Upon first inspection, Ebb & Flow might seem like just another restaurant in Bangsar’s sardine-packed Telawi stretch in Kuala Lumpur, no better or worse than the rest. That is until you 1) meet Robert Gilliland, the charismatic owner of the place, and 2) try the food.

Gilliland is a (very handsome) Australian native who has been in Malaysia for a number of years now. I first met him a couple of years ago, and even now, am struck by his uncanny resemblance to a young Hugh Jackman and his unwavering enthusiasm for hospitality and people.