A peek at a new watering hole, SOP at Paradigm Mall's boulevard.SOP's menu seeks to please crowds, starting with Parma ham platters, then moving on to pork bacon carbonara pasta & stretching into pork burger, chop & knuckle territory before winding up with a Guinness chocolate lave cake that's creamy but could benefit from a bolder, more beery resonance.German beers are a highlight here, spanning the pleasant-drinking Bitburger to the likes of Wernesgruner & Licher.

KL can already welcome another destination that's destined to draw coffee devotees in droves.Brewmen is trying to open in a low-key, nearly hush-hush manner, but it can't fly under the radar for long, not when it offers temptations like filtered coffee (RM11, specs: Guatemalan single-origin, AeroPress-brewed)... a robustly respectable latte with full-bodied complexities (RM10 nett, Costa Rican beans from Dutch Colony Coffee) ...... plus light, low-acidity cold brew coffee (RM12, El Salvador beans; notice the Central American theme right now) ...... & the interesting red affogato (RM12), with Rooibos tea to replace the regular espresso shot.For food, Brewmen should start serving sandwiches this weekend; for now, customers can munch on the festive seasonal special of a Mandarin orange cupcake (RM8) ...... or a big chocolate brownie, warmed up to order & partnered with vanilla ice couple (RM12).Scones are available too; all in all, this place feels like one to watch this year.

This understated, unfussy outlet seems set to nurture a placid presence at St Mary Residences; it's casually elegant, maintaining the spotlight on enjoyable food served by a hardworking team.With a chef like Zanella, everything's worth eating, but our top pick's the Ancona-style brodetto, a seafood soup that brims with fresher-than-expected octopus, mussels, clams, fish & shrimp. Beautifully satisfying.Hearty, house-made fettuccine with a thick truffle sauce (RM38+). Pasta that provides pure pleasure & compelling comfort.Ravioli filled with Piedmontese beef (RM28+), robustly savoury.Baked gnocchi sorrentina (RM42+), carbs made cheesy with mozzarella, tangy with tomato sauce & buoyant with basil leaves.Sicily's sweet pride, ricotta-choked cannoli fried pastries, to wrap up this feel-good lunch.Baked spinach & gorgonzola cheese pie (RM24+). Crispy-creamy textures, mild-&-light flavours. Another pleasant starter that two can share.Warm apple phyllo strudels with a stuffing of pine nuts, a thin coat of grappa sauce & a cool companion of raisin ice cream. RM18+.Carte Rouge Bordeaux, Calvet (RM78+ by the bottle). Zenzero's cheapest wine is a well-chosen, earthy one.

Tokyo-based Bankara Ramen has taken its international expansion one step at a time; six years after branching into Bangkok, this noodle chain finally sprang to life this week in Kuala Lumpur.Bankara's signature broth (RM27++ with four hefty pieces of chashu) is made with pork bones infused with refined shoyu. Mellow in savouriness, mildly sweet, fatty-tasting though nevertheless not as thick or deep in flavour as many other recipes; folks who want a more luxurious texture can order an accompanying dollop of butter.We were unable to try the slow-boiled, milkier tonkotsu-broth ramen, as the restaurant is currently rationing its limited supplies, which include ingredients imported from Japan. Bankara also serves a miso-based broth as well as tsukemen.Side dishes include the likes of addictive onion-garlic mixes & aromatic spring onionsNot into ramen? Try the buta kakuni don (RM15++), soul food of steamed rice with succulent braised pork belly, soft-boiled egg, fragrant white sesame, mayo & sliced seaweed.Tori karaage (RM10++). Pretty satisfying deep-fried marinated chicken, crisp & tender, tangy with a little lime.the highlight for us was a substantial serving of fresh, complimentary garlic on each table that customers can press for themselves (we must have eaten a dozen cloves).

Scouting for Thai fare? Pitch your tent at Thai Camp, set up recently at PJ's foodie-friendly site of Taman Paramount.Casual meals can be enjoyed at this temple of spice; hog-worshipping recipes might command the most fervent devotees, from pork phanaeng curry (RM20), vivid in colour & flavour ...... to pork that's stir-fried with stirringly fiery-tangy lime sauce (RM18) ...Fried egg salad, satisfying with seafood (RM17).Crispy-creamy preserved eggs with pork in holy basil sauce. RM18.For fans of eggs, more than a few fun finds: The menu calls this one "Amazing Eggs" (RM15), hard-boiled & heaped with a meaty gravy.pork deep-fried with kaffir lime leaves (RM18), a worthy sacrifice at shrines of sin.This looks like a run-of-the-mill omelette when it surfaces at the table, but break it open to reveal a steaming-hot stewed stuffing of meat & carrots. RM13.pork that's kept simple & savoury with garlic, that magical complement (RM15)