Goheung Restaurant, Solaris Mont Kiara

June 2026. A drizzling Wednesday and after work dinner date. My friend wanted meat while I wanted stew, so we went back to Goheung after not being there for quite a while. Looking back at my old Goheung blog post, I realized I didn't take many photos of the interior and exterior, aside from the food. So today I decided to complete it. Back then in 2018 when they began their business, they were not widely known by local Malaysians, as many Korean restaurants did not heavily rely on social media advertising like what happens nowadays. After Covid pandemic, they have gone viral in social media for their long queues, especially on weekends. Interestingly, only Malaysian patrons are spotted there today, with no Koreans in sight. Instead of ordering our usual kimchi pork bone stew (kimchi jjigae), today we order a single portion of pork bone stew (gamjatang), along with a dubu kimchi (tofu with stir-fried kimchi and pork) to share. The pork bone stew is just as good as usual; even after so many years, the taste remains consistent. The banchan served is tasty too, and the portion given still generous as before. However it can only be refilled once, regardless of which side dish you want. So be sure you finish everything before you ask for a refill.

Basic Wine Store, Arcoris Mont Kiara

March 2026. This casual wine place has been on my to-visit list, I was waiting for the right person to join me, and then it happened. I make an online reservation very last minute via WhatsApp and received a quick response replying me with just come over at the time I preferred, table will be ready for us~ Good food, nice wine, friendly, attentive and warm hospitality~ that's what we felt on our first visit to Basic Wine Store today. Read from Eat Drink KL, the kitchen that prepares the contemporary Europe Tapas is headed by the team behind Table & Apron and Universal Bakehouse. While their wines and tinned seafood were stocked by Corevino~ a Malaysian-based wine importer. 

At first we plan to get a bottle of white wine to share however we changed our mind and choose to go for wine by glass so we could taste different types of wines. We start off with our first glass of white wine~ 2024 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis~ 100% Chardonnay from Chablis, France~ crisp, high-acid, and dry white wine characterized by vibrant citrus (lemon, lime), green apple, and white peach notes. Follow by our second glass~ the 2024 Adrien Berlioz, Des Gueux Blanc~ 100% Jacquère~ fresh, "electric" Alpine white wine from the Savoie region of France. We also order an Anchovies + charred peppers & feta, and picked a tinned seafood (Spiced Calamary in Ragout Sauce) from the shelf next to our seat to try. Both serves with grilled sourdough toast to eat with and oh my, I love the perfectly grilled sourdough with the charred flavour. 

After the whites, we then go for the reds~ the 2022 Domaine de Majas, Rouge and the 2023 Domaine Gramenon, Sierra Du Sud. Domaine de Majas Rouge is a 50/50 blend of Carignan and Grenache natural organic red wine from Roussillon, France~ a medium-bodied with fine tannins, bright red fruit notes, lively acidity, and a savoury herbaceous spicy finish. While Domaine Gramenon, Sierra du Sud is a 100% Syrah Côtes-du-Rhône from the Southern Rhône Valley, known for its wild aromatic flavors, deep purple fruit, and high acidity. We order another side~ Grilled pork jowl with salad greens to go with the red wines. We end up feeling full without having chance to try the mains. Spending some good time with good friend over food and wine is priceless.

KL Story Exhibition Gallery @ C-Space, Central Market

February 2026. I bet not many know that there is this free-entry exhibition gallery at C-Space, located at the mezzanine floor where you can have a quick glance at the history of Kuala Lumpur through personal stories, heritage, and trade including the past and development  of  Pasar Seni (Central Market). Viewing the entire exhibition will not take much time. It took me about 15 mins to browse and read through everything. I discovered here more than two years ago when I did the KL heritage walk. Every time I visit Pasar Seni with family and friends, I will make sure they did not miss out to visit the exhibition gallery if they haven't been there before. The gallery is a little bit "hidden" at the Mezzanine floor - from main entrance, just walk thru the Market Hall with "Pasar Besar" and "Made in Malaysia" signage till you see the staircases on your left. Take the staircase up to Mezzanine floor and you will see the C-Space sign in black with an orange color entrance few meters away on your left.  

2 Acres Cafe, Balik Pulau, Penang

January 2026. I went back to Penang on the first day of 2026. Instead of heading to downtown for coffee with crowds and traffic jam, we choose to go to the other side of the island~ Balik Pulau, to chill at this 2 Acres Cafe~ a cafe nestled in the middle of a durian farm, halfway down Jalan Teluk Pahang. Besides nice coffee and food, there are durians and assorted tropical fruits available too! Though it is quite far away from town, the cafe is filled with patrons when we arrive. It's nice to chill with coffee, sitting right next to the big windows with a view of the durian orchard. After coffee, we hung around outside the cafe for some fresh air and nature. I also climbed up the spiral stairs to another separate section of the cafe, which was in a container. The upper section of the cafe also came with a large window and an orchard view, which sort of reminds me of cafes in Jeju and Busan. So glad to be back in Balik Pulau again after many years!