After Korean soap operas and K-pop, what's next? The Korean cultural contagion could become a culinary one, thanks to Namoo On The Park, one of 2012's nicest new cafes. What folks will flock to Namoo for: Rice burgers, making a welcome comeback to KL. Angus prime beef ribs (RM42++, this is the priciest item here), 220 grams of meatiness stewed in a Korean sauce with sweet, salty and spicy notes. What makes this more memorable: the ginseng fritter on the side. Korean noodles in savory white kimchi cold soup (RM16++), perfect for a hot afternoon. Simple but spiritually nourishing. Even the beverages are fun: cinnamon punch with persimmon and yujacha citron tea. Service shines here. The team works hard but keeps smiling through it all.

After Korean soap operas and K-pop, what's next? The Korean cultural contagion could become a culinary one, thanks to Namoo On The Park, one of 2012's nicest new cafes. Traditional Korean elements tangled with intercontinental influences create contemporary cuisine; when Korean and Tex-Mex meet, the upshot is tacos, brimming with beef bulgogi. Choose chicken or beef for the char-grilled patty, topped with fried egg if desired. About RM20. Firm and flavorful, dense and sticky, the rice buns are everything we hoped they would be, making an irresistible meal with the accompaniments. The tastiest thing we've eaten this week. Namoo is a "Korean dessert cafe and bistro," with desserts occupying the menu's front page, before the salads and starters. Everything is interesting, including this "patbingsu" shaved ice concoction filled with rice cakes, red beans, multiple grains and ice cream. "Hotteok," a hot, deliciously doughy pancake with street snack origins, topped with berries.

Service shines here. The team works hard but keeps smiling through it all.

Looking for lunch closer to the city? Acme's weekday afternoon sets might be an option. For (an arguably too-steep) RM49++, customers can enjoy a light, well-prepared meal, with salads, soups, main courses and desserts changing each week. This recent set comprised small cups of a cherry tomato salad and white onion soup with parsley and sour cream, followed by breaded sole fish with mashed potatoes, peas and tomato coulis. Floating Island meringue-and-custard with pistachios to wrap up what works as a business lunch. Folks who have too little time for a set meal can opt for something from Acme's Too Late For Breakfast menu, like the double-yolk delight of this turkey ham and cheese bechamel toast topped with fried eggs, beetroot and leaves (RM25++). Or skip straight to dessert: the passion fruit-strawberry pavlova is nothing but nice. Acme's cakes are always tempting too, laid for all to see on the counter; the chocolate chip one is OK, though less richly sumptuous than some might hope. The wicked juxtaposed against the wholesome: Dirty Martini, cold as ice, and Tea Forte Antioxidant honey yuzu tea, hot as a furnace.

Employees at Damansara Heights' HP Towers might seem more fortunate than most as far as lunch options are concerned, thanks to this cool cafe in their office building. Forget sloppy salads; Swich puts virtuous effort into veggie ensembles. The "Lite Aphrodite" (about RM16) is a hillock of strawberries, carrots, tomatoes, spiced pecans, arugula and romaine with balsamic honey truffle dressing. Add several ringgit for thick slices of smoked salmon. The Beef and the Barbie: succulent slow-cooked beef (lots of it!) with Swich's house-made barbecue sauce in a sesame bun with apple dijon slaw (about RM18). Prices here are steeper than what char kuey teow might cost, but portions are heftier and arguably healthier. Swich's chocolate brownie is brilliant, thanks to its mouth-filling, flavor-flooded creaminess. The red velvet cake is less memorable by comparison, but still marvelous. We've never seen this much cranberries jammed into a carrot-and-walnut cream cheese cake. Every bite was berry-licious! Confession: this visit to Swich was several weeks ago, so some items might no longer be on their ever-changing menu. To avoid a food coma from all this glorious grub, order some coffee, made magical at Swich with a sprinkling of Valrhona chocolate. Or have some hot chocolate, made doubly chocolatey with Valrhona too.

Swich's weekdays-only, no-dinner-served business hours are unkind to folks far away. But try heading here for a long Friday lunch if you're seeking someplace different. The service team whispered that a branch in Bangsar Shopping Center might happen sometime this year.

D'Empire Brasserie, a true survivor, staying alive in Solaris Mont Kiara. Angus rib-eye, thankfully medium-rare as requested (not something to be taken for granted). Red wine risotto. Tastes more like a simple tomato risotto somehow. Apple crumble and a very nice choc brownie, both with vanilla ice cream, to end an OK meal. The choc brownie is nice and the sweet, and the ice cream is a mild vanilla.