Syarifah Syazana

Come lunch time, us working folk are always faced with the same dilemma: What's for lunch? It's worse if you're trying to eat healthy; while it's easy for experts to tell us to buy groceries and prep our meals for the week on Sunday – some of us just don't have the time (or patience) to do that. Enter the new wave of KL's lunch delivery services, where nutritious, square meals are just a mouse click away. Here, we put some of the best lunch deliveries in the Klang Valley to the test. 

Whether you're a lover of dogs or cats, the opening of pet cafés in town has got local animal lovers into a bit of a frenzy (both the good and bad kind). Not to be confused with pet-friendly cafés (ie, restaurants which allow pets but don't house any of their own), a pet café is a themed establishment with animals as its main attraction; you generally pay an entry or drink fee to hang out with the resident pets within the given time – much like a petting zoo with free-roaming domesticated animals. We decided to pay these places a visit to better help you decide which places are worth your time and money. 

Love a good sandwich? Whether you like yours hot or cold, pressed or toasted, our resident sandwich lover recommends these places in the city for your sandwich fix. Consider your lunchtime sorted. 

If you live in KL or Putrajaya, you should know by now that according to the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, you’re required to separate your household waste or be possibly hit with a compound fine. If you’ve been separating your rubbish before, this just means that your recyclables will now be collected for you every week. For the rest of us new to waste separation, it may seem like a daunting task, but on the bright side, you’ll finally be recycling on a regular basis (and not only when you’re in a mall and you discard your plastic bottle in the bin marked ‘plastic’). If you’re confused about how and what you need to separate, here’s a handy guide. Which items to separate? According to the Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government, you’ll need to separate your waste in the following categories: 1. Paper – discarded receipts, cardboard, paper, newspapers, magazines, drink cartons and anything made of paper that’s dry/uncontaminated.  2. Plastic – bottles, plastic bags, and anything else made of plastic (this can include plastic toys and plastic and polystyrene food containers – rinsed first). 3. Miscellaneous – pack and separate according to these groups: a. Glass/ceramic wares (bottles, pots, etc.)b. Aluminium/metal (such as cans, steel utensils, etc.)c. Electronics (batteries, calculators, phones, wires, cables, lightbulbs and small electrical items).d. Fabric/shoes/rubber/leather (T-shirts, handbags, sneakers, rubber gloves, etc.)e. H

Here's a reason to spend with your Standard Chartered credit card: From June 1 to August 31 2016, customers can enjoy 18.88% Dining CashBack at any restaurant anytime.  Here's how to enjoy the offer: 1. To register, SMS Q2 to 66300 or register online2. Spend RM500 monthly on any retail transaction (petrol included).3. Pay with your Standard Chartered credit card to enjoy 18.88% Dining CashBack  If you don't have a Standard Chartered credit card, simply apply for one today to enjoy this offer. Click here for more info.  Looking for places to enjoy your 18.88% Dining CashBack? Look to these buka puasa buffets in town. 

Avoid the hassle of parking and battling traffic jams by grabbing GrabCar rides around the city. Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing platform, is giving away an awesome deal exclusively for VISA card holders. From now until August 31 2016, you can enjoy RM5 off your next six GrabCar rides when you pay with your VISA credit/debit card. That’s a total savings of RM30!  Paying via credit/debit card is also the most convenient way to get around with GrabCar. Just book your ride and choose VISA card as your payment option for a seamless travel experience. All you have to do is hop on and off! No promo code required and you get the RM5 discount automatically. If you’re a VISA card holder and have yet to experience Grab, this is the perfect opportunity. Download the Grab app from either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, register your VISA card, and off you go. For more information and the terms and conditions, please click here. 

Singapore’s lively art scene makes for some great family-friendly options over the school holidays. We look at some of the best museums and galleries that encourage learning through playtime. 

No time to plan your New Year's Eve? We did all the work for you. Here's your 24-hour NYE itinerary to serve you from the afternoon of Dec 31 to Jan 1. RECOMMENDED: The ultimate guide to New Year's Eve in KL.

