January has a way of easing us back into going out, as it brings an exciting number of new dining spots. These range from polished steakhouses to underground cocktail bars and neighbourhood cafés worth exploring. Esquire Malaysia covers what is new, and what you should order first.
With generous portions and polished service, this is steakhouse dining at its finest. Smith & Wollensky arrives with the grandeur expected from an iconic New York steakhouse. The two-storey venue features a spacious formal dining room, alongside private rooms for events.
Prime dry-aged beef makes up most of the menu, including the 44-ounce Swinging Tomahawk, aged for 28 days and carved tableside. Seafood comes in equally dramatic fashion, led by the Signature Seafood Tower stacked with plenty of shellfish.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with desserts such as the 10-layer Gigantic Chocolate Cake. Plus, an extensive wine list catering to collectors and celebratory guests alike, with nearly 2,000 labels sourced from across the globe.
Named after the Chinese puzzle, this Northeast Asian restaurant is led by Hsiao Tungwei of Unwined KL, in collaboration with Taiwanese chef Johnny Tsai of T+T. It builds on their earlier pop-up work, moving into a permanent space that reflects Hsiao’s return to his Taiwanese roots.
The menu follows an Eight Treasures tasting format, letting a few plates do the talking at an affordable price. Light seafood courses awaken the palate, followed by heartier main dishes such as the grouper served with baby cabbage and Sichuan peppercorn, showcasing clean flavours with just enough heat.
Guests can then choose between a lamb saddle or an optional upgrade to A5 wagyu, before ending with a classic pineapple tart. The dining experience concludes simply with a choice of coffee, tea, or a non-alcoholic pairing.
If you enjoy the burnt flavours of smoke and char, Firewood KLCC brings the Penang-born grillhouse into the city. This dining spot focuses on open-flame cooking, specialising in wood-fired steaks, grilled seafood, and classic sides.
Steaks are the headline, featuring the only Australian Stone Axe full-blood wagyu available in KL. This can be served as sirloin or in the Firewood Wagyu Claypot. Beyond the prime beef, the menu includes starters such as Charcoal Burnt Caesar and Firewood Truffle Mushroom Soup.
The desserts are also indulgent, with options like Firewood Tiramisu, Lemon Posset Brulee, and Chocolate Mousse with caramel sauce. It’s best paired with a smoky cocktail; try the Firewood Negroni or a Smoked Old Fashioned.
Rembayung marks the first restaurant from Khairul Aming, the name behind Malaysia’s homegrown product Sambal Nyet. Even before opening this month, it has drawn major attention from fans of Malay cuisine and of the entrepreneur himself. The booking site reportedly crashed after thousands tried to secure reservations.
The modern kampung-style restaurant seats up to 250 guests, making this the perfect family dining experience. Expect traditional Malay cooking, with those local village flavours cooked on a grand scale.
The dishes centre on the comfort and nostalgia of authentic masakan kampung (village cooking), the kind built around rice, sambal, and kuih muih (traditional cakes). This type of food is also designed for sharing, long meals, and round after round rather than just a quick bite.
Created by KARLS Group, SanTai House positions itself as a multi-level rooftop venue built around living well, physical energy, and social connection. Sharing space with Ascaro padel courts, the concept blends sport, dining, and leisure into one address.
The dining experience is split into three parts. The Day Kitchen handles brunch and all-day plates, suited for pre-game meals or slow lunches. The Pool Club keeps things casual with fun cocktails and light bites for lingering between matches. After dark is Fire Grill’s time, with a focus on modern Asian flavours. Expect smoke-driven dishes, spice-led profiles, and grilled mains.
Rothmans Place sits at a junction many PJ locals already know by heart, Rothmans Roundabout, and the café here marks the building’s latest venture. Inside, the space is vast and welcoming, with a wall of live plants and large windows to let plenty of daylight in for a lively feel.
The Muslim-friendly menu keeps things easy and flexible for all walks of Malaysian life. For brunch, the soft scrambled eggs are served alongside house-baked muffins. Diners can then try the Burger Benedict, a crowd favourite that merges a cheeseburger with Eggs Benedict. By lunchtime, the offerings widen to include both local and Western plates, from nasi kerabu to pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches.
Tagg Cafe 2.0 launches as the brand’s second outpost. The café leans towards the minimalist side, with an open space that suits friendly conversations, solo work sessions, or an unhurried brunch. It's a place that works just as well for a quiet morning alone as it does for long catch-ups with friends.
The menu sticks closely to what regulars already enjoy. For a coffee run, the café offers familiar beverages such as matcha and the Tagg Blend Latte. Breakfast plates and house sandwiches round things out, making it easy to shift to a proper sit-down meal without changing venues. This is joined by a range of desserts, such as cakes and waffles, for those stopping by for a sweet treat.
Submerge opens beneath Afloat Coffee Roaster as a more educational extension of its parent café upstairs. The intimate espresso bar is compact and modern, seating only 16 people. With the bar as the clear focal point, it encourages conversation between the barista and the guest.
Detailed tasting notes are part of the experience, turning each order into something closer to a guided session. It doubles as an educational space, hosting workshops and offering a curated retail selection for home brewers who want to take their learning further.
The menu centres on single-origin espresso, with seasonal beans often presented in contrasting extractions. This shows how one coffee can shift in flavour depending on technique. The bar also serves creative beverages, like the signature Take a Breather, an espresso drink infused with botanicals.
The Bread Project operates as a neighbourhood bakery and café, with enough range to reward repeat visits. With offerings such as sourdough loaves and laminated pastries available, even the most picky of bread connoisseurs will find their fix here.
The Shio Pan is a clear favourite, offered in four flavours: Original, Taro Butter, Red Bean Butter, and Coffee. Each bite of this Japanese-style bread is soft, fluffy, and lightly salted. Beyond that, unique creations, like the Charcoal Matcha Strawberry Tart, are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate.
Savoury options hold their own too, including standouts such as the Mala Mentaiko Baguette and focaccia sandwiches. Coffee complements these bakes, with drinks like the Einspänner, topped with thick cream, available in flavours such as Matcha and Black Sesame.
Hidden beneath Wisma Central, this underground lounge bar is perfect for those who prefer a low-key alternative to the city’s rooftop spots. The space draws from London’s nightlife culture, both in name and mood, reworked from a local point of view. Thanks to the furniture made with reclaimed wood or shelving built from repurposed durian timber, you’ll find a lived-in quality to the vibes of this place.
Led by experienced mixologists, the staff tailor your drink to your mood. The cocktail menu leans into this storytelling, with signature drinks such as the Magenta Blitz, Whispering Jade, and Madagasia. House-made syrups introduce local notes, including nangka and pandan flavours. On weekdays, the lounge is quieter, suited for slow sipping and repeat rounds. And on the weekends, DJs will be on hand to add some beats to the mix.
Esquire Malaysia
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