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Plaza Batai's bastion of Thai cooking is bringing out a wave of new specialities that could keep us lingering here from noon till long past sunset: An expanded selection of set lunches that offer delicious value starting at RM22.90++, Teh Time treats that'll tickle the fancy for Thai sweets, and fresh modern recipes for its a la carte menu (Thai tacos, anyone?). Click above to watch our special video on Ekkamai and interview with its head chef Awee. With more than two decades of professional experience, taking her from her homeland to London to KL, Ekkamai's head chef Awee is one of the most skilled Thai chefs working in Malaysia - it's no surprise though that many customers might not recognise her name, since she's an unassuming talent with no thirst for the limelight, preferring to let her work speak for itself. Running in both Plaza Batai and Publika, Ekkamai's weekday set lunches currently number a lucky 13, extensive enough that you can eat here in the afte...

Toriyoshi stands out among the Klang Valley's kushiyaki bars by serving up specialities with Malaysian influences: Try the nasi lemak yakitori don, unmistakably aromatic, accompanied by all the familiar anchovies, peanuts, cucumber and sambal, plus a runny egg and slices of smoky chicken meat, skin, heart and gizzard (a fair RM15 with radish soup, pickles and ocha). Several chicken skewers also channel local inflections, such as sambal-slathered chicken breast (RM6) and buttermilk-bathed thigh (RM7). Other unconventional grilled offerings span freshwater lobster (RM15; skip this, since there's not much flesh beneath its exterior) and textured otak-otak (RM8), washed down with green tea (RM6) or a Japanese whisky highball (RM20). Toriyoshi Yakitori 23G, Jalan SS21/37, Damansara Utama,  Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Open Mon-Fri, 12pm-3pm, 6pm-12am; Sat, 6pm-12am. This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Léon is a brasserie boiled down to its basics, specialising in steak-frites (steak partnered with fries) in the tradition of Parisian and Genevan institution L'Entrecôte. It's a fresh approach to what a French restaurant can be in KL, focusing on a single dish done delightfully, helmed by the Gallic and Swiss-trained team that formerly ran Cocott', a more elaborate European eatery, in this same location. Léon is a nod to its co-founders' heritage - it's the name of manager Rui-Yang Monico's grandfather, while chef  Geoffroi Herin, who was raised in the somewhat similarly pronounced Lyon, remains the kitchen's ringleader . Grilled Australian grain-fed beef striploins are the cornerstone of the menu, served in 180-gram portions according to your specific preference that you can tick while ordering on the one-page paper menu (rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well or well-done), rounded out with Léon's signature sauce, house-made French fries and a green sa...

A steaming-hot bowl of bulgogi stew, sweet and tender, makes for one of Seoul's most soulful, soothing lunches, perhaps best savoured in a nondescript alley away from the madding crowds. This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com