The Purist Photo: Hizwan Hamid No toppings. The better to distinguish the hojicha notes from the tea imported from Uji, Kyoto.Eat it at: PS Tokyo The Minimalist Exhibitionist Cereal milk soft serve with caramel popcorn. Touch of dry ice for instant glam.Eat it at: Softsrve The Full Monty Photo: Hizwan Hamid Passion fruit and sweet potato soft gelato in a meringue nest with raspberry coulis, pastry sticks and cotton candy for the ultimate sugar overload. Eat it at: Every Sundae

Here's an obvious fact: KL's café scene just keeps on growing. While we have more than enough places for coffee and brunch, on the rise recently have been a number of new cafés focusing on dessert: ice cream, pastries, molten lava cakes and even soufflés. If you're looking for a place to visit for your next sugar rush fix (other than these old favourites), here's a list of sweet new openings. 

October 2013 To be honest, I haven’t had much experience with Indonesian food here, and when a friend first suggested Bumbu Desa to me, I was a little sceptical. The kind of scepticism you feel when a friend suggests something like Burger King as a place for burgers. (And with a tagline like ‘Indonesia’s leading restaurant chain’, how could you not?) One afternoon, I decided to visit the KLCC outlet to see what the fuss was about. Given its location on the top floor, I’ve always thought of Bumbu Desa as one of those expensive fourth floor restaurants. It sure looked the part: dim lighting, comfy-looking chairs and a simple but chic decor complete with Indonesian figurines lining one wall (to make it clear it’s an Indonesian restaurant). Despite its prime location, the prices here are pretty reasonable, with mains priced between the RM11 to RM15 mark. The menu comprises mostly Sundanese and Padang dishes with descriptions that made me want to order everything, but on our server’s recommendation, we chose the ayam cabai ijo (marinated chicken served in a mixture of crushed green chillies and spices) as well as the gado gado, perkedel kentang and tumis kangkung. When our food arrived, what we first noticed was how small the portions were; they were just enough for my dining partner and I, but if you’re in the company of a big eater, you’ll need to order an extra plate. Portion-wise, the perkedel looked the saddest – RM6.90 gets you two small pieces in a basket that could have ea

You no longer have to go to Changkat (or to one of those British pubs) for a plate of fish and chips; in fact, you can have the quintessentially English dish minus the pub crowd right in the heart of Subang's SS15 at Cor Blimey (that's its actual name). The fish and chips shop claims to serve the proper version of the fried battered fish, complete with chunky chips (with malt vinegar!) and minty mushy peas on the side.  While Cor Blimey does its best to stay true to traditional British fish and chips, don't expect the dish here to be exactly the same. Founder Adam Hanrahan, who grew up in the southern coast of England, admits that their location obviously makes it difficult to source the same types of fish as the English version, so instead of haddock, cod and plaice, Cor Blimey opts for dory and butterfish (which they get from a supplier twice a week), as well as the 'catch of the day' (locally sourced fish they get from the SS15 market). Another difference is in the batter; here you can choose lemon and herb or even curry flavoured batter, or just opt for the original. Adam also assures us that there's no beer used in the batter, while the fish and handcut chips here are made to order, so nothing is pre-made and kept frozen.  Other than fish and chips, the British-style pies are also Cor Blimey’s speciality, so a visit wouldn’t be complete without ordering the chicken and mushroom or fish pie (served with gravy and creamy mash).  For snacking in groups, order the seafood sh

Now that La Juiceria has established itself as one of the city's leading cold-press juice brands, its next mission, apparently, is to promote clean eating with the opening of its first offshoot, Goodness Greens, where you can have vegan-friendly dishes, customisable salads, superfood-packed smoothie bowls and even rice bowls and pastas, alongside the juices that started it all of course. Part of the appeal of Goodness Greens is its customisable salads – and by customisable, we mean you get to pick everything from your base (brown rice, salad leaves, romaine lettuce or warm potatoes) and mains (choose from a long list of proteins, grains, veggies and more) to your topping and dressing. The salads are available in three sizes: petit (RM14.90), medium (RM18.90) and grand (RM23.90); the difference between each is the number of mains and toppings you get to choose – the actual serving size of the dish remains the same, so if you’re content with just four mains, a base and a topping, just go for petit (and use the money you save on Goodness Greens’ other specialities. We'll get to that soon). If you prefer warm meals, order one of the vegan soups (homemade with almond milk instead of cream) available in pumpkin, zucchini, carrot with rosemary and classic mushroom, or get the summer or pesto pasta. For snacks, try not to get too full on GG Dip (spinach and mozzarella dip with baguette slices), and for a light but nutritious breakfast, the açaí berry and dragon fruit smoothie bowls a

