Fuiyoh! Its Uncle Roger
Unless you’ve been living under a wok, you’d have heard by now of this particular entry to the list. Perhaps one of the most anticipated openings this month, Uncle Roger’s (the viral-sensation character from comedian Nigel Ng) first restaurant is finally opening this 11 September. Located on Level 7 of Pavilion Elite in KL, the restaurant promises to deliver the best fried rice in town in all its orange-decorated glory. Though the full menu is yet to be revealed, chicken, prawn and unagi is set to be on the roster too, aside from the fried rice. If you decide to head over in the opening week, 14 September might be a good day as Nigel Ng and his team will be officially attempting a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of Uncle Rogers. Bust out your brightest orange polos and be part of the festivities.
Dusk
This unique slow coffee bar located in PJ Palms Sports Centre promises to deliver on unique coffee creations and fine desserts. A collaboration between the team behind Jam & Kaya Café and Voilà Patisserie, you’ll be able to pair delicious coffee and tea-based mocktails with deliciously crisp and flaky pastries. Opening its doors earlier this month on 1 September, Dusk (which aptly opens from 2PM till 10PM) will prove to be a place to slow your pace while satisfying your caffeine and croissant cravings.
Nikaku
The words ‘omakase’ and ‘casual’ rarely go together, but at Nikaku they do. This is the second restaurant from the masterminds behind Sushi Azabu, and you can find Nikaku in Isetan at Lot 10. Chef Dominique and Chef William take the lead to serve the freshest, choicest omakase experience while using as many local ingredients as possible. From fresh groupers and tiger prawns to Cameron Highlands’ corn and tomatoes, the taste of local flavours intersperse to create a unique twist on Japanese favourites. Even the sushi rice is made using two Malaysian vinegars and the house made dashi bones from locally-sourced fish for its stock. Nikaku uses halal ingredients and no alcohol in any of their dishes, making this a Muslim-friendly option too.
Underscore Brewery
This name might be familiar to the coffee fans among us and the Ara Damansara locals alike. If you’ve ever been to the famous Underscore Coffee, this is their latest venture that takes the form of a speakeasy bar, complete with bar seats and dim lighting. The drinks are anything but dim however and will pack a caffeine punch. Not a brewery in the traditional sense, Underscore Brewery serves cold brew-based concoctions, using only good coffee and water, steeped long and slow for a smooth texture. Though they’ve opened their doors since August, their new reservation-only coffee omakase has only just launched with the introduction of their V1.2 menu – and serves to be a great place to enhance your appreciation of their single-origin offerings.
Base Pasta Bar & Bistro
Craving for hearty pasta offerings and shareable comforting meals? Then Bukit Jalil’s Base Pasta Bar & Bistro should be on your must-try list. Expect to be satisfied by crispy quinoa arancini stuffed with spinach, pork ragu with sourdough garganelli pasta, charred cauliflower with base’s signature pesto Diavola, and dry-aged salmon steak, there’s something for everyone to enjoy here. Fresh pasta and bold flavours meet to create craveable dishes that you’ll come back for time and again.
Ramen Minamo
A steaming hot bowl of ramen is often the most comforting meal on cold, rainy days. And Ramen Minamo in Hartamas promises to deliver with their bowls of homemade chicken broth-based ramen. Lead by the chef from Tokyo’s Michelin Bib Gourmand Soranoiro Ramen, chef Chihiro Miyazaki, with chef Takuya and chef Hiroki alongside him, the menu consists of only ramen three choices of broth: shiro, shoyu and aka – along with toppings and a few side dishes to accompany. Expect the menu to grow and change every three months, as chef Miyazaki plans to reflect the four seasons in Japan through the seasonal offerings. In December, you can look forward to tsukemen, or dipping broth noodle, versions of Ramen Minamo’s three signature flavours.
Ground Flaw Coffee
Taman Melawati gets a new hangout spot in the form of Ground Flaw (we appreciate the pun in the name), located in Nadayu63. As the name suggests, Ground Flaw serves coffee with a side of daily reminders to embrace the beauty in imperfection. Their hand-shaped concrete counter serves as the centre piece of the spacious café, as touches of wood bring warmth to the space. Aside from offering Malaysian-roasted coffee, the kitchen will be launching with a small menu of Japanese dishes like salmon mentai and chicken katsu donburi, which you can enjoy as you overlook the view of Bukit Tabur through the floor to ceiling glass walls.
The Upper House
If you’re looking for cocktails with an unbeatable view, Upperhouse in Chinatown will be your new fave. Carefully curated cocktails with a clear view of Merdeka 118, there’s nothing more you’ll be craving (except maybe another cocktail) to set the perfect vibe. Located at the rooftop floor of B Hotel, this new bar comes from The Karls Group team, offering good drinks and good food that could almost guarantee a good time too.
Roots
Making its mark in a new terroir is the Johor-born Roots, a café-bistro concept dining spot that’s all about modern meatless fusion food! Located on Jalan Telawi in Bangsar, Roots serves up otherwise meat-heavy Italian-Malaysian fusion food in entirely plant-based forms. Their Signature Laksa Angel Hair and Laksa Pizza delivers on the spice and flavour bomb departments, or opt for a Double Jackfruit Mushroom Patty burger that will give you a new perspective on the versatility of the humble nangka.
Trio Bakehouse
The team at If Only is set to reopen their doors on 7 September with a new menu – and an all-new in-house bakery. Taking over the space that Universal Bakehouse used to occupy within If Only, TRIO will be in charge of serving up sourdough loaves and crusty pastries to complement the other dishes coming out from the kitchen. More will be revealed after TRIO officially opens, but we can’t wait to see what they’ll be baking up.
Discover more good eats here.
Header photo: Nikaku