Things to do at The Gasket Alley, Petaling Jaya
The Gasket Alley is a mecca of culture, creativity, and food enclosed in an industrial-themed warehouse in Petaling Jaya. The brick-and-mortar site is home to some of the city’s hippest hangout spots, embodying the hub’s stylish yet unpretentious vibe.
From a cafe-cum-record store that also happens to make top-notch basque cheesecakes, to bike-centric stores and a showroom of modern classic vehicles, here’s a guide to retail shops and eateries that you can find at The Gasket Alley.
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Where to eat at The Gasket Alley
1. Halo Doughnut
Halo Doughnut came forth during the pandemic like an angel descended upon our land to add more panache to the Malaysian doughnut scene.
When former TV producer and advertising agency executive Khris left her corporate job to pursue her baking hobby seriously, her doughnut business started in a humble kitchen at her mother’s home, and then in a cloud kitchen at Cookhouse.
Proving to be a hit amongst family, friends, and the online community, her business eventually grew and she managed to secure a physical store at The Gasket Alley.
The quaint store is reminiscent of a neighbourhood cafe in London tucked away in an alleyway, with a brick-and-mortar facade and the contrasting turquoise blue framings that simply catches your attention.
If the aesthetics of the store doesn’t, the doughnut display by the counter certainly will, all laid out under glowing lights like fine jewellery on display.
They have more than 80 doughnuts in their repertoire, which can prove problematic to the indecision-prone, especially when you’re weighing options like their signature Burnt & Salty glaze doughnut (RM8.90), good ol’ Maple Bacon doughnut (RM11.90), and the sinful Peanut Butter Cup doughnut (RM14.50). Fortunately, there is no wrong decision.
Opening hours: 9.30am-6.30pm, Daily
Contact: Halo Doughnut’s Instagram
2. Hejau
Eat your greens, they say. It is good for your health, they say. Such is true for Hejau, a quirky cafe that specialises in everything matcha.
A brainchild of famous Malaysian influencer Jane Chuck, the cafe is an instant perk-up. It has an eccentric interior of blue and green accents, illuminated corners and symbols, as well as the fun posters plastering the white-brick walls.
The cafe’s menu is matcha-forward, offering all sorts of innovative green tea concoctions and creative matcha-flavoured desserts. A classic Matcha Latte (RM12) is a safe option, but for a little more jazz to your usual “green juice”, there’s the Matcha Strawberry Latte (RM16) or the Matcha Yuzu Lemonade (RM15).
Local-inspired flavours feature ingenious combinations of matcha and pandan in the Matcha Pandan Latte (RM14) or the Matcha Tebu (RM12) which has sugarcane syrup infused in the earthy matcha drink.
The small selection of matcha desserts aren’t to be missed either, with its signature Matcha Polo Bun (RM10) garnering a solid fanbase for the craggy matcha crust encasing the top of the toasty bun which is slowly soaking up the fragrant butter slab sandwiched in between.
Opening hours: Tue – Sun 12pm-7pm (Closed on Mondays)
Contact: Hejau Instagram
3. Coffeeboy Club
Image credit: @coffeeboyclub via Instagram
One of Gasket Alley’s most notable inhabitants, Coffeeboy Club is more than just a cutesy cafe.
Inspired by the listening bars of the ’80s underground music scene in Tokyo, this swanky spot makes quality coffee beverages in their small but versatile space, with crowd favourite items such as Espresso Lemonade (RM14), Pandan Latte (RM10), and the refreshing Originalles Coolers series.
Image adapted from: @coffeeboyclub via Instagram
Their food menu is impressively extensive, offering breakfast fare such as the Hash It Out sandwich (RM12) and the protein-filled Chicken Avocado open sandwich (RM18). They have a decent amount of Mexican food choices, with the loaded Kebab Bowl (RM30) and the classic Fishy Taco (RM22).
Image adapted from: @coffeeboyclub via Instagram
A sweet and lush delight that patrons look forward to is Coffeeboy Club’s Cheesecake Weekend, where they churn out slabs of rich basque cheesecake with rotating flavours on different weekends.
Image credit: @coffeeboyclub via Instagram
Possessing as much of a passion in music as with their food and coffee, the cafe has also become a space for occasional listening parties and intimate music events, and has been fostering a thriving music-loving community with their diverse collection of vinyl records.
Opening hours: Sun – Thu 7.30am-7pm | Fri – Sun 7.30am-10pm
Contact: 012-292 1492 | Coffeeboy Club Instagram
4. Phil’s Pizza
Besides its retro-themed outlet in REXKL, Phil’s Pizza also has a relatively new spacious branch at The Gaskey Alley, embroidering a retro concept in both its interior and pizzas.
Image adapted from: @yvonnesoo via Instagram
The pizza parlour is reminiscent of a 1980s American pizzeria with its orange tiled floors, bright fluorescent lighting and a simple and clean glass display of whole pizzas like those of a classic diner.