The team behind Section 17's The Humble Pie Co. have made a notable expansion in the form of Yellow Apron not too far away in PJ's Section 13, breathing some life into the office- and warehouse-dominated street behind Jaya One. On the inside, Yellow Apron fulfils the criteria of today's sought-after cafés (a clean, minimalist interior with plenty of natural light coming in). It's also very spacious, making it a suitable spot for families with young children.  Currently, the menu at Yellow Apron features burgers, sandwiches, pastas and even some rice and noodle dishes, with plans of introducing a dinner menu of Malaysian-style tapas (or 'mapas' as they're calling it) soon. In the meantime, standouts include 'The Big Bold Beef Cheese Wasabi Sandwich' (like a roast beef sandwich but with wasabi in a pretzel bun), 'Curry Lamb Bam, Thank You Mam' (lamb shoulder curry with basmati rice), 'The Fantastically Fusion Fried Chicken Burger' (boneless buttermilk chicken thigh with sambal belacan), and 'Dancing Prawns, Swimming Chicken Fried Yee Mee Noodles'. At this point, you should know that Yellow Apron likes long, funny names.  Other than black coffee by Papa Palheta and a selection of teas, Yellow Apron also serves sangria and bottled beers as well as a range of mocktails. For dessert, there are (obviously) pies and cakes by The Humble Pie Co, including its famed banoffee pie and Musang King pie.

Note: Lepaq Lepaq is now closed. Will Malaysians never rest until they've found more ways to make nasi lemak a dessert? Cielo Dolci has their nasi lemak gelato, and now Lepaq Lepaq has nasi lemak cheesecake. Those curious enough to make the trip will find themselves staying for more than just the hybrid cheesecake; Lepaq Lepaq is a very good-looking space, giving in to today’s trendy industrial-style decor. With two stories, the café is also startlingly spacious (we're told it's a 200-seater) with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a calming view of a quiet Jalan Ceylon – and enough natural light to produce beautiful Instagrams. Tip: Go upstairs and sit at the 'outside' smoking section for best results. For food, Lepaq Lepaq has a rotating daily menu of mostly Western staples like pasta, sandwiches and meat and fish dishes prepared by their in-house chef. From Friday to Sunday, the menu is expanded to include several upgraded versions of eggs Benedict, including a very luxe-sounding Ikura and Caviar Benedict. For group dining, order the Big Daddy, a huge breakfast platter comprising truffle scrambled eggs, three types of sausages (footlong, smoked chicken cheese and lamb cranberry), hash browns, turkey and chicken ham slices, salad, baked beans and toasted ciabatta slices. A less greasy version of this would be Big Mama, which features mainly salad, eggs and sauteéd mushrooms. It's on the drinks menu that Lepaq Lepaq gets a bit more playful. They serve bottled beer like Tiger

KL can actually say it has an IKEA. You know, instead of leeching off what's technically Selangor territory. After years of only having just one store in the entire country, IKEA has found a second home in Cheras's Jalan Cochrane, and it's 20 percent larger than its Mutiara Damansara counterpart (42,000 square-metres of shopping space to be exact). At the moment, IKEA Cheras stands alone, but like IKEA Mutiara Damansara, it will soon be connected to MyTown mall, which will open in the second half of 2016. The store currently has over 1,700 parking bays, but come 2017, IKEA Cheras will also be accessible via the Cochrane MRT station, so you won't need to drive over for random trips. The new IKEA store, although larger, looks and feels pretty much like its older sibling, but where it differs are in the displays and range of products (as well as a significantly larger food hall, but we'll get to that later). You'll notice an expanded section on cooking and baking equipment, household plants and gardening, as well as more kid-friendly products. We spotted a whole section dedicated to arts and crafts items for kids, games (a dartboard!), and even kids' costumes available to try on (something that parents and adults will no doubt try as well). Now on to the important part: The IKEA food hall. Yes, it's a lot bigger – 780 seats bigger – and better-looking too, finally mimicking the look and feel of a room designed by IKEA (instead of just a plain cafeteria). Because it's wider there

