Best Places to Eat in Taman Desa

Taste & Memories

For Homely Chinese With the Family
Set up with wooden fittings that evoke oriental charm, Taste & Memories’s interior matches their selection of traditional, MSG-free Chinese fare that even grandma would approve of. Come with the family and order a bountiful of dishes to share at the round table. The thick Hometown Chicken Soup (RM68.90) is chock-full of flavour and likens chicken essence, with poached chicken that’s tender to the bone, while the Homestyle Sweet & Sour Pork (RM20.90) is crispy and flavourful. If you spot a claypot dish on other tables, it most likely is the Homemade Pork Rice (RM12.90) — think claypot rice cooked with golden pork lard bits. We hear you can even take this dish up a notch with extra abalone. For a hearty meal in the morning, there are meals for one, such as porridge and wanton noodles (with generous amounts of plumpy dumplings!), plus dim sum to boot. It gets busy during dinner service, so make a reservation to avoid the long wait.

Front Room by The Kneady Baker

For Amazing Bakes and Cakes
Feel right at home at Front Room by The Kneady Baker that sees living room-style decor, warm service and homely brunch fare. Once you’ve settled in, order a cup of their strong and fruity Long Black (RM9) to jolt your senses. Run by bakers, the cafe serves dishes that revolve their excellent house bakes, such as the bagels, which come in French onion, garlic and poppy seed flavours. Have the bread in all its glory when you order the New York Bagel Special (RM25), which features it alongside streaky pork bacon and creamy scrambled eggs. The French onion bagel is baked with sweet caramelised onions on top, which give it a nice contrast against the rich cream cheese spread within. Another must-try is the Pulled Pork Sliders (RM24). Slivers of slow-cooked pulled pork are sandwiched between homemade milky buns – simple and well done. Burppler Alyssia Yu also says to never leave here without cake, so go for the light Pandan Gula Melaka (RM14) with smooth gula Melaka cream — come early as the cakes sell out quickly!

Maruhi Sakaba

For Yummy Yakitori After Work
From the people behind Sanuki Udon and Taisyu Yakiniku come Maruhi Sakaba, a reliable yakitori bar. After late hours at the office, reward yourself with a visit to this nighttime nook for skewers, drinks and izakaya vibes. It's best to bring company for this — perhaps a colleague who stayed late too — so you can share a kettle of the mellow house cocktail Maruhi Sour (RM49, or RM17 for a mug). Expect speedy service and a unique selection of sashimi, like Chicken (RM15) and Pork Liver (RM15), or the Baby Intestine (RM10) with a raw egg yolk. But if you're here for a safe, solacing supper, stick to the tantalising skewers with their amazing housemade chilli dip. Both the Chicken Skin (RM4.50) and Chicken Wings (RM5.50) juggle a good amount of grease with crispiness for a treat to complement your zesty drink. Meanwhile, meatier picks like the Chicken Thigh (RM4.50) and Pork Belly (RM4.50) are moist, juicy and great to fill up on! For something more filling, have a rice bowl. There’s the simple Fry Egg with Rice (RM8) or Grill Pork Rice (RM22). Pro tip: There is no air-conditioning, so lose the layers and dress light for this.

Restoran Tuck Tuck Tei

For an All-Star Hawker Centre
Tuck Tuck Tei first shot to fame when its young, handsome owner took apprenticeship at the chicken rice stall it houses. The 'chicken rice prince' surely contributed to the restaurant's initial popularity but it was the quality local food and airy, laidback environment that kept people coming back. When stumped for ideas to lunch with a group of colleagues, turn to the sheer variety here. The Roast Chicken Rice (RM6) is popular for the smooth, fleshy meat with aromatic rice, but the same stall also offers an attractive spread for good old economy rice. A full plate of three dishes will cost you between RM5 to RM7 — quite a steal! Uncle Weng’s Fish Head Noodles (from RM8.50) is newly popular, and if you had to pick between the three types of fish head noodles, it has to be the Ling Fish Head (RM11) for its well-cooked meat.

Encore

For Sensational French and Austrian-Inspired Pastries
If dessert is the food of love, then you’ll fall head over heels for the eclairs, tarts and puffs at French and Austrian-influenced Encore. Make sure to get their popular Mille-Feuille (RM9) – layers of puff pastry held together by a smooth creme patisserie (pastry cream) for a crunchy-creamy treat like no other. For more indulgence, the sophisticated and colourful desserts in the chiller are affordably priced (from RM9), with options for a tangy Lemon Tart and a rich Matcha Eclair. Want to try a bit of everything? Bring a friend along to devour the High Tea Set (RM60), available from noon to 7pm. The three-tiered stand is filled with scones, mini fruit tarts and other pastries, plus it comes with a pot of hot tea to wash it all down. Hot food like sandwiches and pastas are also on the menu, but we hear Encore’s kitchen team is working on putting out something new in the next month.  

