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Who knew Malaysian entrepreneurs were so good at this?

If this global ranking is of anything to go by.

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Vulcan Post
March 17, 2025

When you think of the world’s best cafes, countries that top your list might be Italy, Australia, or Vietnam.

Malaysia?

Probably much further down your list. We’re talking global rankings, after all.

But lo and behold, because a list of the world’s 100 best coffee shops recently dropped, and a Malaysian cafe is as high as rank #9 on it! But wait, there’s more!

More than one Malaysian cafe on the list, that is.

For you today, we have:

  • Malaysian cafes that made it as the world’s 100 best coffee shops

  • The controversial mind behind ESCAPE theme parks and KidZania Malaysia

  • Several restaurants who are closing down, and why

📢 Malaysian cafes may be underrated by its own locals

☕ Because not one, not two, but three Malaysian cafes have made it to a list ranking some of the best coffee shops in the world. And they’re not all in Klang Valley either; one is in Melaka, and another is in Penang.

Grab a coffee, here’s your to-read list:

🥩 Leaving corporate for a kopitiam stall, these three friends started selling charcoal-grilled meats like lamb shoulder. It’s an unusual spot for such food, but one that they found success in. Now, they run two brick-and-mortar restaurants, focused on their niche.

🧠 A dose of insanity is what you need if you want to be an entrepreneur, said Dato’ Sim, the founder of Sim Leisure, which operates ESCAPE theme park and KidZania KL. In an exclusive interview with us, he dropped even more hot takes that left us reeling.

🍚 Serving a rare cuisine in Malaysia, this restaurant is finally opening its second outlet nine years later. Have you heard of Macanese cuisine? It’s recognised by UNESCO as the world’s first fusion cuisine, and you can get a taste at this spot in Malaysia.

Omakase restaurant Eat & Cook is having its “final chapter”

But it’s not quite the end of their storybook—rather, it’s the “start of a new, exciting story in a brand-new home.”

After nine years, LI Restaurant is closing its doors

Its co-founders, also behind Provisions, are choosing “growth over comfort” and to focus on their other brands.

This is how a Michelin-selected fine dining chef has fun

Esca KL is a “playground” for the chef-owner of Terra Dining, where he cooks up global cuisine for a casual crowd.

This workcation proved to us that KL can indeed be zen

We stayed at a boutique hotel in the heart of KL with cosy, residential vibes and ample workspace.

Spotlight on Great Pyramid

⌨️ At 23, he coded a startup in his bedroom.

Getting clients wasn’t easy. “Companies didn’t want to trust a young guy with their expatriate mobility and HR matters,” the founder told us.

But with a simple pitch, he managed to build trust and grow their credibility.

Now, his Malaysian HR firm serves 450+ global clients.

Check out content marketing opportunities with us today.

For the luxury lovers

Yes, we do have a TikTok too, where our articles can be watched in bite-sized videos! Click on the thumbnails to watch the videos!

🦷 A luxurious experience in your mouth is what this Malaysian toothpaste wants to provide. It’s started by three besties in pharmacy who wondered why there wasn’t perfume for our mouths if there were perfumes for our hair and bodies. They were bored with routine teeth-brushing and decided to change that. This is their solution.

🧾 Don’t be naughty, file your taxes if you haven’t yet. Especially if you’ve been spending rather luxuriously, since you never know when LHDN is watching. So, here’s our handy guide on what you can claim in tax reliefs for FY 2024, and how much. Happy tax filing!

🚗 A luxury experience on the road, this is the rival to Alphards and Vellfires. Meet the D9 by Denza, BYD’s sub premium EV brand. We hit the roads with it recently, and got to tinker with its fancy features like a mini fridge and warmer for food and drinks, the captain chair massages, and smooth-as-butter handling.