KL CANOLOG ****

Unit 5, The Globe Centre, Wellfield Road, Cardiff. Info: 07506 591900 / www.facebook.com/klcanolog

I used to venture into Chinese restaurants and only ever order boiled rice, rejecting anything even remotely adventurous. Luckily, my picky adolescent tendenc

ies have since subsided, and now, the prospect of trying Malaysian cuisine for the first time at the recently opened KL Canolog, is an exciting prospect.

KL Canolog is an informal cafe-cum-deli with a neat array of intriguing gifts and foodie items lining the window to tempt in passers-by. Upon entering, you’re hit with a welcome bouquet of invigorating flavours from the open kitchen, whilst the menu is jammed with intriguing Malaysian and pan-pacific starters, mains, desserts and takeaway options. KL Canolog’s owner Bakh was keen for me to sample as much as possible upon my visit, and having listed seven dishes to try, I loosened my belt in anticipation.

To start, a simple but excellently executed chicken satay saw a satisfyingly deep sauce, before I was then treated to a small slice of chicken curry pie, a popular dish in Kuala Lumpur which consists of a dry chicken and potato curry in pastry – a delicious lunchtime snack. Next up, my palate was introduced to a devilishly delicious chilli sauce which accompanied an excellent chicken rendang with depth of flavour and a huge mound of rice alongside peanuts and dried anchovies. I was relieved not to be having chicken again as healthy portion of fragrant nyonya laksa noodles with prawns followed – easily my favourite dish of the meal. Dessert consisted of a slice of lemongrass and lime cake, a totally original black rice pudding and a similarly coconutty sagu gula melaka – a traditional Malaysian dish of tapioca pearls in creamy coconut milk and palm sugar syrup.

Perfect for adventurous diners, KL Canolog offers hearty Malaysian food cooked with love, attention, and an obvious knowledge and appreciation of authentic Malaysian flavours. Straight from Kuala Lumpur’s cafes, there’s plenty to excite the senses in what is a delightful cafe that fingers crossed will be able to open in the evenings in the future so that many more can sample the restaurant’s delights. GARETH LUDKIN