Old Tricycle

For Charcoal-Grilled Yong Tau Foo
Come 6pm, Old Tricycle is where you'll want to bring a bunch of friends for a boisterous dinner. This spacious, open-air restaurant is one of the only places in KL one can have Yong Tau Foo (from RM1.80 per piece) charcoal-grilled by the table. Brinjal, okra, bittergourd, chillies and more fish paste-stuffed selections are coated in a sheen of hickory barbecue sauce before hitting the grill. The bacon yong tau foo is especially favoured, likely for the intense aroma that comes from the bacon. When here, also make sure to snag a plate of yong tau foo's best carb-pairing, Chee Cheong Fun (RM3.90). The silken flat noodles are best with fried pork skin, curry sauce and a dollop of slightly spicy sambal. If you have a soft spot for all things Instagrammable, their quaint Chinese-accented metal cups and a now popular old tricycle mural will be exciting features to look out for.

Sanuki Udon

For Delicious Udon Dinners
Opened in 2009, Sanuki Udon is the place Taman Desa folks visit to get a satisfying bowl of hot or cold noodles. Curtained by Japanese noren panels, the joint dishes out the area's best bowls of udon, and there is beer to boot. If you owe a friend a treat, this wallet-friendly watering hole will do right by you for dinner and drinks! Huddle over an order of Udon Suki (udon steamboat, from RM40 for two) that comes with fresh vegetables, mushrooms and meat. The bubbling hotpot will warm you up as a glass of ice-cold Sapporo Beer (RM16) cools you down. Alternatively, go for the simpler, single-portion udon bowls like the piquant Natto Udon (RM9.50), and jazz up dinner with freshly fried kushiage — the melt-in-your-mouth Sweet Potato (RM2.50) and Quail Egg (RM3.50) are excellent.

Pang’s Kitchen

For Gourmet Cantonese Fare
Here's a Michelin-starred name in KL you may not have heard of. Originally from Hong Kong where it merited the award, Pang's Kitchen opened its first offshoot in this unlikely neighbourhood three years ago. To celebrate occasions, bring your family to this hidden gem for a gourmet Cantonese feast. The menu in KL is a trimmed version of the original, but there are still over 100 dishes to choose from. Resist the temptation to order your usual fare and try specials like the Scrambled Milk with Scallop (RM48). The dish folds together scrambled eggs with milk and sliced scallops (lots of them), and will surprise with its soft, bouncy texture. The presentation could be improved on, but that’s a small gripe for such a flavourful dish. The fragrant Fried Sticky Rice (RM38), abundant with chopped Chinese sausages, mushrooms and crispy dried shrimps, is a great main to complement the former. Also popular is the Steamed Prawns with Glutinous Rice (RM53) – look forward to fresh crustaceans on a bed of fragrant glutinous rice.

BreadFruits (Taman Desa)

For Wholesome Cafe Food
Advocates of healthy food that tastes good, BreadFruits continues to promote wholesome cafe food at their second outlet. The relaxed space is boosted by a touch of greenery, setting the tone for a laidback business brunch. Order the Spanish Baked Egg (RM22), a tasty classic refreshed with the use of cooked cannellini beans, instead of canned baked beans. The cafe also uses free-range eggs from Bukit Tinggi and daily-bought morning market produce that make all the difference in their dishes. A Brunch Pasta With 7 Min Egg (RM22) wins our vote for the perfectly wobbly egg that completes the light carbonara pasta beneath. The Lemon Rosemary Salmon (RM25) on the other hand, sees the winning combination of salmon with lemon juice, while the rosemary adds a nice herby fragrance to the dish.

Charlie’s Cafe

For Sarawakian Eats With A Good Cause
Established in 2015, Charlie's Cafe runs as a social enterprise, sourcing farm produce in support of Orang Asli farmers and hiring disadvantaged East Malaysians to run the store. Those who don't know this will still come in earnest for their authentic Sarawakian delights. Swing by for a feel-good meal and bring company — friends, family and all. You mustn't miss the Chicken Chop (from RM17.90) with Sarawak Black Pepper, Salted Egg or Mushroom Sauce. Brined and battered, the golden brown chicken is redolent of herbs and delicious when doused in its peppery gravy. Dessert is a creamy D24 soft serve (small, RM5.90) made with real durian flesh, or the housemade UFO tarts (RM3) with salted egg yolk custard. The canteen-like decor is nothing to shout about, but there is a warmth that comes from knowing the good this place does for the community. Look out for the Pay It Forward wall filled with receipts for paid food, dedicated to those who cannot afford a meal — you too can contribute with just RM5!

Rayong Thai by Kopitiam

For Authentic, Affordable Thai Food
Spot Rayong Thai along Jalan 3/109F by its open kitchen helmed by a team of Thai cooks and servers. Humbly furnished with plastic tables and chairs against a bright blue wall, the restaurant makes a surefire spot for a casual, authentic Thai dinner with friends. The main attraction here is their super affordable fish. At RM35.90 flat, the Steamed Fish with Lime & Chili is a catch. The butterflied barramundi is doused in tangy broth, and every spoonful fuels you for another. Apart from steamed, the fish can also be deep-fried and paired with Thai red curry sauce — a tastier option for those who like their fish skin crisp! The Thai Green Curry (from RM11.90)'s diluted appearance is not too be underestimated, for the curry offers robust flavours along with minced chicken and long beans. Special lunch sets for one are also available at RM18.90 that comes with white rice, Thai fish cakes, a main dish (tom yum, green curry and more), a drink and dessert.

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