With greenery scattered across the landscape and slate tiles pieced together on the ground, The Sphere exudes a very upper-class yet naturalistic feel. The plentiful presence of trimmed bushes and planted trees keeps the open-air floors cool even under the blazing afternoon sun. Located in Bangsar South, The Sphere plays host to many restaurants and eateries. Although some of them may seem plain at first, we can assure you that there’s so much more than meets the eye! With that in mind, it is with utmost pleasure to present these 10 Conceptual Eateries With Mind-Blowing Backstories & Indescribably Good Food @ The Sphere!
Prepare To Wipe Your Brains Off The Wall
1. Koffie Craft (Horneheide)
This Dutch restaurant has a backstory so rich it makes Winterfell look bad. Starting out with only a humble number of five tables for customers in 1927, the business has been running for three whole generations. Named Horneheide in Holland, it’s popularity led to the current owner’s grandfather opening up a new shop altogether so as to accommodate the increasing customer traffic. Afraid the name would be too difficult for the international community to pronounce, they’ve resolved to re-brand their business to Koffie Craft upon deciding to expand into Asia a couple of years back.
Let’s address the elephant in the room — yes, this restaurant existed even before World War II! In fact, we’ve discovered that they had played host to armies of British soldiers during the war, as the cafe was located on British-controlled territory. Its original cafe (the one with five tables), however, was not so lucky and was unfortunately destroyed in the bombings of war.
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This Dutch family business has been around for 92 years, and is still personally tended to by the owner’s own grandchildren. Yes, Mr Antonius roams Koffie Kraft at times. If they lasted this long, they must be doing something right! As much as we’d love to go on and on about their history, we understand that many of you would very reasonably want a review of the food, too. After all, it is a cafe.
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With that in mind, let’s start with their coffee. Traditionally, the Dutch are heavy coffee-drinkers, drinking up to a dozen cups of coffee each day. (Yeah, idk how they do it either.) Koffie Craft, having years to perfect their craft, makes some of the best coffees with some mean caffeine kicks. They also pride themselves in making waffles as they should be — crisp yet fluffy, it feels warm and tastes of the homey mix of beaten eggs and milk. An absolute not-to-miss for breakfast-bites! On top of that, they’re attempting to have a fusion of food between Malaysian and Dutch cuisine, as evident by their Waffle Lemak!
Status: Muslim-friendly
Must-Try: Poffertjes (Mini-pancakes perfect for a light-bite!); Any coffee to your own preference!
Operating Hours: 8.30am— 10pm (Mondays through Fridays), 10am— 10pm (Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays)
2. Gossypium
Gossypium is not a play on the word “gossip”, and nor on the word “opium”. When trying to pick and choose for a name, the Food and Drug Association was playing around with the idea of edible cotton. As they were looking for inspirations that would be in lieu with their concept, the idea to use cotton popped in their mind. After all, almost everyone uses cotton in one way or another for clothing as it is accessible, sustainable, and eco-friendly — which echoes Gossypium’s ideas quite nicely.
This restaurant and coffee bar strives to bring contemporary (a.k.a. modern) Australian cuisine in a laid-back setting using modern techniques as well as classic French techniques. Executive Chef Ryan Wong along with his team of chefs are all classically French trained, and are now using their knowledge and skill sets to adapt their food to modern Australian cuisine!
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Despite it’s extra special name, Gossypium intends to keep what they serve to be of good quality and reasonable prices instead of providing anything particularly unique. (Trust me, they keep very good on that promise!) They also aim to provide fresh, healthy, and wholesome meals while opening up their patrons’ palate to Australian cuisine. Why Australian cuisine? It’s ‘cuz the cuisine emphasises on freshness of ingredients, as well as making the ingredients actually taste like how they should.
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Here’s something extraordinary — Ryan, the executive chef, is vegan. No idea how, but he alongside his team are able to procure some of the best tasting chicken karaage in human history. Crispy and coated in the thinnest sheen of oil, the aroma unique to the Japanese style of deep-frying permeates your senses in an explosion with just the first bite. Rarely do food make me personally let out an “oomph” of enjoyment, and this one did! With their crispy chicken karaage laid atop a bed of vegetables (especially the quinoa… ?) accompanied by sesame, chicken crisps, and a wasabi caesar dressing made it undoubtedly one of the best healthy food we’ve ever eaten.
