SS15's new kid in town Cowboy Burger, helmed by friendly sheriff James Cheong.Cowboy is proud of its pork burgers, relying on antibiotic-free meat for its charbroiled patties & creating recipes like the "Very Hot Piggy Burger," crowned with natural cheddar & grilled tomato & smeared with a sticky, sweet-savoury sauce that contains cili padi & lemongrass.Cowboy's chef is a Malaysian who spent several years in Tokyo, so there are Japanese influences in the food here. The tonkatsu burger (RM13.80++) is well-executed too, topped with Cowboy's own tonkatsu sauce & naga-negi onions.The menu is extensive; besides chicken, beef & vegetarian burgers, there are also pork meatballs that can be topped with cheddar or berry sauce (RM8.80++), plus hot dogs, basic pastas, fish & chips, onion rings, nachos & chicken wings.Bacon ice cream (RM4.80++) is available too, a vanilla flavour laced with plenty of pleasantly chewy meat.

A romance that blossomed in Hanoi might now make food lovers in Kuala Lumpur strike up an affair with Vietnamese fare, home-cooked with the sort of passion that's the province of the tastiest private kitchens.Cute Ball Kitchen is the brainchild of Malaysian Kenneth Teoh & his Vietnamese wife, Hoa, who met while Teoh was working in Vietnam's capital. Teoh returned in 2013, bringing home Hoa & their now three-year-old son, whose Vietnamese-language family nickname forms the basis for their new private kitchen's name.Hoa is likely to prepare communal meals of three to four dishes for guests. Her repertoire includes grilled seasoned pork, juicy, aromatic & savoury, wrapped in wild betel leaves that the couple pick themselves from a nearby hill, braving mosquitoes there to procure these peppery pleasures.Hoa's Vietnamese salad scores top marks, light & exceptionally easy to gobble up, wholesome-tasting & ravishingly nuanced with fresh veggies, seafood, meat, herbs & nuts. Like everything here, it's painstakingly prepared, with nearly a full day's worth of slaving in the kitchen to whip up courses like this.Salt-&-pepper squid. Hoa's standards for seafood are high, the result of many years spent at Halong Bay; the couple now regularly drive to Sekinchan on weekends to secure straight-off-the-boat seafood _ an effort for which guests will be grateful.Braised pork belly, sumptuously caramelized. Bring a nice Merlot to savor with this; in a cost-effective contrast to eating out at a restaurant, there's no corkage fee here.Steamed rice is thoughtfully sourced too, coming from a paddy processing plant amid Sekinchan's rice fields.With Vietnam having a strong French connection, it's not improper _ but nevertheless a pleasant surprise _ that Hoa opts for French sweets to wrap up her meals. Freshly baked madeleines are an uncommon treat, but what really won everyone over was the heavenly dark chocolate tart, thick & creamy, rich in flavour.All in all, this feels like a lovely way to spend a casual Saturday evening, the only time Kenneth & Hoa currently operate their private kitchen. The couple have hopes of eventually starting their own cafe (we vote, "yes, please!") & are currently open to also supplying cafes with baked goodies (the dark choc tart would be a sure-fire hit, much more delicious than the norm).
Follow Cute Ball Kitchen at https://www.facebook.com/CuteBallKitchen ... Meals cost RM55 per person (Edit: updated to RM68 as of February 2014), a very fair price for the entirety of the experience. More details available at https://plateculture.com/where-to-eat/vietnamese-dinner-at-cute-ball-kitchen

Comfy & invitingly spacious, with a service team that's earning solid praise for friendliness.Sandwiches comprise the crux of Cosans' food menu, served hot & stuffed with the likes of smoked duck, melted mozzarella, confit tomatoes & arugula (RM15).The Carreau blend comprises Brazilian, Papua New Guinea, Ugandan, Tanzanian & Costa Rican beans. Sure, a latte's not the route to explore the nuances of a coffee blend, but the strong-tasting milk in this makes it even trickier. Order it black instead.Equerre's best for espressos, a rich, complex combo of Brazilian, Colombian, Guatemalan & Sumatran Mandheling produce.Cosans' signature tea: Jasmine scented with rose oil. Evokes fragrances & flavours from talcum powder to Turkish Delights.No shortage of beverages to contemplate: Dark chocolate with milk & Earl Grey. All in all, Cosans has its allure; considering the expertise that's been channelled into this place, it could become a bona fide hit.

Tryst, which feels free-spirited & funky, like something someone might stumble on behind Subang's darkest alley.Tryst's patrons love the pancakes, paired with choices like chili con carne (or have 'em with chocolate, bananas or peanut butter)... plus well-prepared, tangy-meaty spaghetti that clocks in at RM12, one of this neighbourhood's most fairly priced plates.Come in, the coffee's fine; the cold drip variety is the ideal antidote to the heat of the night.Beans hail from Costa Rica, Honduras, Brazil & Sumatra, coming together to create a likeable latte.

for fans of dessert, there's more on this level: Snow Factory, the first Malaysian offshoot of a Taiwan-based brand.Yoghurt, yoghurt-based ice cream & fruit preserves form the key offerings here.The blueberry flavour tastes pretty natural & the texture's satisfyingly dense. Refreshing enough on a sweltering afternoon.