Where can one find a burrito in KL that hasn’t been bastardised with fried chicken and mayonnaise? Enter Panchos, a homegrown and independent fast food-style restaurant reminiscent of a taco shop. It’s a good-looking taco shop too; Aztec print walls, suspended light bulbs and a bare cement floor that wouldn’t look out of place in a cool neighbourhood café. My first Panchos experience was a takeaway chipotle beef burrito – reheated after a few hours. Even with the tortilla a little on the soggy side (thanks to the microwave), this was a pleasant first experience. A burrito is typically a tortilla stuffed and rolled up with rice, beans, pico de gallo (fresh tomato salsa), lettuce, sour cream, cheese and meat; amazingly all the ingredients were on point. Being wrapped up tight with all the other ingredients meant that the fluffy rice absorbed all the good flavours from the pico de gallo and chipotle pulled beef, which was tastefully tender, juicy and not at all scant in portion. If I had any doubts about Panchos before, this burrito zapped them away. Since then, I’ve had the Panchos chipotle beef burrito a number of times and it’s always consistently good; it’s even better with their house-made jalapeño hot sauce, which adds a spicy tanginess to the burrito. Officially a Panchos fan, a recent visit prompted me to venture out of my burrito comfort zone to try the other menu items. With all of its dishes, Panchos lets you pick your own protein: beef (chipotle or spicy slow-cooke

New Zealand's famous Kapiti ice cream takes centre stage at Damansara Kim's Ice Dreams Café (IDC), where you can enjoy scoops of the rich, creamy ice cream in an affogato, with waffles and crepes, and even as an ice cream sandwich. The signature at IDC is the affogato. While we're all used to affogato as being a shot of espresso poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, founders Darren Tan and CK Chee took the literal Italian meaning (which translates to 'drowned') as inspiration to create a whole menu of affogatos with different flavours – and they're not all espresso-based. A standout is the olive oil and sea salt flakes affogato: Kapiti vanilla bean ice cream is sprinkled with flaky sea salt before being poured over with extra virgin olive oil – a bizarre-sounding combination (on this part of the world anyway) that works wonders. Other standouts include orange zest and Earl Grey lavender.   Branding itself as 'inspired by Kapiti', you'll find a whole range of ice cream flavours at IDC; spicy apple crumble, vintage stawberry and cream, lemongrass and ginger, Anzac coconut cookies, and Black Doris plum and crème fraîche are just some of the flavours in-store IDC recommends to pair with your waffle, cake or crepe. You can have the ice cream on its own at RM8 per scoop (or order The Sampler to try six flavours at once), but we recommend having your ice cream with lavender and cranberry Welsh cakes, or next to a peanut butter and Valrhona dark chocolate fondant. 

An exciting addition to Bandar Sunway's growing crop of cafés is Softcore, whose name refers to its signature molten cakes that come in Belgian dark chocolate, salted caramel, matcha, peanut butter and Belgian white chocolate; each cake is served with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream, and Softcore stays far away from your typical whipped cream and maraschino cherry topping. Instead, the cakes are prettily plated with toppings like berries, fruit jam and sand crumble that won't look out of place in a fancy restaurant.    Softcore's food menu features an interesting variety: the grilled cheese sandwich gets an upgrade with fillings like Asian chicken and beef brisket; there's also truffle fries topped with Grana Padano cheese, and even parmesan crème brûlée, a savoury take on the dessert with thyme and caramelised onions (plus the mandatory hard caramel top). While Softcore's Instagram-ready minimalist interior may follow the template of today's 'cool' cafés, the founders weren't quick to jump on the coffee bandwagon – the only coffee you'll get here for now are Vietnamese drip coffee and cold brew (the latter is served with a scoop of ice cream of course; this is a dessert place after all). There are also premium teas, ice-cream floats and milkshakes, a standout of which is the red bean santan milkshake. 

Bowery Petit satisfies two camps: those who like cake and pastries, and those who like pizza. If you belong to the former, the café's tempting display of baked goods will put you in a bit of a pickle decision-wise: should you go for the caramelised nuts monkey bread, Boston cream pie danish or filled doughnut? What about the cakes and pies? And you haven't even gotten to the milkshakes yet (available in banana cream pie, raspberry macaron and peanut butter brownie). It can get all very overwhelming for the indecisive dessert lover, so here's some help: order the caramelised nuts monkey bread, lemon and vanilla cream doughnut, and the raspberry choux à la crème. If you want cake, have the red velvet cookies and cream brownie or flourless dark chocolate cake. Tip: Bring a friend along, and make sure they have a sweet tooth.  For something savoury, Bowery Petit offers large New York-style pizzas sold by the slice (varieties include spicy tuna, Mediterranean and beef pepperoni) as well as pies, quiche, and even bagel balls. Aside from coffee by Perth's Blacklist Coffee Roasters, milkshakes and sodas, the café also serves a range of beers and ciders. 