This homegrown brand serves gargantuan wheels of New York-style pizza in individual slices (RM13) or as whole pies in 12 or 18 inches (from RM44). Better yet, these are also Muslim-friendly, using ingredients sourced from halal suppliers to cater to a bigger community.
The pizzeria churns out rather thin, crisp-crust and floppy-centre pizzas, judiciously topped with sauce and cheese. Their menu offers a decent mix of timeless flavours like Margherita and Pepperoni to modern favourites such as Pesto-based and Truffle.
The best-selling Pepperoni Pizza (RM13) is a chewy slice lushly blanketed with cheese atop a tangy layer of tomato sauce, with charred pepperoni slices cupping stylishly.
Vegans can opt for the creamy Truffle Pizza (RM15) loaded with cheese, mushroom and truffle oil, or Nicole’s (RM15) which has a base of pesto spread and topped with roasted capsicum.
Opening hours: 10am-10pm, Daily
Contact: Phil’s Pizza Instagram
5. Ramen Bar Shishido
Image credit: @ramenbarshishido via Instagram
At a small corner of The Gasket Alley, there lies a slice of Japan that’s actually a retro ramen restaurant called Ramen Bar Shishido, known for its authentic, thick and milky tonkotsu ramen, as well as Japanese street food such as yakitori and gyoza.
Image credit: @fustyrabbits via Instagram
The ramen bar’s themed dining area is part of the lure – you’ll find four different concepts that are replicas of the real scenery in the motherland itself including Tokyo Night Street, Traditional Village Concept, Japanese Home-style and Kabuki-za respectively.
Image credit: @ramenbarshishido via Instagram
The restaurant sees loyal patrons returning for its unique ambience, and its vast menu of Japanese-inspired food and drinks, featuring Japanese tonkotsu ramen and other staples typically served at casual Japanese bars, such as yakitori, gyoza, donburi and karaage.
Its revered ramen comes with options of flavours for a single flavour base – Original Pork Soup, Black Garlic Pork Soup, Spicy Pork Soup, Curry Pork Soup, Basil Pork Soup or Pepper Spicy Pork Soup.
Image credit: @kluun_jpg via Instagram
Go for the Yakibuta Ramen with Black Garlic Pork Soup (RM33) which comprises rich and creamy pork broth infused with smoky black garlic oil, handmade springy noodles, and glistening braised pork belly.
Adventurer gourmands can try the unique Lemon Tonkotsu Ramen (RM22) that has slices of lemon floating above the thick, milky pork broth ramen.
Opening hours: 11am-9.30pm, Daily
Contact: Ramen Bar Shishido Instagram
Where to shop at The Gasket Alley
6. Jonnie’s Bodega
Image credit: @jonniesbodega via Instagram
Touted as the neighbourhood’s best-kept secret corner store, Jonnie’s Bodega is a tiny den that’s something of a time capsule with its abundance of racks of clothes, bright posters plastered on the walls, and vintage knick-knacks.
Image adapted from: @jonniesbodega via Instagram
With its name originating from the Spanish word “bodega”, which can mean “grocery store” or “storeroom”, the shop has a range of clothing pieces including graphic T-shirts, caps, and tote bags.
What’s interesting about Jonnie’s Bodega is that you don’t just buy a piece of clothing here and bring them home as they are – you’ll get a coloured fabric marker upon your purchase, and you’re encouraged to unleash your inner designer by colouring your tee however you want.
Opening hours: Tue – Sat 12pm-8pm | Sun 11am-8pm (Closed on Mondays)
Contact: Jonnie’s Bodega website | Instagram
7. Freitag
Image credit: @freitag_cw via Instagram
Freitag is a renowned bag brand from Zurich, Switzerland, that takes pride in their range of stylish, functional, and recyclable bags.
Inspired by the multi-coloured heavy traffic that rumbled through the Zurich transit intersection, its founders first developed a messenger bag from used truck tarpaulins, discarded bicycle inner tubes, and car seat belts. The results are sturdy, water-repellent bags that are urban and chic in their aesthetics.
Image adapted from: @freitag_cw via Instagram
The store in Gasket Alley houses an extensive selection of FREITAG models, offering one of the largest ranges available in Malaysia. From classy laptop bags for the workplace and roomy travel bags perfect for the road to simple pouches and phone sleeve cases, there are over 500 pieces for every style.
Opening hours: 11.30am-8pm, Daily
Contact: Freitag website | Instagram
Things to do and what to eat at Gasket Alley
Besides the plethora of eateries and retail shops that occupies the perimeters of Gasket Alley, lifestyle events and parties are often held here due to its capacious space and vibey atmosphere.
So if you happen to be around the Petaling Jaya area in search of a day filled with good food, comfortable space, and artsy vibes, start with this guide to Gasket Alley.
Address: Lot 15, Jalan 13/6, Section 13, 46200, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Opening hours: 8am-12am, Daily
Contact: The Gasket Alley website | Instagram
For more guides, read:
Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia, @jonniesbodega via Instagram
Photography by Jia-ju.