She Walked Away From One Café. What She Built Next Is Becoming One of PJ’s Most Exciting Hidden Food Destinations.
Some people open restaurants to chase trends.
Sid built one to create experiences.
Hidden inside an old factory in Petaling Jaya, tucked away where most people would never think to look, Sly Bear isn’t the kind of café you accidentally stumble upon. Yet somehow, the people who find it rarely stop at just one visit.
They come back.
Again.
And again.
Not because of flashy marketing.
Not because it’s viral.
But because every meal tells the story of someone who refuses to compromise on quality.
Behind Sly Bear is a founder who traded comfort for creativity, left behind a successful café partnership, and started over with one clear mission—to build a restaurant where every plate, every drink and every customer experience genuinely means something.
In a food scene crowded with copycats, Sly Bear is proving that authenticity still wins.
Sometimes Starting Again Is The Best Business Decision You’ll Ever Make
Before Sly Bear became one of Petaling Jaya’s rising food spots, Sid was already making her mark in Malaysia’s café industry.
She previously co-founded Waku Waku, a Japanese fusion café that earned a loyal following through creative flavours and memorable dining experiences.
But successful entrepreneurs rarely stay comfortable.
Instead of settling, she made the difficult decision to leave and build something entirely her own.
That decision became Sly Bear.
While the concept shares the same love for Japanese-inspired cuisine, everything else was reimagined.
The menu became bolder.
The quality became even more obsessive.
And the vision grew far beyond simply serving food.
Sly Bear was designed to become a place where great meals, fitness communities and genuine friendships naturally come together.
Why Japanese Fusion?
Because passion always creates better businesses.
Long before opening restaurants, Sid spent years travelling throughout Japan, developing a deep appreciation for its food culture, precision and simplicity.
At the same time, she graduated from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, where she mastered classical French cooking techniques.
Instead of choosing one cuisine over the other, she blended both worlds.
French precision.
Japanese flavours.
Modern café culture.
The result is a menu that feels familiar enough to comfort people, yet creative enough to surprise them every single visit.
Every dish reflects that philosophy.
Classic favourites are constantly refined, upgraded and reimagined instead of simply repeated.
That’s what makes Sly Bear different.
Nothing stays ordinary for long.
The Story Behind The Name ‘Sly Bear’
Every great brand starts with meaning.
For Sid, the word “Sly” doesn’t represent being cunning.
It represents being resourceful.
Being adaptable.
Knowing how to think quickly when challenges appear.
That’s exactly how she approaches business.
Rather than reinventing everything from scratch, she takes ideas she believes in and continually improves them.
A burger becomes something completely different after being infused with smoked duck and rendered duck fat.
A familiar recipe becomes a signature dish through thoughtful refinement.
Small improvements.
Big impact.
The second half of the name comes from The Bear, the globally acclaimed culinary drama that celebrates discipline, excellence and relentless attention to detail inside the kitchen.
That mindset became the culture of Sly Bear.
Even as a young café, Sid expects every plate leaving the kitchen to meet the same standard she’d demand from herself.
No shortcuts.
No excuses.
Just consistently great food.
