10 new restaurants, cafés, and bars in Malaysia to visit in December 2024

Vibrance is at the forefront of Torito’s operation. From its colourful menu to its diverse culinary influences, diners are bound to be impressed by this new Peruvian-Japanese dining concept. Here, you’ll find dishes that fuse the gastronomic traditions of Japan and Peru in dishes like fresh oysters doused in Peruvian-style ponzu, acevichado rolls, spicy sautéed rice with kanikama, a lineup of ceviche and tiradito, tiger prawns served in Nikkei-style bisque, and more. 

See also: International Sushi Day: An exploration of Nikkei cuisine
 

Serving up scoops of really good gelato, Or Gelato’s frozen treats are made to showcase the best of premium ingredients including whole pistachios, real vanilla, and couverture chocolate. Everything here is made in-house from its bases to pastes to brown sugar cones. Each scoop is ethereally velvety, with the gelato parlour boasting flavours like Madagascar vanilla, salted caramel, Earl Grey raspberry, lychee cassis, and lemon basil sorbet.

You can also find whole cakes here available for preorder, filled with hazelnut gelato, pistachio semifreddo and mango sorbet, or Greek yoghurt gelato and Madagascar vanilla sorbet. 

If fresh handmade is what you’re looking for, Bella is the place to go. This intimate pasta bar is the perfect spot for a romantic night out, with a menu of handcrafted noodles paired with a slew of accompaniments. Find beef cheek ragout with mafaldine, tomato and tiger prawn tagliatelle, crab and ricotta stuffed ravioli, duck carbonara with duck prosciutto and crackling, and more alongside an impressive selection of wines. 

Chouchou is Chinatown’s newest cocktail bar, nestled below Pickle Dining. Upon entering, you’ll notice a well-stocked wine fridge equipped with a selection of both conventional and biodynamic pours. Cocktails here find their place on the menu categorised by robustness, seeing drinks accident with snake fruit and saffron liqueur alongside inventive inclusions like sweet soy sauce, red wine bubbles, toasted coconut foam, and more. 

Innovation is at the core of Inoha, the newest addition to Ara Damansara’s dining scene. You’ll notice this in one of its signature coffee-based beverages, the Espresso Inferno, a fiery blend of Tabasco, pineapple tepache, and espresso. Its food menu is equally inventive, redefining usual brunch fare with Japanese twists. Expect avocado toast with beetroot hummus and furikake, apple curry katsu don, and a big breakfast that sees traditional Japanese fixings including miso-marinated sea bass, agedashi tofu, natto, and miso soup. 

A pasta bar and wine cellar in Taman Desa, Cantina specialises in handmade noodles. Here, you’ll find two kinds of carbonara—the Italian and American versions—infused with either guanciale or smoky bacon. You can also expect fresh tortellini filled with smoked salmon ricotta, small plates of prosciutto and melon, salads, and an expansive selection of wines. 

Don’t miss: Beyond bucatini: 7 quirky pasta shapes worth discovering
 

Beginning its journey as a pop-up, Hétam has transformed itself into a full-fledged café located in PJ Trade Centre. You can expect the new café to serve up its signature coffees, matcha, and hojicha from Niko Neko Matcha, chocolate beverages made with Korte Chocolate, and flavoured coffee from Drip alongside a range of pastries. 

Expect café fare borrowing inspiration from Japanese treats here from French toast made with shokupan made in-house topped with banana brûlée and homemade strawberry compote to hojicha-infused Mont Blanc. Pair plates here with its stellar lineup of drinks including its Fuji Ume Boi, Ichigo Matcha, and Peach Garden Tea. 

An intimate tea bar nestled in Petaling Jaya, Teaxini doubles as a welcoming space to sip on fresh brews and as a merchant of Chinese and Japanese teas. You’ll find a lineup of speciality teas and coffees and, on occasion, inventive mocktails. 

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