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Robyn Eckhardt’s EatingAsia was recently named as one of the world’s 50 best food blogs. She’s based in Kuala Lumpur and here offers 10 of the city’s best eating experiences
Fact: Kuala Lumpur’s 1.8-million residents are obsessed with food.
When they’re not eating, they’re chatting or arguing about which eatery serves the best this or that. It’s no wonder. Chockablock with hawker stalls, humble storefronts and high-concept restaurants dishing up everything from basic local street-eats to international culinary masterpieces, KL is a peripatetic palate’s playground.
1 MARKET CULTURE
A gastronomic traveller’s rule of thumb: if you want to know what the locals eat, go visit the market. A stone’s throw from Bukit Bintang’s swanky shopping centres is Pasar Imbi, a wet market cum bustling food court. Imbi’s jumble of mostly Chinese hawker stalls makes for convenient – and delicious – grazing. It’s hard to go wrong here, but if you need guidance, then the popiah (fresh spring rolls), “dry” chicken curry wonton mee (thin wheat noodles topped with lush coconut milk curry) and chee cheong fun (silky rice noodle sheets with chili and sweet sauces and sesame seeds) are the standouts.
Pasar Imbi, Jalan Melati (between Jalan Melur and Jalan Kampung). Open until noon only
2 BEST BREAKFASTS
Rise and shine as the Malaysians do, with a plate of nasi lemak (coconut-scented rice, tiny deep-fried anchovies, peanuts, sliced cucumber, hard-boiled egg, and sweet-and-spicy sambal or chili sauce). The former is best sampled at Nasi Lemak Dang Wangi, where the rice is scooped from a big wooden barrel and a side order of sambal sotong (tender squid rings in chili sauce) is a must. If that sounds a bit much for brekkie, then settle for roti canai (flaky griddled Indian flatbread) – the best comes from a no-name shop on a narrow lane across from Jamek Mosque (look for the tables set up out front), where you can watch the rotund baker toss his dough to paper-thin translucence.
Nasi Lemak Dang Wangi, Jalan Dang Wangi (opposite Yut Kee, below). Closed Sun
3 CHARRED TO PERFECTION
Char koay teow, a dish of wide rice noodles stir-fried with bean sprouts, pork, shrimp, and egg, is so beloved it’s an unofficial national dish. At Madam Kwan’s, a contemporary café serving distinctly down-home favorites, feast on a halal version boasting plump cockles, briny shrimp and plenty of wok hei, the savory, smoky char that can be conjured only from a well-seasoned, redhot wok.
Madam Kwan’s, Level 4, Suria KLCC Shopping Centre (tel 03 2026 2297)
4 MAGNIFICENT MALAY
The cuisine of Malaysia’s majority Malay population incorporates all manner of meats and seafood, a mind-boggling array of vegetables, and an assortment of aromatic spices and fresh herbs. Dive in at Pinang Masak, a sweet little café about 15 minutes from downtown where you can pick and choose from a splendid selection of home-style lauk (curried and otherwise sauced items ranging from mild to fiery) and vegetable dishes. The pineapple curry – a wickedly good combination of tart, juicy fruit and dried spices – and ayam merah, chicken in red curry, are both swoonworthy. Also look out (the menu changes daily) for ikan salak masak lemak (shredded smoked fish in coconut milk gravy), whole catfish smothered in mild roasted green chili sauce, and sauteed paku (delicate fern tips).
Pinang Masak, Taman Tunku Apartments, Jalan Langkat Tunku (off Jalan Duta), Bukit Tunku (tel 03 6201 1964)
5 HISTORY ON A PLATE
Several old-style Chinese eateries offer a nostalgic taste of KL’s bygone years. On the menu at Yut Kee, a classic kopitiam (coffee shop) founded 80 years ago by a Hainanese immigrant and now run by his gregarious son and grandson, Western-Malaysian favorites like griddled chops with gravy and roast potatoes, and fish and chips share space with hailam mee (heavily sauced, thick, round noodles with pork and choy sum), assam fish (fillets in flame-red curry soured with tamarind) and roti babi (a deep-fried bread roll filled with tender pulled pork and caramelized onions). Don’t leave without sampling the grilled bread with butter and housemade kaya, a lush coconut “jam”.
Yut Kee, 35 Jalan Dang Wangi (tel 03 2698 8108). Closed Mon
6 KING OF FRUITS
For Malaysians the much-maligned (foul-smelling) durian is manna from heaven. Sample it straight – you can buy durian on the street in plastic-wrapped packages – or mashed, folded into whipped cream, and piped between pastry halves. The chilled durian puffs sold at Happy Meal Trading, in Chinatown, have been known to convert even the most ardent skeptic.
Happy Meal Trading, 143 Jalan Tun HS Lee (tel 03 2072 6080)
7 FROM SEA TO GRILL
Ikan bakar (barbecued fish) is a Malaysian staple. Few do it as well as Pak Din, who works out of a food court in the Lake Gardens. Prepping his seafood with nothing more than a turmeric and salt rub, Pak turns out spectacular grilled mackerel, red snapper, squid and whatever else is fresh. Get there early as this extremely popular stall is invariably sold out by half past one.
Ikan Bakar Pak Din, Stall No.5, Tanglin Food Court (Kompleks Makan Tanglin), Jalan Cenderasari, Lake Gardens. Closed Sun
8 TASTE OF ITALIA
In recent years KL’s food-loving classes have embraced all things Italian. Neroteca, a cosy bar and restaurant that feels like it’s been airlifted from Florence, does authentic antipasti, panini, salads and pastas during the day, adding more substantial dishes to make up the evening menu (herbed roasted wild boar, wine-stewed mussels). The city’s best pizza comes from the wood-fired oven at Chiaroscuro, where Vicenzan chef Andrea Zanelli cooks the soulful dishes he grew up with. Zero in on baby octopus bruschetta; linguine with clams, zucchini, and saffron; cloudlike whitebait polpette; and roasted grain-fed beef prime rib.
Neroteca, The Somerset, 8 Lorong Ceylon (tel 03 2070 0530); Chiaroscuro, 38 Bidara, 30 Jalan Bidara (03 2144 8006)
9 UNCOMMON GROUNDS
Coffee is about much more than the caffeine buzz at Typica, a café specialising in siphon brews. Resembling a school chemistry experiment the siphon apparatus produces an incredibly clean-tasting, complex cup of coffee. Typica is the only place in town to try Liberica, a variety of coffee introduced to Malaysia in the 1800s, whose full-bodied character takes especially well to the siphon method. Also on offer is iced coffee that’s cold drip-brewed at the leisurely rate of four cups every six hours.
Typica, Rear Ground Floor Shaw Parade Shopping Center, Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah (tel 03 2145 0328)
10 GOING UPSCALE
KL’s higher-end dining scene is beginning to rival the eats on its streets for quality and variety. Perennial favorite Senses continues to please with its seasonal “mod Oz” menu by Fat Duck-trained chef Michael Elfwing. The latest hot spot is seafood-focused Pacific, an elegantly shadowy subterranean space designed by Stephane Dupoux of New York Buddha Bar fame. Here German chef Dirk Haltenhof treats ingredients from around the world with a light hand. Raw Tasmanian ocean trout and scallops, for instance, sparkle in a light orange and fennel marinade while Boston lobster is simply grilled and presented atop champagne risotto.
Senses, Hilton Hotel, KL Sentral (03 2264 2592); Pacifica, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur City Centre (tel 03 2380 8888)
For lots more Kuala Lumpur dining recommendations visit http://eatingasia.typepad.com
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