Across Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, new restaurants, cafés, and bars are pairing food with increasingly specific obsessions. This month’s newcomers include a popular matcha café inside a heritage building, a theatre-style show bar where dinner comes with live performances, a vinyl-themed lounge, and a restaurant dedicated almost entirely to A5 Wagyu gyukatsu. Elsewhere, chefs are putting Thai spins on chicken rice, reimagining French bistro comfort food, and importing a gastrobar from Jakarta.
If your usual dining rotation feels predictable, Esquire Malaysia covers what is new and what you should order first.
Inside an abandoned warehouse in Petaling Jaya is Don’t Tell Your Mama. Mornings begin with coffee and casual meetings, while evenings see the space shift into a steakhouse and cocktail spot. The industrial setting leans into its former life, with plenty of open space and quirky furnishings like cheetah-print seats. On weekdays, you'll find creatives and community gatherings filling the tables. Weekends bring run clubs and pet owners to the outdoor seating area.
The menu draws on both Japanese and Western cuisines. During the day, signature rice and noodle bowls round out the café offering. Standout dishes include the Braised Beef Brisket Ramen loaded with tripe, tendons, and beef balls, as well as freshly made gyoza. After dark, the kitchen pivots towards heartier fare, including the Truffle Capellini and Engawa Claypot Rice. Drinks follow the same day-to-night progression, moving from coffees to cocktails.
Niko Neko Matcha has found another fitting home for its latest outlet. Version 6.0 occupies the former General Post Office at Dataran Merdeka, bringing matcha culture into a heritage building. Inside, the interiors feature a minimal design. Natural light filters through low ceilings, while salvaged grills from Penang add texture to the bar. The result is a modern tea house, perfect for matcha addicts who want to linger over a carefully whisked bowl.
The menu extends well beyond a standard matcha drink. Visitors can try exclusive creations including the REN Koicha Snowball Affogato, which pairs premium ceremonial-grade matcha with dessert, or the Tsubaki Houjicha Soya Cincau Latte for a local twist that combines soy milk and grass jelly. The gelato selection is equally tempting, with unique flavours such as the Pulat Hitam and KIYONE / Matcha x Hokkaido Milk Strawberry. Before leaving, serious matcha devotees can stock up on the brand’s signature powders and home-brewing kits.
Volume brings vinyl culture into The Arch Galeries, a new F&B, wellness, and event space. Designed by Sinaran Infinity, the venue makes an impression with a towering installation of nearly 400 vinyl records and an LED ceiling and floor design. The listening café will regularly host DJ-led day parties, featuring R&B, hip-hop, and Afro sounds. A full kitchen is also expected to launch in the coming months through its neighbouring concept, The Listening Room. Until then, come for the music, stay for the vibes, and consider the food a bonus.
The menu keeps things simple. Guests can expect a selection of pastries, soft cookies, artisanal coffee, and cold-pressed juices. Coffee lovers can opt for classics like cappuccinos, as well as playful signatures like the Afterdark, a mix of espresso, dark plum, guava, and soda. Non-coffee options include the Tropical Zen, a refreshing combination of matcha, guava, and yuzu, or the Heart Beat juice for a healthy blend of carrot, apple, beetroot, lemon, and ginger. Pair your beverages with a French butter croissant or pain au chocolat.
Sri Hartamas is hardly short on places to eat, but 555 Thainanese Chicken Rice arrives with a straightforward concept. It takes the familiar comfort of Hainanese chicken rice and gives it a distinctly Thai accent. The signature chicken rice starts with jasmine rice cooked with garlic, ginger, and chicken stock for added fragrance. The poached chicken follows a traditional preparation method, producing crispy skin and tender meat, while house-made sauces provide an extra kick with bird's eye chillies, fermented soybeans, and ginger.
Those looking beyond the classic plate should order the Chicken Pad Krapao, which delivers plenty of heat from the chillies and is topped with a rich duck egg. The Heritage Curry Laksa, loaded with chicken, prawns, tofu puffs, fish cakes, and a molten duck egg, is another crowd favourite. Don't leave without trying the Claybrew Kopi, brewed in clay vessels and served alongside lava stone-toasted roti bakar. Add in a coconut shake or a refreshing lime tea, and you've got a meal that straddles the line between kopitiam and Thai street-food cravings.
Japanese cuisine has seen the rise of many omakase counters and yakiniku restaurants. The Bukit Damansara newcomer takes a narrower approach, focusing on gyukatsu. The restaurant's name combines the Japanese characters for beef and star, a fitting description for a menu built around a single headline dish. From the furnishings to the fixtures, timber dominates the compact 53-seat space, reminiscent of a neighbourhood eatery in Kyoto. Tables sit close together, while window seats overlook the quiet residential streets.
