Hidden from view from the main road but still very much part of the Mont Kiara thoroughfare, Mustard Fields by Zukkini sits in a cozy, classy bungalow behind a row of shops. Highly rated cafe, the interior is stylish and retro vibes, packaged with a modern approach and given a nod to nature. A visit at night reveals a totally different ambience altogether, one that’s definitely no less inviting.

Fusion at its best, many dishes are familiar but given a tweak, with a focus on fresh local ingredients to infuse an element of surprise to Asian and Western-inspired dishes. 

From the pasta menu, the Aglio Olio Tiger Prawns doesn’t have any hidden cards, but was well-executed in taste, came with three big tiger prawns, given a pop of spice with bird’s eye chilli and topped with ebiko. 

From the After Dark small plates section, we had:

Otak-otak in pate form, the addition of cream cheese making it creamier and richer – weirdly, it works – to be spread on Thai rice crackers. We had charcoal sago crackers. 

Grilled pulut – glutinous rice, with braised Australian beef, wrapped in daun kadok, grilled and paired with green chilli chumichurri. Reminded me of the Malay kuih, pulut panggang – very different and innovative, very good! 

Umai – raw Spanish mackerel, doused in lime juice, with shallots and chilli – similar to Spanish ceviche. The addition of kedondong (fruit) and jambu give it a nice crunch. Interesting though I couldn’t appreciate the milky santan (coconut milk) taste. Prefer it with just the citrus flavours. 

Instead of a birthday cake, we opted for kaya-misu, their own spin on tiramisu. Nice take, though I still would put my money on a traditional coffee tiramisu. 

They do have a commendable variety of cakes to choose from. We wanted to eat light so didn’t look at the Large Plate offerings, but they do have Western fare such as Fish and Chips and Grilled Spring Chicken as well as local dishes such as Chicken Rice, Johor Laksa and Nasi Kerabu. 

What I really like is it’s secluded location – great for dates, not that noisy – prices are slightly steeper, but that’s KL for you. They also got signature cocktails, and it’s a great place for coffe and cake, brunch meet-ups, a cozy date or even a private work session. They’ve got an upstairs loft as well that serves well for private events.

Add: B.Lot MK, Block B, Shop 3, Lot 1908, Jln Kiara 5, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. hp: 012-967 9163.