Chew On This - Food Blog

: ‘Tis the season to imbibe, for KL Cocktail Week is almost upon us! I’ll be there at some of the guest shifts next week and will definitely be enjoying this year’s festival village party. See you there?

P.S. I wrote a tiny article in this year’s KLCW magazine 🍸
P.P.S. Cheers!

Looking for your next caffeine fix? Ranked as the world’s ninth-best coffee shop by Top 100 Coffee Shops, ONO ushers in a new chapter with an expanded food menu and thoughtful spatial upgrades. Designed to pair seamlessly with specialty coffee or matcha, highlights include the mushroom-rich Velvety Forest brioche toast and the indulgent Suisen Genmai French toast topped with strawberries and ice cream. With expanded indoor seating and a new alfresco area, there’s now even more room to enjoy it all.

: The new (not really) burger kid on the block, Hot Buns Co (), is packing!

It’s not just burgers at this elevated American diner concept eatery. Although the burgers are pretty darn amazing. I got to try all available burgers – the cheeseburger, bone marrow burger, chicken burger and creamy jalapeño burger. All were incredibly flavour rich, each component lovingly packed with flavour and were definitely the stars of the show. I won’t spoil it, but trust me when I say they’re worth a visit.

But, it’s more than just burgers at Hot Buns Co. If you’re in the mood for a hearty breakfast, their incredibly fluffy buttermilk pancakes hit the spot. With lightly crisp edges, a maple-soy glaze, honey-maple butter, fresh strawberries and blueberries, it’s every adult kid’s breakfast dream come true.

The restaurant also serves two heartier mains for those looking for sharing plates – a delicious mala lamb ribs and an Australian wagyu hanger steak. The mala ribs are generously dusted with an amazing mala seasoning, reminiscent of those lamb skewers popular at Chinese hot pot restaurants. The steak on the other hand, aired on the simpler side, served with caramelised onions, some summer crust and beef jus.

Appetisers, lest I forget, are also worth a mention. I especially love the crispy chilli oil bursts, a lovely twist on an Italian classic with toasted sourdough and crispy chilli oil. 🤤

It wouldn’t be a diner without some pie now wouldn’t it, and fortunately HBC makes a dang delicious key lime pie. And since I’m a self-proclaimed key lime pie devotee, this one really hit the spot. For those more adventurous, try their molten keluak chocolate cake! 😅

By now, you must be wondering where the elevated part of HBC’s concept comes into play? Why…cocktails, of course! In all fairness, I tasted six cocktails and all were pretty tasty. Standouts include the Xiao Long Nü, featuring longan Cointreau, gin, lemon juice and aer for body. The Kiam Hu Mary also hit the spot, by complementing savoury elements of the food I ate rather than contrasting it.