lifestyle

11 Malaysian Cafes That Gave Our Favourite Dishes Totally Unique Twists

Unexpected but yums!

Cover image via Wondermama Restaurant & Cafe (Facebook)

As part of our great, all-encompassing love for food, us Malaysians are always on the lookout for new things to try. There's just so much good food out there, just waiting to be discovered!

Image via Giphy

So how about revisiting some old favourites that have been given some truly innovative twists to create something totally new and unexpected?

Check out the list below, we're seriously impressed at the creativity and effort that went into each one:

1. Lucky Takoyaki @ Yellow Brick Road

Yellow Brick Road is known for their quirky pancake combinations, like this East meets West fusion of takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls) and American pancakes. Light and fluffy pancakes are not only drizzled with Japanese mayo and takoyaki sauce and topped with bonito flakes and shredded seaweed, but is also served with fresh prawns and salmon roe on the side.

Location: Yellow Brick Road Cafe, Lot 7, Plaza Batai, Jalan Batai, Bukit Damansara 50490

2. Nasi Lemak Soft Shell Crab @ Wondermama

Our beloved national dish gets taken to the next level! Who needs ayam goreng or rendang when you can have it with a glorious piece of deep-fried soft shell crab instead? Plus, it's also accompanied by sambal petai sotong, kangkung, fried peanuts and ikan bilis, cucumber and a hard-boiled egg.

Location: Wondermama (Main Outlet), G6, Ground Floor, Bangsar Village 1, Jalan Telawi 1, Kuala Lumpur. Click here for a listing of all their outlets.

3. “Kapowww” Spaghetti @ Flingstones

Can't decide whether to have Italian or Chinese food? Now you can have both! The typical aglio olio style spaghetti that we're all familiar with gets a Chinese makeover to produce this spicy wok fried spaghetti. Al-dente pasta is cooked together with a generous portion of chicken cubes and vegetables, all coated in a sticky, sweetly spicy sauce.

Location: Flingstones Cafe, Jalan SS 15/8, Ss 15, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor

4. Cendol Cake @ Petiteserie Desserts

One of our favourite Malaysian desserts of all time gets reimagined and reborn as a completely scrumptious cake that brings together alternating layers of delicate pandan chiffon, thick sago gula melaka, light santan mousse, and sweet agar-agar gula melaka.

Location: Amaya Saujana Condominium, Persiaran Golf, Saujana, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor

5. Pork Toast @ LI

Image via SAYS

You'd be forgiven for thinking that you've been served with thick slabs of siu yok when it hits the table 'cause that's totally what we thought too. In actuality, this twist of the traditional kopitiam roti babi consists of a spread of minced pork on slices of handmade sourdough bread that are then deep-fried and garnished with sesame seeds, homemade chili mayo and cilantro.

Location: LI Restaurant, 47, Jalan SS 22/23, SS 22, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

6. Linguini Goreng @ Jibby & Co.

Image via @alifhyekal

Reminiscent of the mamak mee goreng we all know and love, this edition swaps out the yellow noodles for linguini. Goreng-ed to perfection with chicken, tiger prawns bok choy and eggs.

Location: Jibby & Co., GK11, Empire Shopping Gallery, Jalan SS 16/1, 47500, Subang Jaya, Selangor

7. Bibi Rice Burger @ Namoo On The Park

This Korean fusion dish is ideal for all those of us who think a meal isn't complete without rice. These grilled rice burger buns will change the way you eat burgers forever, their soft and chewy yet slightly crunchy texture compliments the other ingredients wonderfully.

In this case, the burger is packed full with a juicy grilled chicken filet, assorted mixed vegetables, caramelized onion, and a fried egg, all slathered in a special sesame Namoo bibi sauce. Served with a side of fries, salad, and kimchi (Korean fermented cabbage).

Location: Namoo On The Park, Publika, Level G3, Lot 4A, Solaris Dutamas No.1, Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480, Kuala Lumpur

8. Salted Egg Yolk Churros @ Churros N Co.

Image via Forever Hungry

Salted egg lovers, this one's for you! The crunchy on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside churros are tossed and coated with a rich salted egg yolk sauce. The addition of curry leaves provides a kick that keeps it from being too jelak. And if you're feeling adventurous, give their other unique topping options like Chili Crab and Coney Dog a try too.

Location: Churros N Co., Ground Floor, VSQ PJCC, Jalan Utara, 46200, PJ, Selangor

9. Beef Rendang Penne @ Serai

We all know how well beef rendang goes with rice so we're intrigued to find out whether pasta is an equally (or maybe even better) match for it. Beef tenderloin is cooked to utter tender perfection in the traditional Malay style and folded through a bed of penne pasta. Green peas are added for a pop of freshness.

Location: Serai (Jaya Outlet), G18, Jaya Shopping Centre, Jalan Semangat, Seksyen 14, 46100 Petaling Jaya. Click here for a listing of all their outlets.

10. Cookie Cup @ Fiq's Gastronomy

Inspired by world renowned chef Dominique Ansel's original creation, this cookie cup is a fun, whimsical twist on the traditional milk and cookies. To get the most out of this dessert, pour the milk into the chocolate lined cookie cup and take small sips while simultaneously nibbling on the chocolate chip cookie.

Location: Fiq's Gastronomy, No. 34, Jalan SS19/1D Subang Jaya, 47500, Selangor

11. Metador in Kyoto @ Em by Tedboy

This slightly unconventional take on paella brings in Japanese influences to meld harmoniously with existing traditions of the Spanish dish. Japanese grain rice and edamame beans as well as a garnish of nori strips are added to the Venetian style paella made with mussels, calamari, prawns, tomatoes, capsicum and various spices, all topped off with a lemon wedge.

Location: Em by Tedboy, Hotel Transit, Ground Floor, No. 42, Jalan Pudu, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan

What other cool revamped dishes do you know of? Let us know in the comments below. :)

If fusion food is your thing then other than just going around to the places listed above, you need to go to Tiger STREATS so you can try some 100% exclusive fusion dishes!

Image via Tiger STREATS

Happening on 17 December 2016, at MH Platinum Warehouse in Setapak, Tiger Beer proudly presents Tiger STREATS, the world’s first ‘street food meets fine dining’ pop-up restaurant concept that brings diverse people and flavours together at the street food table.

Hawker Chan Hon Meng (of the first Michelin-starred hawker stand, Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle in Singapore) and Chef Jeff Ramsey (owner and chef of progressive modernist restaurant, Babe KL) will be collaborating to create the ultimate culinary mash-up that you absolutely DO NOT want to miss.

You can also look forward to trying some unique twists on Malaysian favourites by Chocha.foodstore, Inside Scoop, Hoppers KL, and Tujo at this amazing makan event.

facebook.com
Image via Giphy

Stay tuned to the Tiger STREATS event page for more information, coming soon

In the meantime, you could try your hand at winning some tickets to the event from us! Check out the Facebook post below to find out how:

Watch us try some unusual food combinations:

Bookmark these lists for when you're next in any of these areas: