No single design ethos has been as pervasive, particularly in Malaysian café culture as Japandi. A fusion of Japanese sensibility and pared-down Scandinavian hygge, its use of pale woods, low-profile furnishings, and muted natural hues can be found in the remote recesses of central Perak (Lenggong’s Pio Kopi) to the bustle of downtown Johor Bahru (Sunday Morning).

Banking on a trending aesthetic such as this potentially proffers a greater chance of earning the in-demand currency of social media: Attention. In only a matter of years, TikTok and Instagram have become indispensable tools for brand building. For F&B newcomers that lack pedigree, it can get patrons through the door. But beware of fame’s downside. Unreasonably long queues to enter and the disruptive presence of oblivious photo opportunists can result in a dissatisfying experience for the more serious diner.

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CocoKacang aka Amy Liang, the talented architect-cum-interior designer behind the Japandi-tastic Breakfast Thieves at APW in Bangsar and the cheery minimalism of Three Years Old along Jalan Sin Chew Kee is unfazed and is all for the democratisation of information. “Now every small business has the chance to share their business and product with the world”, she says. Execution may be limited by budget and other practical constraints, but when small businesses have an equal chance of creating something unique as a big business does, everyone has the potential to win.

Then there is the matter of copying and pasting. In the rush to strike while the iron is hot a design aesthetic can be thoughtlessly rendered and repeated ad nauseum with little consideration of context. When this happens, even the brightest idea can devolve into a soulless pastiche of itself.

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Shin Chang, one-half of design collective Mentah Matter, cautions against any design-by-numbers approach to design. “A place can become a stereotype of what a café or restaurant should look like, which is boring,” he opines.

The mindless pursuit of photo geniality overlooks the critical role of the architect and designer, which he asserts is problem-solving. “It’s what we’re trained to do.”

Mentah Matter’s projects are peppered throughout downtown KL and include RexKL, Chocha, Joloko, and Licky Chan. All are highly Instagramable, and none can be accused of being boring. Instead, surprises await at every turn: hidden levels, glass gangplanks, passageways that invite discovery, and unconventional shapes that encourage play.

“These are experiential spaces," Chang points out, “It’s not about Insta-worthy corners.” Any Influencers and opinion leaders you spot posing for pictures are purely coincidental.

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What social media can be credited with is giving wider society and the design community a platform for greater discourse. “Social media is merely bringing the conversation to the fore,” interior designer Kian Liew assures. “Interior design is fundamental to the user experience of any space, including cafes and restaurants. An increased awareness of this has resulted in more emphasis on good design, which is definitely a good thing.”

Lai Siew Hong, co-founder of Blu Water Studio, concurs: “Social media has helped to elevate the F&B scene in a very progressive and positive direction.”

Adulation usually reserved for chefs, kitchens, and culinary empires is now deservingly heaped on the design collectives serving up good looks. Mentioning all of them here would be foolish, but it would be remiss not to highlight a few like Wunderwall – Jibby on the Park, Small Shifting Space, and the most recent VCRs (whose queues to get a table are self-explanatory). Worth mentioning too are recent outputs of Studio Kanta’s Suek Mei Chai and Adrien Kent, which recall the cinematic universe of Wes Anderson, and POW Ideas, run by Kyle E and Jun Ong, whose design raison d’etre is creating spaces with a “pow” as seen in OG Petaling Street cafes like Merchant’s Lane and Wildflowers, a slew of outlets at APW, and The Swimming Club in KL Journal Hotel.

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And things are just heating up. Michelin stars and Top 50 Restaurant and Bar lists, once the preserve of European and American dining destinations, are steadily being infiltrated by Asia’s finest. Southeast Asia is overdue for its time in the spotlight.

Locally, source material is abundant and Malaysia’s rich multicultural heritage provides a worthy muse. Its mid-century tropical design vocabulary and Straits-style influence have provided the inspiration for casual dining stalwarts Alexis and Chinoz at KLCC, as well as the recherché Isabel, a sadly short-lived endeavour that paired fine Asian and Indo-Chinese fare with Malaya plantation chic.

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Restaurants like hidden gem Adu Sugar and Chef Wan’s growing D’Wan empire take a less restrained approach and recall the love affair with all crafts Asian that early pioneer Bon Ton had (even before it became a boutique hotel). Imbued with Chef Amran Hassan personal touch, Adu Sugar’s authentic Malay offerings and intimate setting filled with Asian curios and art convey the feel of a dinner party at the residence of a bon vivant rather than dining in an upper-level Bangsar shop lot.

The grand salon theme reappears at Acme Group’s OpenHouse where Brian Quirk and Andrew Wong’s tryst with gilded Asian opulence and upscale Malay cuisine and rare, revived recipes is rendered with maximalist defiance.

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When not toiling over design plans, Liew himself is presiding over bōl, the restaurant that’s turning heads and changing minds about Peranakan cuisine. He describes the the interior design thus: “A physical manifestation of the cultures and flavours encapsulated by bōl’s dishes.”

The “punchy and potent" taste profiles of heirloom recipes like Itek Tim and ingredients like buah keluak turn up in unanticipated new forms on the plate and are reflected in the décor with bright hues and botanical-themed wallpaper.

For gourmands, this risqué distillation of cultural identities and handed-down practises into fully realised dining concepts is novel ground to furrow. For those connected to Southeast Asia by geography or family, it carries a relatable honesty or as Liew puts it, “a sense of home that is inextricably linked with the cultural identity of Southeast Asians.”

As mixologists, culinarians, and designers become emboldened on the back of other well-received projects and palates become ever-sophisticated, more of this lies in our future.

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