with beef bacon & mozzarella cheese or a sweet sensation with honey & homemade jam).

Snacks include what's simply & deceptively labeled 'chicken wings' (RM12) on the menu. What emerges is more interesting, glazed in stickiness with an unexpected kick (it's mustard!) & with crispy breadcrumbs for extra texture. Sandwiches, pastas, burgers & meat & fish mains are also available; it's a full-on, something-for-everyone menu.

Desserts come courtesy of independent baker Butter.Fly; the chocolate pecan tart (RM13 per slice) makes for an ideal finish to this meal. Crowd-pleasing choices like red velvets, carrot cakes & banoffee pies are offered too.

Italian coffee is currently served; expect Ethiopian single-origin to be considered in the future.

Finally, affogato, with a fun surprise: Pillowy-sweet Turkish Delight on the side.

Lots of natural light, some nice greenery to look at outside. All in all, a nifty addition to this area.

Talent Lounge

Block A, PJ Trade Center, Damansara Perdana

Mon-Thurs, 8am-8pm, Fri-Sat, 8am-11pm. Tel: 03-7722-2962

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Overlooking a calm canal in Amsterdam, Greetje (named after the restaurant owner's mom) specializes in old-fashioned Dutch cooking, including what it calls "forgotten recipes" popular in previous generations.

Crusty bread with butter and (sinful food alert!) pork belly fat laced with onions.

Frysian grilled sugar bread. A crisp snack with decadent layers of homemade duck liver terrine sandwiched in between the slices.

Soup duo: 1. Cauliflower soup with salted anchovies and chervil, and 2. Bouillon of Dutch tomatoes with parsley & poached quail eggs. Dutch cuisine hasn't made a name for itself internationally; some consider it bland. But it can prove satisfyingly wholesome. Comfort food on every level.

Sauteed black pudding with warm apple compote and veal gravy with laurels. Partly crunchy, partly chewy, but wholly and flavorfully addictive.

Thickened yogurt with Dutch mustard, dill, roasted chestnuts and veggie chips.

Dutch shrimp on baby lettuce with cocktail sauce, tomatoes and herb salad (tangy-creamy), alongside thin-sliced garlic-marinated pork loin with aceto balsamic, brown sugar, sauerkraut and piccalilli.

Pickled beef pate with baked potato, herbs, mayo & horseradish. Sourish, but soft and chunky enough to recommend.

Vegetarian bitterballetjes. Deep-fried mushy goodness, stuffed with farmer's cheese and chives and served with mashed potatoes & lettuce. Chewing optional.

Pork-stew in tomato sauce, with more mashed potatoes. Home-style cooking.

Calude Val Rose (2009) & Touraine Sauvignon La Bocagerie (2009).

Greetje,

Amsterdam.

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Shoppers running perilously low on caffeine can recharge at two mall-based coffee bars that began brewing this past month: L'esprezzo at The Curve & Eight Ounce Coffee at The Gardens.

First up, L'esprezzo, operated by The Loaf bakery-cafe chain as part of its bid to capitalize on the Klang Valley's spiraling demand for better-tasting coffee.

L'esprezzo taps the services of Barista Guild Asia industry trainers & relies on single-origin beans, combined for a signature blend of Brazilian & Colombian that was available for this visit, to keep standards relatively high.

Try the tasty 'Cube60c' (RM12), featuring frozen espresso cubes poured over with hot milk in perfect proportions, for satisfying caffeine-dairy synergy.

'Artisan sandwiches' are listed on the menu, apparently exclusive to L'esprezzo to keep the brand distinct from branches of The Loaf. Choices include chicken wraps with feta cheese, red onions, lettuce & tzatziki sauce (RM22).

Regular pastries are offered too. L'esprezzo is likely to open its next branch at a Cheras mall.

Also acquiring attention: Eight Ounce Coffee, which has launched its first two outlets at The Gardens & KLCC.

The Gardens branch replaces Espressolab at the first-floor corridor link to Mid Valley Mall.

Complimentary coffee alert: Eight Ounce will officially celebrate its opening by giving away 188 free takeaway cups of hot lattes at both its outposts, on a first-come, first-served basis of course, on Jan. 8. Other customers will be entitled to a 50 percent discount off all coffee on that day.

Luscious-looking mille-crepes are offered at Eight Ounce ...

... plus other tempting cakes. Maybe next time.

L'esprezzo By The Loaf

K-F012-W, First Floor, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

8Oz Coffee Co

The Gardens & Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur

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Feeling crabby? Crazy Crabs wants to help.

Linked in ownership to the team behind Tom, Dick & Harry's as well as The Royal Flush, this new seafood restaurant features a facade that's shrewdly striking; its interior is more conservative ...

... though customers can still take pleasure in the scenic view of Oasis Ara Damansara's fountains.

The name "Crazy Crabs" might be catchy but it fails to extend so far to the kitchen's creativity; four preparations are currently available: the familiar, risk-free choices of butter milk, kam heong, steamed & salt-baked. We picked the first, more mild-tasting than expected, perhaps to let the crab's natural sweetness shine more perceptibly.

These crabs taste fine; they're satisfyingly fresh & fleshy. Still, budget-conscious customers might consider looking elsewhere; the minimum order of one kilogram (which provided us with two crabs) costs RM80++.

Mantou steamed buns are not offered yet. Roti bakar costs RM1++ per slice.

Need more crustaceans? The 'sang har tung fun" (RM45++ for the smallest serving) is tasty ...

... with the unexpected bonus of crab legs to bolster the flavor further.

Lala mee hoon (RM14++ for small). Edible, though it borders surprisingly close on blandness.

Longan-&-sugarcane juice. RM13++ for a carafe that should suffice for two.

Wine can be ordered from The Royal Flush nearby; the cheapest choice clocks in at a painful RM38++ by the glass.

All in all, we enjoyed our meal at Crazy Crabs, though it's debatable whether the price tag that exceeded RM220 (including the glass of wine) was entirely well-merited. But with weeks of Lunar New Year festive feasting ahead, the restaurant's owners have a shot at happily reaping hefty rewards.

Crazy Crabs

Oasis Square, Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya

Daily for lunch & dinner. Tel: 03-7859-8802 (phone line can be wonky for now)

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Watercolour @ Mont Kiara & Uneed @ Solaris Dutamas

Lucid Lounge @ Solaris Dutamas

Aspresso Coffee & That Place La @ Danau Kota, Setapak

Porcélene @ Empire, Damansara Perdana

De Kraai & D'Vijf Broers @ Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands

Inside Scoop Ice Cream @ Telawi, Bangsar

Baba @ Amsterdam

Zhou Restaurant @ Scott Garden, Old Klang Road

La Scala Italian Restaurant @ Mayang

Epicuro @ Damansara Uptown

Chaiwalla & Co Container Cafe @ The Curve

All You Can Eat @ Si Chuan Dou Hua, Parkroyal KL

Lucy In The Sky @ Tun H.S. Lee, Chinatown

Jam & Kaya Cafe @ PJ Palms Sports Center

Pyramid Secret Egyptian Food @ Solaris Dutamas

Cat In The Box, Three Little Birds & The White Fly

Talent Lounge @ PJ Trade Center, Damansara Perdana

Greetje @ Amsterdam

L'esprezzo @ The Curve & Eight Ounce Coffee @ Gardens

Crazy Crabs @ Oasis Ara Damansara