Status: Non-Halal
Must-Try: Avocado Benedict; Green Bird Salad (I’ll be happy to eat this for the entirety of a year — it’s that tasty AND healthy)
Operating Hours: 8am— 10pm (Daily)
3. The Farm
This one’s something on a whole new level, both literally and metaphorically. It’s aptly named “The Farm”. How so? Well, this place has got three things rolled into one — a restaurant, a bar, and farms with a fully decked out hydroponics lab! That’s right, a restaurant that actually has its own farm on site. Everything plant-based comes from their own blood, sweat, and tears right there and then. You ain’t getting any fresher than that!
The restaurant’s entire concept revolves around food that’s “from-farm-to-table”. With a beautiful garden in front of the restaurant itself as well as a hydroponics lab on its upper floor, The Farm is designed in such a way it uses what it produces! Requiring months of maturing, its farmed plants are kept under close scrutiny to ensure optimal growth. That means things like the temperature, presence of UV light, soil composition, and even its atmosphere’s composition are all closely monitored by professional farmers.
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With plans to organise workshops about their farms and its intricacies in the future, it presents itself as a great opportunity for city-folks to gain an understanding and an appreciation for the food that is put on their tables. You’ll be able to see things like ladies’ fingers, passion fruits, grapes, and so many more! Touch them, feel them, then have them prepared before eating them.
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Ugh, I keep getting ahead of myself with these amazing concepts that I tend to forget about the important thing — food. What do they serve and how’s it like there? The Farm prides itself in innovating local cuisine with a modern twist. Incredibly creamy beef lasagna that pairs oh so well with curry; mildly spicy soup-based spaghetti topped with clams, basil, and bentong ginger; burnt cheesecake served with teh tarik syrup — this fusion cuisine is definitely something to behold!
Status: Pork-free
Must-Try: Curry Beef Lasagna; Time For Tea for vegetarians!
Operating Hours: 10.30am— 10pm (Daily)
4. Portofino
Named after a small yet well-known fishing village in Northern Italy, Portofino first opened doors to its customers back in 2014. It’s owner, an expat from Italy, has been working as a chef since he was 14 years old. Having even worked at Don Giovanni in Ferrara (a Michelin-starred restaurant in Italy), he’s compiled a whole list’s worth of recipes — of which are hand-picked and now contributes to the entirety of the menu at Portofino! That’s right, it all comes from the experience of just one gentleman.
A large majority of their ingredients are imported from overseas, as they believe that Italian food can only be done with Italian ingredients. Even their tomato sauces and wine come from Italy. Don’t forget, even the chef and owner himself is imported from Italy!
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Specialising in home-made pastas, everything is made from scratch — from zero to a heroic 30 different dishes of home-made pastas! The taste of their pasta in and of itself is heavenly. It’s actually distinguishable from the condiments that accompany it. I don’t even know how to describe the taste of pasta, as I never thought I would need to what with how the sauce that accompanies it is always overwhelming. Seriously, any description of how it tastes and how it feels in your mouth will not do it justice!
As a large majority of ingredients are imported from Italy, practically everything tastes of authenticity. (Trust me, I know. I’ve been to Italy.) An honourable mention has to be made to their risotto. Creamy and just slightly starchy, it had grains of round and fat rice that goes in smoothly with a warm tingle. It’s underlying taste of tomato sauce and cream makes it… just next level.
Status: Pork-Free (Serves Italian alcohol, but rest assured they have many Muslim customers!)
Must-Try: Seafood Pasta; Seafood Risotto (especially on a cold, rainy day!)
Operating Hours: 10am— 11pm (Daily)
5. Parklife
Parklife, an innovative brand that hopes to capture the desires of diet-conscious people, aims to be a pioneer in healthy yet delicious food, catering to all customers. They are all about wholesome, good, delicious, and nutritious food. With a want to create a new image that healthy food can look as well as taste good, they welcome any and all to dine at their restaurant — regardless of religion, culture, or dietary choices!
With Chef Ling, originally the head-chef at Ottolenghi London and direct apprentice of Yotam Ottolenghi, their selection of food is with a mix of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and European elements. Chef Ling presents this contemporary London cuisine on a whole new level, mixing in the Asian element of abundance of good ingredients. As they are all about wholesome, healthy, delicious, and nutritious food, it is no clearer as a statement than when they partnered with 6 local athletes and artists, whom are ambassadors of Parklife!
