It is 2pm on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. It isn’t a public holiday or any kind of special day, yet when I walk up to the entrance of Kuala Lumpur’s Grumpy Bagels, it is heaving at the seams with an army of people. And there is no discrimination in this demographic – there are mums with babies in prams, students, solo diners and intergenerational families with elderly people in tow.
I am told that the wait time for a table will be 30 minutes. Thankfully, I am seated in under half that time. The space is beautiful – a converted old-timey bungalow that exudes charm and serves a delicious array of bagels. But why is this restaurant so much more popular than any other?
