This month in new restaurants and cafes in KL, we see an influx of new cafes to hang out at.
It’s time to plan your August schedule. We’re looking at two long weekends in the month — the first is during the Awal Muharram festivities on August 20th, and the second is at the end of the month, during Merdeka day. If you haven’t yet planned for a domestic holiday, you should probably plan to visit these new restaurants and cafes in KL.
This month, our list looks pretty exciting. We’re seeing an influx of new cafes, including a hot new bakery cafe in town that serves quite possibly the best croissant in KL. For something more substantial, allow us to point you towards the direction of a Punjabi restaurant, a new Nyonya-Thai restaurant in Klang, or perhaps Gooddam’s latest weekend brunch offerings?
(Hero & featured image credit: Unsplash/ Kaley Dykstra)
PJ’s hottest new place to see and be seen at is Dou Dou Bake, a new bakery cafe by the team behind One Half. Located in SS4 Petaling Jaya, this lush bakery cafe has a gorgeous interior and exterior with equally great coffee and pastries. The star here is the sourdough croissant, which co-owner Keith Koay has meticulously perfected. Naturally, the other sourdough pastries are equally as good, so make room in your stomach to try them all. But we’d suggest you come before you get hungry, as the wait to dine in can be up to two hours in current times.
(Image credit: Instagram/ @carol.eats)
We love hunting for inconspicuous coffee places tucked inside another shop, and Atap by Pagi Coffee Co. is one of them. Hidden inside the Wayang Kulit Tatu studio, it’s a great place to stop by in-between tattooing sessions or if you’re just in the neighbourhood and fancy a cup of coffee with a grilled cheese sandwich.
(Image credit: Instagram/ @atapbypagicoffeeco)
Take a trip to Punjab right here in Taman Paramount — Sangat Punjabi Cuisine offers you dishes from the Indian state, thanks to chefs with Punjab-origins. You’ll find familiar flavours here, buttered naan to biryani, and even tandoori chicken — but they utilise authentic Punjab styles to execute them.
(Image credit: Instagram/ @sangatpunjabicuisine)
One of the best ways to enjoy many kinds of local food in one setting is by heading to a food court. Lauk Pauk in The Background, RexKL is precisely like that — but better. Here, you can enjoy warung-style food steeped in Malaysian flavours and share them with your friends. We dig the flavourful Cincalok Fried Chicken and the hearty bowl of Curry Laksa. For something that can never go wrong, try the Notorious Nasi Lemak with the Ayam Bakar.
(Image credit: Instagram/ @lauk__pauk)
Another tiny cafe tucked inside another inconspicuous business is Spacegrey, a charming little coffee joint inside the Floralreef florist. While bottled, ready-to-drink beverages are its speciality, you’re also invited to sit down and have a cup of hot, articulately-poured latte.
(Image credit: Instagram/ @spacegrey.my)
Previously known as The Private Room in TTDI, the former purveyor of wines has now rebranded itself into a ‘mizakaya’ — a Malaysian-style Japanese izakaya. While you’re downing mug after mug of icy high balls (pick between whisky or shochu), feast on snacky izakaya favourites, from gyoza to chicken karaage and local favourites including siew yoke, nam yu pork belly, and more. Collins’ drinks offerings are also extensive, with various cocktails and flavoured highballs.
(Image credit: Instagram/ @collins_ttdi)
Gooddam is opening its doors for lunch on the weekends and giving itself a new nickname during these hours: Pranzo by Gooddam. The restaurant is normally only open for dinner, but on the weekends, it transforms into a brunch place serving up breakfast favourites like cured salmon with eggs. Pranzo by Gooddam also goes above and beyond with offerings such as the Gooddam Weekend Pie, which has a red wine stewed duck leg enclosed in a buttery pie crust. If you want something light, may we suggest the Salame Platter?
(Image credit: Instagram/ @pranzobygooddam)
If you’re willing to drive to Bukit Raja in Klang, YDG’S Phuket Babas is a must-visit. The restaurant fuses culinary inspirations from both Nyonya and Thai backgrounds, resulting in rich, tantalising flavours of hearty dishes. Foods are given a modern and luscious interpretation — think olive-fed Spanish pork belly used in pork pongteh, otak-otak lasagna, grilled Spanish octopus with a cincalok sauce, and more. There are also cocktails to be enjoyed at YDG’s Phuket Babas, which are also given the Asian treatment, like the Thai Tea Old Fashioned and the Red Ruby dessert made into a cocktail.
(Image credit: Instagram/ @phuketbabas)
PohNee Chin
Editor, Kuala Lumpur
Poh Nee is the editor and writes about travel and drinks. When she's not living out her holiday dreams via Google Earth and sipping on an Old Fashioned down at the local bars, you can find her snug at home bingeing on Netflix and mystery fiction.