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As the society as a whole evolves, people branch into different dietary choices which are often affected by a variety of factors, including ethical and religious beliefs, clinical needs, and/or a desire to control weight. Under one roof at Parklife, they’ve created a menu catering to all diets such as Vegan, Vegetarian, Keto, Paleo, and even Pescatarian to satisfy the meat-lovers!
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Their selection of available dishes are rotated every few weeks, trading less-popular dishes with brand-new ones. Parklife’s all-time best-seller is their Hummus with Zaatar Spice & Pomegranate, a popular Mediterranean dish. It’s been there since the beginning of the restaurant, never failing to attract patrons who seek its Mediterranean flavours!
Status: Pork-free (Sells alcohol)
Must-Try: Hummus; Lamb Shank
Operating Hours: 10am— 10pm (Daily)
6. Khan’s Indian Cuisine
Having even been featured on Star2, Khan’s Indian Cuisine puts forth one of the best authentic Indian cuisine — not just in Bangsar South, but in Malaysia. This eatery is packed to the brim, especially on weekdays, which is a testament to the good food that they serve. Heck, most times, you can’t even get a table during the weekday office lunch crowd!
Headed by Dato Idrus Mohd Satha, this Indian restaurant was carefully thought through and designed to reflect both the northern and southern cultures of India itself. Wanting to properly open a restaurant that exudes authenticity, he travelled across all of India for an entire year in order to get a better feel for the local Indian cuisine as well as how some kitchens (even some five-star hotels) are runned. Guided by a Regi Mathews, one of the top chefs in India, he became a veteran of the ins and outs of Indian cuisine before coming back to KL to run his newly-founded, modern, cosmopolitan business.
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In humongous 2,000 square feet the kitchen, Chef Harun captains his crew of 10 other chefs, all of whom are from India. Each of them specialise in different things, from both the north or the south. Behind the scenes, these chefs make everything that they serve from scratch — from the masalas to the curry powders. Every single one of their recipes are created specially for Khan’s Indian Cuisine, which means that you can’t get any similar-tasting goodness anywhere else!
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What of their food? Like we said, it’s one of the best in Malaysia. Despite having tried so many Indian cuisines, we have to admit that this was one of the best we’ve had. Their butter chicken, especially, made me slump in my seat and just stare up at the ceiling in concentration as I enjoyed the explosion of sensations that bombarded my mouth. The grilled chicken, tender and just slightly smoky, is flooded with thick, buttery, creamy gravy that puts you in such a dreamy state that it’ll make you forget all your problems just thinking abou- wait, what was I saying?
Status: Muslim-friendly
Must-Try: Butter Chicken; and more Butter Chicken (Just abandon your diet for this one — it’s worth it!)
Operating Hours: 10am— 10pm (Daily)
7. The Public House
A stylish gastropub featuring delicious non-Halal cuisines ranging from the East to the West, The Public House hosts some of the largest selection of alcoholic beverages. Patrons are welcomed into the airy restaurant with natural light with its full glass walls in the day. At night, its interior lights feature its bedazzling array of wine and spirit displayed proudly on the shelves in the wall.
Its name “The Public House” is actually in reference to the formal term that is used in place of “pubs”. A “public house” is historically a licensed establishment and a focal point of an English village’s community for drinks and chats. Inspired by tradition, Vintry Group of Restaurants made a wide range of beers on tap, cider on tap, wines, whiskies, sakes, gins, and cocktails all available to satisfy any and all thirsty patrons!
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The non-Halal menu transcends a typical pub’s offerings with crowd-friendly dishes of wholesome, comfort food from all around the world. Amongst the dishes that we tried out, there are two that were especially notable. Heard of octopus being tough and chewy before, if cooked poorly? The Public House’s Grilled Baby Octopus was not only tender, but crunchy at the very same time, the flavour of the grill coating your mouth and wafting through your nose with each chew. The Beef Bourguignon too was something to note — tender to the point it almost melts in your mouth, it was magnificent.