Good news for lobster lovers: Singapore’s Pince & Pints is now in KL. For those of you familiar with the New England-style restaurant across the Causeway, this means that you can enjoy Pince & Pint’s best-selling lobster rolls in Malaysian Ringgit.Touted as an affordable place for lobster, the KL outlet has a menu of just five dishes, which includes the exclusive-to-KL lobster noodles alongside grilled or steamed lobster, chilli lobster with fried mantou, and the aforementioned lobster roll. Each dish uses one whole lobster and is priced at RM158++. Tip: Come in a group, order two dishes (we recommend the grilled lobster and lobster roll), and split the cost. The tables here are long too, so you know they encourage group dining. Now, the hardsell: Pince & Pints lobsters are wild caught from Boston, Maine and Canada, before being flown in and stored in state-of-the-art deep sea tanks in which ‘even the lobsters may be tricked into thinking that they might be back in the waters of Boston, Maine or Canada’. In other words, these are happy lobsters who feel at home. As for the bar, you can expect an array of sweet, sour, bitter and dry cocktails, boutique wines from all over the world, and mocktails with names like Freddie Mercury (cloudy apple and fresh orange juice and ginger gastrique) and Mr & Mrs Smith (fresh kiwi and lime, pandan syrup, apple and guava juice). 

The year’s most exciting new opening – at least in the cat-loving community – sets up shop in the upstairs lot next to Pickle & Fig in TTDI. Yes, it’s a cat café, and probably KL’s prettiest one yet. Partners Daryl and Isabelle wanted to stay away from the gaudiness of your typical cat beds and towers, so they sought the advice of renowned cat behaviourist Jackson Galaxy and cat style expert Kate Benjamin in ‘Catification’, a book about decorating your home in stylish but cat-friendly ways. The founders’ diligent research certainly shows in Purradise’s clean, calming aesthetics. Everything here looks like it was built for humans, from the colourful beanbags, wall shelves and wood-pallet furniture right down to the large indoor swing – but they’re also for the cats to have as much vertical and horizontal space as possible. ‘One of the key features here is that the cats have space to run. That’s very important to their wellbeing – being able to dash from one end to the other,’ explains Daryl. How it works is pretty simple: You come in, order a juice or smoothie (which comes free with the entry fee), and you can just chill with the cats for an hour. Your first hour is RM15, while every 15 minutes thereafter is RM3. Alternatively, you can buy an extra smoothie, juice or sandwich to get an additional 30 minutes free. If you do the math, staying here for two hours or more isn’t exactly cheap, but there’s a good reason for that – to discourage visitors from overstaying so the cats c

Update (June 29): According to the latest statement issued by RapidKL, during peak hours between 7am to 9am and 5pm to 7pm, Kelana Jaya Line trains heading to Putra Heights would 'alternately make a turnaround at Ara Damansara' to cater to the larger crowd heading to the city centre. Those heading to Putra Heights at peak hours will need to get off at Ara Damansara and switch trains to continue their journey. This is a temporary fix until the new KLAV trains will be rolled out in January 2017.  During these peak hours, expect a three-minute waiting time for trains travelling between Ara Damansara and Gombak, while trains from Ara Damansara to Putra Heights will come every six minutes. Trains will begin operating from 6am.  *  It's the dawn of a new era for public transportation in the Klang Valley. This Thursday, June 30, RapidKL will finally complete the Kelana Jaya and Ampang Line extension project with the opening of 12 new Kelana Jaya Line stations and two new stations on the Ampang Line. This means that from Thursday onwards, we'll be connected by rail to even more areas in Subang, Shah Alam and Puchong.   ICYMI: the Kelana Jaya Line extension covers a distance of 17.4km and includes the addition of 12 new stations after Kelana Jaya: Lembah Subang, Ara Damansara, Glenmarie, Subang Jaya, SS15, SS18, USJ 7, Taipan, Wawasan, USJ 21, Alam Megah and Subang Alam. The Ampang Line, which started opening its new stations in batches since last year, will open its last two stations