Sourced from Japan, the gyukatsu is built around premium A5 Wagyu. Each cut is carefully sous vide cooked, coated in panko, fried until golden, and finished over binchotan charcoal. The signatures are the A5 Tenderloin and A5 Ribeye Wagyu sets, though the latter stands out thanks to its richer marbling. Beyond beef, diners can also order Japanese oysters flown in from Miyagi and Mentaiko Mayo Fries that are hard to resist between plates. There’s even Portobello Mushroom Katsu for vegetarians and a tempura-style set for all kinds of seafood.
The revamped Glo Damansara welcomes its first wave of tenants. Among them is Zenders, a fast-food joint from the team behind neighbouring favourite Mokky's Pizza. Inspired by classic American diners and 80s pop culture, the retro space is designed for anyone who wishes lunch came with a soundtrack of vintage arcade sound effects. Think bright colours, checkerboard floors, and a nostalgia that makes you expect a pinball machine in the corner.
Chicken tenders are the main attraction, turning up in burgers, doughnut sandwiches, and chicken-and-waffle combinations. Pair them with curly fries or potato crispers, then choose from house-made sauces such as ranch and sweet chilli pineapple. The menu draws from fast-food culture, right down to the refillable sodas, thick milkshakes, and over-the-top desserts. Those willing to fully lean in should try the Ice Cream Tender, a cornflake-crusted vanilla ice cream reminiscent of deep-fried treats found at American concession stands.
The space beneath Pickle Dining, next to RexKL in Petaling Street, has undergone a transformation. Once known as a cocktail bar, Pickle Deli now operates as a French bistro serving comfort food from Chef Danial Thorlby and the team behind its sister restaurant. The atmosphere is intentionally more casual and relaxed, built around sharing plates, good drinks, and the idea that serious cooking doesn't need a formal setting to be taken seriously.
Modern European influences run throughout the menu, though the cooking seems closer to a laid-back bistro than a traditional deli. Guests can expect dishes like Mussels Marinières, Bavette Steak Frites, and Fish & Chips made fresh with daily catches. The cocktails retain much of the creativity that first put them on the map, from the Pickle Gin Martini to the Miso Old Fashioned. Finish with the Tonka Bean Mille-Feuille, and you'll quickly understand the appeal. It works well for a quick bite, a leisurely lunch, or a few drinks that turn into dinner.
Kapitan's Club occupies the third floor of Yap Ah Shak House, adding another destination to one of the city's fastest-growing food hubs. The space leans into old-world charm, with deep seating, dimly lit corners, and a sense of discretion that’s geared towards long conversations rather than quick meals. While the setting evokes a private members' club, the food takes its cues from Straits and Peranakan cooking, reinterpreted with a modern touch. The menu moves comfortably between noodle dishes, wok-fried seafood, and slow-braised meats.
Starters such as the Otak-Otak Wing and Prawn Toast introduce the kitchen's approach, refining local favourites. The same philosophy extends to its larger plates, including the Curry Kapitan, where free-range chicken is simmered in a fragrant coconut-based curry. Highlights include the deeply savoury Beef Rendang made with Australian striploin and Nasi Goreng topped with fried chicken and satay. End the meal with the Gula Hangus Moden, a contemporary take on burnt caramel cake that delivers just the right amount of sweetness.
Inside Hextar World at Empire City is Kissy Fish, billed as the city's first immersive show bar. The venue combines dining, cocktails, and theatrical production into a single evening. With vintage-inspired interiors and entertainment woven throughout the night, guests can expect a dinner where the performers share as much of the spotlight as the food and drinks. Different live performances take place throughout the week, making each visit distinct from the last.
The menu mirrors that sense of spectacle, drawing influences from across Asia and Europe. Familiar plates rarely appear in their expected form, from A5 Wagyu Rolls to a shareable Hainanese Chicken Rice Paella that reimagines the local favourite through a Spanish lens. Those looking for the full experience can opt for the chef's private dinner menu, an eight-course journey with dishes such as Truffle Sakura Ebi Cappellini and Rasam Mussels.
Located in The MET Corporate Towers, Phoenix Gastrobar marks the expansion of the Jakarta-born concept. Spread across two levels, the venue pairs European-inspired interiors with live entertainment, from weekend bands to DJ sets later in the evening. The culinary direction draws from modern Asian cooking, with Malaysian and Indonesian influences filtered through contemporary techniques and plating.
The Soy Tuna Tostada pairs Japanese ingredients with Mexican presentation, while the Grilled Short Rib Sambal Ijo brings Indonesian flavours to a steakhouse format. Even the Garlic Butter King Prawn arrives with house-made brioche for mopping up the sauce. The grill section centres on premium cuts, including several Stone Axe Wagyu options cooked over charcoal. Behind the bar, more than 30 cocktails reinterpret familiar flavours, from the rum-based Mango Shake to The Precious, a silky vodka cocktail infused with pandan notes.
Esquire Malaysia
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