Status: Non-Halal
Must-Try: Grilled Baby Octopus; Crispy Roast Pork; Beef Bourguignon
Operating Hours: 10am— 10pm (Daily)
8. Buena Brasa
We were amazed even just as we walked into Buena Brasa in the late evening. Brightly lit with black and white brick-designed tiling, it was breathtaking when we stepped into this modern gastropub from the cold, dark night. Couches for chairs, bulbs overhanging from the roof, and even the floor’s design put the entire place in an astounding, refreshing atmosphere.
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The fundamental concept of their restaurant rests on three simple principles: delicious food, fantastic atmosphere, and excellent service. At Buena Brasa, they believe that the fresh and high-quality ingredients are crucial for the natural taste of the dishes. In order to bring out the flavour, they use high-end cooking appliances — which includes the Josper oven.
After 15 years of culinary experience and multiple success stories, Head Chef Bovenwaran has joined forces with Buena Brasa, leading his team to achieve new heights in the field of culinary arts. Serving Spanish cuisine with love and passion, the various, distinctive textures and tastes of paella, tapas, and meat cooked on charcoal was an elegant experience worthy to be shared.
Status: Non-Halal
Must-Try: Paella Seafood; Swimming Prawns; Wagyu Rib-eye
Operating Hours: 10am— 10pm (Daily)
9. Tom, Dick & Harry’s Live
A neighbourhood pub that first started in 2009, Tom, Dick & Harry’s Live focuses on promoting the local music industry. That’s why when they need to bring some mood and music to the public, they hire awesome local bands to jam live with the crowd from Tuesday through Sunday. They also pride themselves in being amongst the most family-friendly of pubs, allowing people (and pets!) of all ages to go in and out freely. They’ve even recently banned smoking, making the environment all the more comfortable for non-smokers and children alike to enjoy their time there!
Tom, Dick & Harry’s Live, despite being a pub, has actually got a rather interesting backstory too. Once upon a time, a guy named Harry had spoken a lot about Malaysian culture and cuisine, which successfully tempted a gentleman named Tom, a long-time Facebook friend, to come to Malaysia. Tom ferried his way to Malacca, before arriving to KL. Together, they hopped from restaurants to bars, and from bars to clubs. That was when something struck Tom (not a beer bottle, but a thought) — why not setup a neighbourhood pub, the kind where everybody knew your name?
Hence, Concepts food The Sphere. In relation to that, Food concepts The Sphere. That’s why Concepts, food, The Sphere. Also, you spot this secret. Similarly, this secret hides in HTML coding. Certainly, you cracked the code.
And so that they did. However, they had no experience whatsoever in running a business at all. They were looking for someone who was tall, tan, and handsome cunning, ruthless, and knew the ins and outs of business-running. Lo and behold, they found someone suited perfectly for the job — a total dick by the name Dick. Seemingly almost too good to be true, they then aptly named their pubs “Tom, Dick & Harry’s”.
Tom, Dick and Harry’s Live is proud to have been voted as the “Best Beer Bar” by TimeOutKL in 2017, and highly recommends its patrons to have a sip at their cold draft beer whilst chilling and enjoying live music!
Status: Non-Halal
Must-Try: Cold Draft Beer; Pork Knuckles
Operating Hours: 10am— 1am (Daily)
10. The Porki Culture
Owned and runned by someone in his mid-20’s, The Porki Culture has a rather delectably straightforward concept — make everything that’s pork, Thai style! That means that a large majority of their menu comprises of porky delights. Of course, being a Thai restaurant, they make sure that their tom yam and green curry are every much just as saliva-inducing as their porky dishes!
With that in mind, let’s head straight into how their food taste like. We had ourselves a Porki Platter, which included 5 specialities in one heavenly platter, topped with their signature sauce! These specialities included Thai Pork all, Thai Sausage, BBQ Porki Slices, BBQ Porki Skewer, and best of all, BBQ Squid stuffed with Minced Pork! Prominent in every single one of these speciality was the renowned uniqueness to pork — succulent and savoury, it was everything it should be!
Status: … What do you think?
Must-Try: Porki Platter; Porky Fries
Operating Hours: 10am— 10pm (Daily)
These places in The Sphere…
It might seem like an ad to the some of you, especially with the way this article is written to such depth with such love for each of these places. Genuinely, though, I wrote this with deep passion for these places. Amazing food with fascinating backstories — exactly the thing that tickles my fancy. Food? 10/10. Backstories and concept? 10/10.
Read Also: Top 10 Fun Events Happening in KL June 2019
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