Chicha San Chen Malaysia, Pavilion KL

This could be our favourite bubble tea in KL: Chicha San Chen is a two-decade-old Taiwanese brand that has found a foothold in recent years in Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore - it now embarks into KL with its first branch in Pavilion, serving up tea that truly kept us returning for more.

We initially ordered three servings, then came back to the counter for another two, before finishing the night with one more.

The trick is in the tea, each freshly brewed to order, one cup at a time, with patented high-tech precision of temperature to bring out the best in flavour and fragrance, relying on Chicha San Chen's naturally cultivated, own-harvested leaves from Taiwanese mountain farmlands.

Plenty of customisation choices are offered, but the two ideal introductions are the basic Black Tea with boba and cream (RM15.90) and Dong Ding Oolong tea latte with milk (RM14.40), which both taste beautifully nuanced, their lush aromatics flowing through every soothing sip - befitting of a full-fledged purveyor of tea, not merely a boba brand.

Other options like Cassia Black Tea with a milky mousse (RM14.40), High Mountain Pouchong Tea with lemon juice (RM12.90) and Osmanthus Oolong with mango (RM12.90) are also confidently calibrated. Service sparkles with warmth and enthusiasm.

Chicha San Chen

6.01.01, Level 6, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. Daily, 10am-10pm.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Cafe Yamatatsu, Old Klang Road

Yamatatsu was born as a weekend food pop-up last year, but it now has a beautiful home of its own, in a space lined with Studio Ghibli anime artwork, plus manga-loving posters of Naruto, One Piece and Slam Dunk. Its cooking is equally soulful, spanning heartwarming comfort fare from Taiwan and Japan, with intriguing treats for pickle enthusiasts.

If you're nursing a shattered heart, order the Taiwanese mee suah, brimming with thin, tender noodles in a thick, umami-rich broth, topped with pork slices; for RM10, it's a simple but so-satisfying recipe that you might find yourself returning for regularly.

Fans of Japanese rice bowls can choose one that's seafood-blanketed with moist, unmistakably oily saba (mackerel), shishamo and tempura prawns (RM23), while those of us who can't resist oden will savour a soothing, sweet-brothed recipe that's light and pleasing (RM9).

Yamatatsu serves a selection of house-made pickles (RM4 to RM5.50 each) that will be an acquired taste for most of us. The yuzu bitter gourd might be the most challenging, its unabashed bitterness kicked up a notch by the citrus, while the wasabi cucumber would sourly overwhelm any nasi lemak it ever accompanies, and the bonito-spiked brinjals boast a hardened chew with a pungent asam aftertaste. The easiest to tolerate for pickle novices is the miso enoki, with the fermentation accentuating the mushroom's natural earthiness.

Pickling is also part of the process for the Witchy Wine, with punchy-tasting tomatoes hanging over iced Japanese umeshu plum wine for a perky beverage (RM12). Yamatatsu also offers a selection of playful sake-based cocktails, including the Warm Spring (RM18; served slightly heated as its name indicates, with a cinnamon stick) and chilled with yogurt for an unconventional coupling of rice wine and cultured milk (RM20).

Cafe Yamatatsu
30, Jalan 2/131A, Project Jaya Industrial Estate, Batu, 6, Jalan Klang Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur.
Open Mon-Wed, Fri-Sun, 12pm-3pm, 6pm-1am. Tel: 012-241-2532 

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Double Park, Mr You, Thai Up & Trellis Thai Kitchen

A round-up of several Asian restaurants that have permanently closed before we managed to write about them. Now defunct, Double Park served snacks like Taiwanese fried sausages & Hong Kong curry fish balls. Its outlet was at SS2 Petaling Jaya.

Mr You served serviceable Japanese fare: bowls of mixed sashimi & vegetables in an unconventional twist on bibimbap, a variety of sushi, pork cutlets, & light nibbles like grilled corn with butter. Mr You ran for some months in Solaris Mont Kiara.

Thai Up was once The Gardens' no-fuss stop for pad thai & fried rice with chicken; not bad for a straightforward mall meal.

Trellis Thai Kitchen had a fun menu of Thai fusion fare - nachos with a green chilli dip, spaghetti with green curry chicken, steamed salmon fillet with lime & chillies, oyster omelettes, & plenty of stir-fries & curries. Trellis Thai Kitchen was at 10 Semantan in Damansara Heights.