Here's a reason to celebrate this July: it's our 100th issue! To commemorate this important milestone, our July issue comes with a brand new Time Out look and presents the 100 best local dishes and drinks in our city, from laksa and nasi lemak to roti canai, pisang goreng, ais kacang and more. Consider this your ultimate guide to the best noms of the town.  Moving away from food, we've also got an exclusive interview with superstar actor Tom Hiddleston, who chats with Time Out about his new dystopian film 'High-Rise', meeting John Le Carré, and the international rise of British film actors.  In Shopping & Style, you can learn how to give someone the literal cold shoulder with our roundup of bardot and one-shoulder tops and dresses. Also, get to know Jasmine Gan, the designer behind KL-based candle brand, Sanctuary.  In Music, we chat with local act Pitahati, who are at the frontline of the new Malay alternative scene, before zeroing in on rising local Malay five-piece, Ramayan.  And in Nightlife, we celebrate the famous made-in-Malaysia cocktail, Jungle Bird, with a list of five bars who pay tribute to the tiki-era drink with their own unique twist.  Get the July issue, RM6.90 in bookstores and newsstands, or sign up for a subscription. Find out how you can get a free digital copy on the digital editions page. 

This June, we tell you how you can experience Japan without even leaving the city: check out KL's top Japanese cafés and restaurants for noodles, sushi and omakase, yakitori, green tea desserts and coffee, the best shops for Japanese fashion and knick-knacks, and also ikebana, tea and saké classes you can join. Konnichiwa KL!     In Shopping & Style, we get Raya-ready with collections by local designers and brands, and in Food, we revisit some favourite brunch dishes and list this year's buka puasa meals and buffets (FYI, Ramadhan is coming!).     In Film, we take a look at Japanese film director Hayao Miyazaki's most acclaimed film fantasies, while our TV section lists some of the best classic anime series for anime beginners.  In Music, ahead of the release of her third studio album, 'Chapters', Yuna chats with us about collaborating with Jhené Aiko, love and the loss of love, and flying the flag for modest Muslim musicians everywhere.  In Nightlife, we've got the top bars in town for Japanese spirits: saké, shōchū, Japanese whiskies and Japanese-inspired cocktails. Kampai! Get the June issue, RM6.90 in bookstores and newsstands, or sign up for a subscription. Find out how you can get a free digital copy on the digital editions page.

You may have heard about that poor ostrich sprinting down Federal Highway yesterday afternoon, after a video of it posted on Instagram went viral. While it was funny at first (it’s an ostrich on a highway!), netizens quickly became concerned: where did the ostrich come from? Why was it on the highway? And most importantly, will it be okay?   A video posted by Jeff Sandhu (@jeffsandhu) on Jun 16, 2016 at 12:20am PDT Good news: the ostrich is okay and was rescued unharmed at around 4.15pm yesterday. Plot twist: the ostrich is called Chickaboo who apparently has turkeys and a Husky for friends. She’s also ‘quite the celebrity’, according to The Star who quoted her owner, Darren Chow. The daily reported that Darren’s been working with animals for over 20 years and raised Chickaboo since she was a chick. The six-month-old ostrich has appeared at kids’ carnivals and events, including last month’s KL Picnic Festival. So yes, she was famous even before she became Federal Highway’s ‘runaway ostrich’. Here’s what happened yesterday: Darren was transporting Chickaboo in his Toyota Hilux to Ostrich Wonderlands in Semenyih, where the growing bird would have a new place to stay with more room to run around. During the journey, Chickaboo jumped out of the open window and dashed towards the highway at around 3pm. By 4.15pm, the ostrich was rescued.And that's the case of the runaway ostrich solved. What a day. 

Admit it – every time McDonald’s comes out with a new seasonal dessert, your curiosity gets the better of you, enough for you to actually make the trip to McDonald’s just to try it (or you’ll make your friend order it and curi from them). We’re no different. We were extremely curious about the fastfood giant’s seasonal Ramadhan desserts, mostly because McDonald’s has outdone itself with two new sundae flavours, one (outrageous) pie and to top it all off, actual kuih at McCafé. Plus, one of us really wanted to try the cendol sundae. Here’s how they fared. Bubur cha cha pie, RM3.50Despite appearances (the white filling reminded us of tempe), we didn’t hate this pie. ‘I actually like this!’ exclaimed one taster, who went back for more. However, with the pie crust and yam-sweet potato filling, it’s a very unbalanced dessert. Can we order bubur cha cha pie, tak nak pie? How about just serving bubur cha cha as a dessert alternative to bubur ayam? Mata kucing sundae, RM3.95We’re not too sure why the mata kucing syrup in our sundae was bubbling – perhaps this was a warning for what it was: cloyingly sweet syrup that hardly tasted like mata kucing (those measly bits of fruit didn’t fool anyone). As clearly put by one taster: 'If you didn't tell me this was mata kucing in my sundae, I wouldn't know'. Mata kucing McFlurry, RM4.95See above. A McFlurry is a McFlurry because of the way the toppings are swirled into the ice cream (fun fact: that's what the hole in the spoon is for). Howe

