KL's food scene,
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Natalina Italian Kitchen's summer specials: A seasonal sojourn through salmon, saffron and sunshine

Natalina Italian Kitchen is head chef Stefano Maria La Penna's kitchen in Kuala Lumpur, part of the Cinnamon Group, cooking regional Italian rather than a single house style. Its summer menu is the seasonal showcase, and it moves around the map: basil from near the Ligurian coast, saffron out of the Abruzzese highlands, Roman tomatoes, ricotta in Sicilian pastry shells. What to Order at Natalina Start with Battuto di Gamberi Rossi — red prawn flesh and head butter worked into a supple mince, perfumed with pesto so the marine sweetness meets a basil herb garden, with a Parmesan tuile for saline snap. Capesante, Zucchine e Zafferano brings Hokkaido scallops with courgette and saffron. The rest of the seasonal run covers salmon ravioli, hand-cut pasta, charred lamb, pistachio cannoli and bomboloni with lemon custard. These are summer specials, so the exact list changes with the season — check what is on before booking around a particular dish. For Italian in Kuala Lumpur or a seasonal Mediterranean menu in KL, Natalina is the one following the calendar properly.

Restaurant JIE reimagines Cantonese, Hakka and Teochew classics

Tell Me by Picasso Media: Part Six

Tell Me by Picasso Media: Career vs Marriage

Tell Me by Picasso Media: Parents' Sacrifices

Scruffee Cafe, Taman Desa

Scruffee is a cafe inside a doggy daycare in Taman Desa — a collaboration between Scruffee and Soulbrew, which means your coffee arrives with a soundtrack of happy barking. That is either the appeal or the warning, depending on you. What to Order at Scruffee The bagels are baked in house, crisp, and studded generously with real pistachios, served slathered with raspberry jam. Drinks go slightly off-piste: orange americanos, coconut lattes, and strawberry milk for anyone not drinking coffee. For a dog-friendly cafe in Taman Desa or bagels in KL south, Scruffee is the only one where the dogs are the point rather than the concession.

Sepoi-Sepoi, Golden Palm Tree Sepang

Imperial Lexis, Kuala Lumpur

Ring in the Year of the Fire Horse with bold, auspicious flavors that ignite celebration and prosperity.

Physical Store by DAVON, Shah Alam

Discover curated food and lifestyle experiences at DAVON's Shah Alam flagship destination.

Joint Smash Burgers, Central Market

Smash-fried patties and melted cheese collide at this Central Market burger counter.

Kée Corner

The 'modern kopitiam' evolution. Serves the viral Strawberry Matcha and premium 'Wok Hei' Char Kuey Teow. Expect a younger crowd than traditional Thong Kee outlets.

Video: Kura's Krafts returns with new Rice Bowls, Lunch Sets & Höppy Meals

Kura's Krafts is a craft beer bar in Plaza Batai, Bukit Damansara, reopened with a food menu built around rice bowls rather than the usual bar snacks. What to Order at Kura's Krafts Lunch Sets start at RM18 and come with refillable house-made lemonade. Höppy Meals start at RM38 and pair a draft beer with your choice of rice bowl or hot dog — those run Tuesday to Friday, 12pm to 3pm, so they are a weekday-lunch proposition rather than an evening one. Address: 8-3, Jalan Batai, Plaza Batai, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. For a craft beer bar in Bukit Damansara, or a lunch set with a draft beer in Damansara Heights, Kura's Krafts is the one doing it midweek.