Vin's, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Vin's restaurant and bar is worth the drive all the way over to TTDI from Ampang. Actually on the DUKE it only took us about 20 minutes door to door and the restaurant is easy to find. Recently opened, Vin's has a nice neighbourhood feel and sells hearty dishes to be enjoyed with hungry friends. The food tastes like good comfort home cooking. It is unpretentious, full of flavour and we had success with every dish we tried. Highlights of our meal were the Shepherd's pie, Maksimo Burger, Chicken Tikka Masala and the Cajun Chicken Salad. Don't miss the orange mango sorbet to finish - a smooth texture with just the right amount of zing served inside an orange skin.

Vin’s
No.6, Lorong Datuk Sulaiman 1,
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (TTDI)
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
+603 7725 9053

Espressamente Illy, Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Espressamente Illy serves a decent cup of coffee. A truly great cup of coffee has been difficult to find in Malaysia so I'm very pleased to finally post some good coffee news. Drinks here are more expensive than average, but sometimes to get a good cup you have to pay, especially in KL. They use Illy coffee beans and it appears that their baristas are properly trained too. I'm usually content with a latte or cappuccino but their drink menu is so enticing I've ventured to try a few of their other offerings. Half & Half - half melted chocolate and half espresso - and their frappes have been two drinks I have had more than one of. The main cafe is on street level at Pavilion, Bukit Bintang. There is another smaller outlet in Bangsar Village. Pavilion is my pick though for the crowd watching possibilities.

Espressamente Illy
Level 3, Pavilion KL,
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia
Tel: 03 2141 0028

Carmen's Vinothek, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

What a great place to have an afternoon or early evening drink! Carmen's Vinothek in Changkat Bukit Bintang has 4 hours of Happy Hour everyday from 5 - 9pm. Two glasses of wine for 25RM is not a bad deal in the centre of KL. There is an enticing selection of cheeses from Europe and Australia to pair with your wine and also some fine handmade dark chocolates perfect for savouring with your reds. The wine cellar is divided into old world and new world wines so there is something to suit all palates. For those who can't make up their minds an enomatic wine dispenser allows you to sample a wide selection of wines from 5RM per portion. This place will make many ladies I know very happy - wine, chocolate, cheese and choice - what more could we dream of...

Carmen's Vinothek
48 Changkat Bukit Bintang,
502000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
603 2143 2268

Alexis Bistro, Great Eastern Mall, Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The best tiramisu in town can be found at the newly renovated Alexis Bistro & Wine Bar Ampang. It is sprinkled with caramelized nuts that are yummy enough as a dessert all on their own. The rest of the menu, although a bit pricey for the portion size, has been consistently good offering a mixture of Western and Asian dishes. I'm a big breakfast fan and have enjoyed many a good weekend breakfast at this place. Possibly though, one of the main reasons I keep going back is the fact that I can ask for my dressing on the side, low fat milk in my coffee, wholemeal instead of white bread, something from this dish combined with something from that dish and... the wait staff smile, repeat my order and everything actually comes out as ordered! If you've lived in Malaysia for more than a few weeks you will understand why I'm so tickled by this. This is also a great place for a glass of wine and some live jazz Friday and Saturday evenings. Reserving a table in advance is advised as it is often booked out.

Alexis Bistro & Wine Bar Ampang
Lot 10 & 11, Ground Floor
Great Eastern Mall
303 Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
+603 4260 2288

Harrods, KLCC, Malaysia

A quiet, refined dining area at the back of the retail section of Harrod's is the best place in KL to enjoy traditional English roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. For 50RM you get three generous slices of tender beef, plenty of gravy and veges and a perfectly baked Yorkshire pud. Unless you have money to throw around give the overpriced starters a miss. Although the soup and salad we ordered were well presented and delicious, the portions were tiny for the price we paid. Service is smiley and the decor is what you'd expect from Harrod's - lots of white cloth, shiny cutlery and a few unobtrusive pieces of furniture and photos to complete the scene. Oh, another nice thing to know is that if you visit after 8:30pm you can get 50% off their breads and sandwiches. Their house blend of coffee is flavourful too which you can enjoy freshly ground and brewed at the coffee bar or as a treat to take home.

Harrod's
Level 1, Park Mall
Suria KLCC
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
603 - 2166 6000

Five Star Disappointment

After having such an exciting run of finding yummy places in KL, I've come to another disappointing week of very average food and settings. THREE restaurants visited this week, all in FIVE star hotels, NONE make The Yum List. When you pay top prices you expect high quality food with at least a little imagination, an authentic or creative setting and needless to say pleasant and efficient service. I don't understand the attitude of just being average when you have the resources to be excellent. Somebody please point me in the direction of a five star hotel in Kuala Lumpur that does pay attention to detail and demonstrates passion for work...

Fukuya, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

After struggling with a string of unsatisfying eating experiences in KL I'm delighted to say that over the last few weeks I have stumbled across quite a lot of yummy places... yummy enough to make it to The Yum List. This one, Fukuya, serves traditional Japanese cuisine. The quality ingredients are fresh and arranged perfectly with not even a drop of seasoning out of place. The ambience is spacious, green and peaceful. Our wait staff were friendly, courteous and efficient. While not cheap, you can still sample some of their excellent dishes for a reasonable price if you go for lunch. A number of different lunch sets are available ranging from 38 to 75 RM. I sampled various grilled fish dishes and my friend had the tempura and salmon sashimi. I have it from a very reliable Japanese source that the Traditional Japanese Full Course Set Lunch for 60RM is worth every cent. I will be going back on an empty stomach to sample that one.

Fukuya: Authentic Japanese Cuisine
No 9 Jalan Delima
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia, 55100
03 2144 1022 / 1077
http://www.fukuya.com.my/