Rosemary-infused extra virgin olive oil and smoked sea salt If you’re familiar with Damansara Kim’s IDC (Ice Dreams Café), you’ll know that the term ‘affogato’ at the Kapiti ice cream parlour doesn’t only refer to espresso poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In IDC’s context, it could mean a shot of anything poured over ice cream (affogato means ‘drowned’ in Italian) – including extra virgin olive oil, a weird (but intriguing) flavour combination we raved about last year.With the launch of IDC’s new affogato menu, co-founder Darren Tan has let his imagination run wild again with four new ice cream combinations, the most notable of which is the rosemary-infused extra virgin olive oil and smoked sea salt with vanilla bean ice cream. Think of it as an upgraded version of IDC’s aforementioned extra virgin olive oil affogato; the addition of rosemary and cheese peppercorn biscotti on the side give it a spicy kick we never knew we craved in ice cream.  Honey cereal salted egg yolk If olive oil with ice cream sounds too bizarre, the other new affogatos should be right up your alley: salted gula Melaka with pandan rice cake and lemongrass and ginger ice cream, honey cereal salted egg yolk with vanilla bean ice cream, and espresso salted caramel with chocolate-orange brownie and Anzac Coconut Cookie ice cream. All affogatos are priced at RM15 each, but as an introductory offer, IDC is featuring one new affogato each week at only RM10. They may already be halfway through the p

Update (April 29): In a recent report by Bernama published in The Star, Mayor Datuk Seri Mhd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz has assured KLites that the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Bureau is ‘open to improvements’ on the new KL logo and tagline. ‘Anyone who has ideas to improve the logo please do pass the proposal to me so I can table it to the bureau,’ he said, as reported. He further reassured that KL Tourism Bureau has plans to promote the logo, and that ‘it will take time to make adjustments’. * KL Mayor Datuk Seri Mhd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz yesterday unveiled Kuala Lumpur Tourism Bureau and City Hall's (DBKL) plans to boost tourism and travel to the city, the most notable of which is the official 'brand identity of KL' – complete with a new logo and tagline. This is it: Kuala Lumpur is now known as 'A City of Contrasts & Diversity', and tagged onto its new logo are the words 'exciting', 'surprising' and 'enticing'. According to DBKL's latest release, this new brand identity refers to KL's 'contrasting heritage, multi-cultural society and religion, diverse attractions and metropolis'. In simpler terms, KL is unique, and 'contrasts and diversity' is apparently the way forward to distinguish our capital city from other cities around the world. What do you think about the new KL brand identity?

This May, we've dedicated an entire issue to all you book lovers in KL. Whether it's paperbacks, coffee table tomes, secondhand books, or even special interests, we've got you covered with our list of the city's best bookstores. Also in this issue: book events and readings you should know about, plus an in-depth look at the good, the bad and the ugly side of the local publishing scene.      Moving over to Food, it's Mother's Day on May 8. If you're looking for ways to treat the special woman in your life, we've listed the best places in town for afternoon tea, from charming neighbourhood teahouses to upscale hotel tearooms. For something more substantial than afternoon tea, we've also compiled a list of Mother's Day meals and dining deals in town.     In Shopping & Style, we check out the best eyewear brands and shops in KL where you can pick out something to complete your nerdy chic look.    In Film, we take a look at the ten classic movie mums of all time (Bambi's mother *sad face*), while our TV section lists the most unforgettable literary moments on the small screen.    In Music, find out why everyone's rooting for Zayn Malik (formerly of One Direction, but you obviously know that already) and how he's evolved from one fifth of the world's biggest boyband to ZAYN the brand.  Get the May issue, RM6.90 in bookstores and newsstands, or sign up for a subscription. Find out how you can get a free digital copy on the digital editions page.

