3 best GST-free cafes in the Klang Valley

Be transported into a world of manga cartoons when you step into Bmon Cafe. The charming cafe also serves some delicious food and lovely desserts to go with great coffee. – The Malaysian Insider pic, May 22, 2015.Earlier this month, we picked out 3 of our favourite restaurants in the Klang Valley that also happened to be GST-free. Now, we’ve listed down 3 cafes we love for their awesome coffee, delicious food and great ambiance. Oh, and did we mention they’re also not charging GST?

Chill out and head out to these 3 top picks during your next coffee break.

Bmon Cafe, Kota Damansara

Bmon Cafe is nestled smack in the busy Kota Damansara area but once you step in, it’s as if you’re transported to another world; a calm, manga-inspired world that brings out the child in the best of us. Apart from a long beverage list that boasts some unique coffee and tea flavours, the cafe also serves some pretty inventive and delicious dishes.

The Tuna Wrap (RM12.90) may look deceivingly plain, but was in fact so masterfully and perfectly balanced in flavour that we really couldn’t get enough of the salty, sweetish wrap. Bits of chopped onion and a healthy squeeze of lemon added a delightful burst of crunch and tartness to the generous tuna filling.

A delicious wrap that had flavour and texture. – The Malaysian Insider pic, May 22, 2015.The Hippo in the Pond (RM16.90) was a heaping mound of corn, green peas and chicken ham served on what can best be described as a giant begedil (potato patty) which was deep fried with crunchy breadcrumbs. The dish is served with a luscious cheese sauce which made for a decadent indulgence as we dug in.

Other mention-worthy dishes include the Chicken Sandwich (RM13.90), a large croissant stuffed with fresh tomatoes, lettuce, mashed chicken mayonnaise and cheese, and the Chicken Bolognese (RM13.90), which was bursting with the aroma of Italian herbs. We were a tad disappointed with the Mushroom Pizza (RM13.90) as it fell a bit flat in terms of seasoning, and the crust was more soggy than crispy.

You’ll get your fill of coffee and tea here, and if you enjoy sweet desserts to go with your drinks, Bmon has a pretty impressive lineup of cakes.

We also liked the details that go into making diners feel at home, like the fact that the cafe has a cosy corner dedicated to the young (and young-at-heart), where board games and toys are available to satisfy kids of all ages.

Bmon Cafe | Add: 8 – 1, Jalan PJU 5/20b, The Strand, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya | Tel: 03-61589993 | Opening hours: 12.00pm – 12 midnight daily, closed Tuesdays | GPS coordinates: 3.154297, 101.592102 | Pork-free

The Crusty Nest, Subang Jaya

All pies at The Crusty Nest are preservative free and served nice and warm. We loved that their crust remains fluffy and buttery even after it’s been reheated. – The Malaysian Insider pic, May 22, 2015.The latest addition to the busy SS15 area is The Crusty Nest, an inviting cafe which serves up a variety of savoury and sweet pies. Less than a month old, we liked that the café doesn’t appear to try too hard in terms of its pie flavours and sticks to classic and crowd favourites for its savoury selection.

A mix between a pizza and a pie, we loved the sourish, creamy chicken filling. – The Malaysian Insider pic, May 22, 2015.The Piezza (RM15), an original creation merging the concept and flavours of a pie and a pizza, was a cream-based chicken filling in a crispy pie crust. The oozy filling had a surprising burst of tanginess from slices of jalapeno and sour cream, and the entire combo was extremely appetising! We’d have preferred if the cream was slightly thicker, but when it came to flavours, it was a big win for us.

The Thomas Beef Pie (RM13) had chunks of tender beef, carrots and onions in a thick tomato-based sauce. Once again, the people behind The Crusty Nest nailed the seasoning and flavours, as the filling was the perfect consistency and simply bursting with bovine flavours. The Jackie Meat Pie (RM12) was a shepherds’ pie in a crust base, with creamy, soft mashed potatoes layered on top of a bed of minced beef.

The Crusty Nest may be jostling with the many other cafes in the SS15 area for clientele, but if they keep up the quality of their goods and the reasonable pricing, we have a hunch they’ll have little problems building up a fan base.

The Crusty Nest | Add: 40, Jalan SS15/4, 47500 Subang Jaya | Tel: 012-2917308 | Opening hours: 4.00pm – 12midnight daily | GPS coordinates: 3.075284, 101.5875 | Pork-free

Grind 22, Bangsar

Go for a hot chocolate if coffee’s not your thing. Grind22 takes pride in all of their beverages. – The Malaysian Insider pic, May 22, 2015.Grind 22 is tucked away next to Lorong Maarof’s Twenty2 boutique and is the perfect oasis for days when you need to whisk yourself away to a quiet place and indulge in a great cup of coffee. Their setup makes for a breezy, chilled ambiance with lots of natural light so curling up with a good book seems almost the natural thing to do when you’re there.

The cafe doesn’t yet have a kitchen, so their food items are mainly desserts, salad and pies. The cafe gets their sweet treats from different sources, but we really enjoyed Purple Monkey’s frozen mini cheesecakes. We especially liked the Toblerone Dark Chocolate (RM12) which was decadent and rich, the perfect accompaniment to our coffee.

While the rendang filling had a lovely mix of spices, we found it too dry. – The Malaysian Insider pic, May 22, 2015.Grind 22 also has a selection of pies, and we tried the Lamb pie (RM17) which had juicy and tender lamb for the filling. The Chicken Rendang (RM17) pie was a bit of a letdown, as it was dry. All pies are served with a dollop of chutney, which added a lovely tangy kick to the various different flavours. – May 22, 2015.

Grind 22 | Add: 22, Lorong Maarof, Bangsar Park, Bangsar | Tel: 03-22020422 | Opening hours: 11.00am – 10.00pm daily, closed on Mondays | GPS coordinates: 3.129039, 101.674440 | Pork-free

*All of The Malaysian Insider food reviews are incognito and represent the personal opinions of our merry band of foodies. If you know of any restaurant serving awesome grub and you’d like to share it with the rest of the world, drop us a line with details at [email protected].