Making the Mesui neighborhood a likely mecca for coffee lovers, Feeka finally opened this week, brought to us by the people behind PJ's Butter + Beans.Feeka's full menu is now available, with all-day-breakfast dishes (10am-6pm) that try to raise the bar in terms of inventiveness while keeping prices reasonable. No complaints whatsoever about the fried eggs with sweet potato hash & shredded duck confit (RM19).Even the French toast is devised with fun twists, a brioche made fruity with spiced pineapples & orange sauce, accompanied by chantilly cream (RM16).Best bets include cinnamon rolls with almonds & raisins, fulfilling in freshness & fragrancemousse-light chocolate tarts, mostly within the single-digit price range per slice.coconut cheesecakesolive oil carrot cakes, nicely nuanced & beautifully balanced in flavorAnd of course, coffee. No lack of choices

Malaysia's Cabinet of Caffeine welcomes another new portfolio, electing Ministry of Coffee to govern with grace in Solaris Mont Kiara.Business begins 9am daily with a brunch menu that runs through 3pm, featuring an embarrassment of organic eggs, partnered with organic baby spinach, melted cheese & toasted focaccia (RM18.80 nett)Eggs emerge even in the Sunny Fish Burger (RM21.80), sandwiched in ciabatta bread with grilled barramundi, sauteed mushrooms & arugula.smoked salmon & hollandaise sauce in English muffins (RM22.80). The kitchen insists on free-range poultry & lower-pesticide veggies in an effort to make these meals more wholesome than the norm.Quite like the sandwiches (available starting 3pm), particularly this one with avocados, house-made hash, roasted vegetables, mesclun mix, tomatoes & cheddar cheese in wholemeal bread.tortillas wrapped around barbecued organic chicken (RM21.80)Peanut butter alert! Banana sandwich with beef bacon & peanut butter (RM14.80).More bananas, this time with house-made yogurt & walnuts (RM8.80).Cream of roasted potato soup with quail eggs (RM16.80). Several of these recipes could do with fine-tuning (runnier yolks for the eggs), but they're OK overall.All in all, a place with potential, one to watch in the months ahead.

Shunka unfurled this past month in Solaris Dutamas, offering a fresh option for Japanese fare. The name might sound familiar because Shunka operates outlets in Penang, Kedah & Perak; this one marks its first KL branch.The Shunka chain's executive chef, Malaysian Elven Tan, spent six years working in Japan; one of his favorites is oden (RM20 before taxes), the classic winter stew of boiled eggs, daikon radish & fishcakes in a light but umami-rich broth. Pure comfort food.Grilled pork belly (RM6.90). A worthwhile bet; lots of juice, plenty of flavor on this plate.Pork's paramount too: Shunka serves Kurobuta black pig tonkatsu (RM20), a full 20 percent cheaper than Ichiriki's at Mid Valley Gardens, but perhaps 20 percent less expertly executed too.Shunka prides itself on sending its chefs every year to the Land of the Rising Sun to sharpen their skills. The food here, including mentaiko-topped salmon (RM17), is reasonable enough for a restaurant with a mid-range pricing.Unagi sushi katsu, crunchy battered maki with eel, egg & cucumber (RM14).Eel is essential in surprising ways on Shunka's menu: Try the Unagi gyoza (RM16)

The Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar has opened; its main F&B attraction is Mediterranean restaurant La Cucina, a cushy venue with several interesting ideas emanating from its open kitchen.Meals here start on a confident note, with bread, olive oil & tapenade that would fit in well at many trattorias & tavernas.We have mixed feelings about some of the dishes though. These scallops are excellent but the risotto, while aromatic with both saffron & truffle oil, is unsettlingly mushy.Salads can be selected from a display counter (two for RM34++).Pumpkin gnocchi with beef short ribs, kale, boletus mushrooms & shaved pecorino in pomodoro sauce. Not terrible, though the gnocchi could be a bit less stodgy.The menu calls this taglioni, though it's really closer to ravioli, stuffed with smoked duck & topped with crumbled feta, spinach & pine nuts.This pizza, nicely crowned with house-made lamb sausage, avocado, rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes & buffalo mozzarella but let down by a not-crisp-enough base, illustrates the potential of this place; La Cucina's recipes sound sensational on paper but need a bit more finesse in execution.Desserts come from a chiller; cool-looking range, with no lack of figs, fruits & nuts.Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar also currently features all-day-dining establishment Link for buffet hunters as well as pastry-&-coffee shop Le Petit Cafe; more outlets may open next year.

No monkeying around here; Coffee Etc's team is eager to please. The Belgian waffles here won't cost much more than RM10.90 per serving, but the vanilla ice cream & blueberry jam toppings are significantly humbler. The waffles themselves are nonetheless pleasant.Coffee Etc's coffee? No real complaints; works fine to curb caffeine cravings.