If you can't make the time to visit an art gallery, Urbanscapes is putting art into your daily commute. The next time you're passing through Bangsar, Pasar Seni, Hang Tuah, Masjid Jamek, Tasik Selatan, Ampang Park and Sri Rampai LRT station, spare a minute to admire specially commissioned artworks and installations by Cloakwork, Minut Init, Orkibal, HappyPass, abdulrashade, Kazel Lim, Vivi Hazolene, Nadhir Nor and Katrina Khair. The installations feature a room-sized, illuminated cube large enough for you to walk in and snap a photo to 'break the monotony of your morning commute' – you may miss a train (or two) in the process, but in the interest of art, the LRTs can wait. Or just do this on your way home when you're in less of a rush. Photo: All is Amazing As Tasik Selatan is better known for being a major interchange station that gets extremely crowded on Fridays than a cool station for taking pretty pics, the addition of artist Orkibal's mural in a white cube (curiously placed at the station's busiest spot) gives a quirky touch to the otherwise drab station.  Orkibal's work-in-progress at Tasik Selatan Photo: All is Amazing Cloakwork's graffiti at Ampang Park stationPhoto: All is Amazing   A photo posted by Time Out Kuala Lumpur (@timeoutkl) on Apr 25, 2016 at 12:10am PDT Currently you can only view completed installations at Ampang Park (by Cloackwork), Tasik Selatan (by Orkibal) and Hang Tuah (by Minut Init). The rest are still works in progress, so keep an

In public transportation news: LRT operator RapidKL has confirmed June 30 as the official start date for the Kelana Jaya Line Extension following a successful Emergency Response Plan exercise. To recap, the line extension will cover a distance of 17.4km and includes the addition of 12 new stations after Kelana Jaya: Lembah Subang, Ara Damansara, Glenmarie, Subang Jaya, SS15, SS18, USJ 7, Taipan, Wawasan, USJ 21, Alam Megah and Subang Alam. The extended line will end at Putra Heights, which will be the integrated station connecting the Kelana Jaya Line and Ampang Line. The latter currently has eight new stations operating as part of its own line extension project. The remaining stations, Puchong Perdana and Puchong Prima, will launch together with the Kelana Jaya Line extension.  The integration of both lines will mean that those on the Kelana Jaya Line wanting to go to areas in Puchong can make the switch at Putra Heights instead of Masjid Jamek. Meanwhile, Subang Jaya station will connect to the Subang Jaya KTM, and USJ 7 connects to the Sunway BRT.  With the LRT extension, do you see yourself taking the train to work in future? Or are RapidKL's frequent service disruptions lately giving you doubts?  For more info and updates, visit RapidKL's Facebook page.

With news of Imbi Market's impending move to ICC Pudu this month (FYI: although April 15 is the likely date, a recent report says that the market vendors have yet to receive a written notice about the set date for relocation), SPCA has brought to our attention another matter worth our concern: the market's community of stray cats who will be left behind when all the vendors vacate the premises. As part of their MissionHELP outreach programme, SPCA is in the midst of transporting these cats to their centre in batches to get vaccinated, neutered and adopted, so if you'd like to help SPCA on this rescue mission but don't have the time, donate to their project via credit card or bank transfer. The animal welfare organisation is also looking for people to foster some of the rescued cats; those interested can email enquiries@spca.og.my (subject title: Imbi market cats). We'll leave you with some cat pics posted by SPCA on Facebook. They need your help meow.  Photo: SPCA   Photo: SPCA For more info and updates, visit www.facebook.com/SPCASelangor. 

Now that cafés are well and truly here to stay, you don't need to venture outside of your neighbourhood for a weekend brunch. Our April issue maps out the Klang Valley's newest cafés by area (Bangsar, Damansara, Hartamas, Bandar Sunway, Subang and TTDI) that feature great meals, inventive desserts and superior brews. Let the café hop begin!  You may know the places that do good coffee, but how well do you know local coffee roasters? Get to know five of the city's specialty coffee roasters that are breaking new grounds in our feature.  In Food, we shift from coffee to everyone's other favourite drink – tea. Chai latte to be exact.  And in Film, we take a look at Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell's most finest creations, including notable pieces from 'Hugo', 'The Wolf of Wall Street' and 'Carol'.  Tame Impala's maiden KL show happens in April as part of Urbanscapes 2016. In Music, frontman Kevin Parker talks us through the band's 2015 psychedelic pop album 'Currents'. Also in this section: a lowdown of Urbanscapes 2016's citywide gigs.  Get the April issue, RM6.90 in newsstands, or sign up for a subscription. Find out how you can get a free digital copy on the digital editions page.