L.A.P by Loud & Proud, a women's clothing boutique that also boasts a coffee bar on a relatively tricky-to-trace strip of Solaris Dutamas.L.A.P's latte is exactly how we like it, creamy & rich, with enough complexity to intrigue & the optimum temperature to warm us without scalding our tongues. Food wasn't available during this visit, but it's possible that pastries & cakes will be offered soon.

Naming a restaurant 'Awesome Canteen' is a risky gambit, but this Paramount Garden newbie possesses the potential to live up to that self-praise.Come during dinnertime, when surprisingly delicious burgers are offered, ranking among the Klang Valley's Top 10. Spicy creations include a Tex-Mex medley of tabasco-grilled beef patty, melted pepper jack cheese, tomato-&-guacamole salsa & grilled chilies.Equally excellent, if not more: A chicken burger with house-made sambal & anchovies. The fillings taste fabulously fresh, with a brilliant balance of flavors, complemented by fluffy-light poppy-seed buns; most of the burgers hover around the RM20 mark.For lunch, customers can dig into comfort food comprising not only pastas but also this Japanese curry chicken rice ...... served steaming-hot, satisfyingly hearty with meat, cheese, potatoes, carrots & onions.Even the herb-tinged fries are well worthwhile, thanks to the diligent efforts of a nine-person team that includes Diane Ong & her friends at a Malaysian graphic design firm who've decided to pursue their dream of running an F&B establishment, hiring a talented young chef in the process.Here's the Thai-influenced veggie relish that's the topping for Awesome Canteen's Tom Yam burger, featuring crisp, vividly refreshing flavors that prove the hallmark of this cafe's recipes.Sandwiches are also available; treats include the walnut bread stuffed with roast beef, mustard, capsicum, rocket & more (RM21.90 before taxes).

Marquee, a recently launched restaurant & lounge at Bukit Bintang's BB Park.The top temptation's the Tommy Gun Burger: French toast topped with beef patty & brown sauce (RM25++). It works, sorta; the kind of hot mess that's worth at least a few bites.For more familiar comfort food, Sarawak laksa (RM18++) is offered; might not be the best in town but unlikely to be the worst.Cocktails come in the customary Cosmopolitan & Mojito forms.

Launching a new brunch outlet in Bangsar is riskier than it sounds; folks flock here for big breakfasts on weekends, but the few restaurants that truly thrive require the combination of (in no particular order) buzz-worthy food, a compelling concept & a dynamite setting.It's unclear whether Luscious, which replaced Belgian establishment Brux-Ale this month, has the right stuff or the X Factor to flourish (it might not be flashy enough), though its food achieves the 'good enough' mark. Tastes competently executed; no complaints.We went hog-wild, ignoring the beef salami & turkey & chicken ham, opting instead for pork bacon & pork ham, plus a pork sausage, all of which proved plenty juicy.Eggs can come poached, hard/half boiled, scrambled or turned into omelets or sunny-side-ups. Perfect for people who want the decision firmly in their own hands.Luscious also serves 'omelet pizzas' with an entirely eggy base, a potential hit among carb-avoiding patrons. Possible toppings: pepperoni, lamb sausage, capsicum, olives or blue cheese.Bread here is partnered with Luscious' house-made organic strawberry jam.The plate comes with either Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea, or juice. It's worth noting that service at Luscious is earnest & attentive.Hazelnut latte (RM14.90++). Coffee's not half-bad, but we're looking forward to the time when wine will be available, likely starting later this month.

Comfy, clean & contemporary-looking, Taste Enclave is a tempting lunch & dinnertime alternative for city-center workers fed up with the too-safe, sterile choices at Suria KLCC; this might be the best thing that's happened to Avenue K.Can't have a non-halal food court without roast pork & duck, right?Tong's Roast serves a satisfactory plate of meaty herbal duck with noodles (RM10.90).Mr Porky deep-fried streaky pork (RM18.90), crisply coated with oatmeal & achingly addictive in its sumptuous succulence.