Our Pick of Tantalizing Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Food Trips
Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur offers an embarrassment of foodie riches; the only problem is choosing one that delivers the kind of culinary kick you want.
You'll get the most out of your food explorations if you stick close to the cultures that built up the capital; instead of trying the latest and greatest steak houses or sushi shops (of which there are many), go for a place serving traditional dishes enjoyed by generations of the capital's Malay, Chinese and Indian communities. Such as the places that made this little list!
A visit to Lot 10 Hutong saves the avid foodie the trouble of ranging across Kuala Lumpur to try its favorite Malaysian street foods . This "food village" combines Malaysia's best hawker food experiences under a single roof. (The Singapore Food Trail in neighboring Singapore runs with the same concept.)
Each of these award-winning food stalls have made their name somewhere else; the Chua Brothers noodle stall here, for instance, is a branch of the famous original stall over at Tengkat Tong Shin. Other food stalls come from as far afield as Penang, another famous Malaysian foodie stop.
This writer took a chance on the Chua Brothers' asam laksa, a fragrant sour noodle soup garnished with cockles, pineapple, and chilies. The fruit adds a crunchy dimension to a dish we otherwise associate with slurpy wet noodles; the soup's double-tap of fruity/herby sourness and chili slow burn complete the laksa experience. Dessert came in the form of a durian-filled mochi from Durian Lagenda, a pastry and sweets shop that specializes in the stinky fruit beloved across Malaysia.
The interior is a glossy remaking of a Malaysian food street, with none of the flies, smoke and grime of an average open-air street food area; the air-conditioning and neon lights may dim the authenticity a bit, but you'll forget the touristy setup when you try the food.
Address: Lower Ground Floor, Lot 10 Shopping Centre, 50 Jalan Sultan Ismail, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone: +60 3 2782 3500
Site:www.lot10hutong.com
How to get there: Monorail Bukit Bintang Station (more about Kuala Lumpur Trains) is practically at Lot 10's doorstep; location on Google Maps.
You can't get more real than the kopitiam and street stalls around Petaling Street in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur; Pauline Lee's food tour of her childhood home allows you to explore the area's authentic Chinese food experiences up-close.
"Petaling Street is where I grew up - I still do my [shopping] here," explains Pauline. "And the [food outlets] that I go to, I've been going there since 13, 14 years old. The food outlets we visit on the tour has to have heritage, has to have generational recipes - The objective is to sustain them so they can carry on this trade to the next generation, so our sons and daughters can know other foods besides McDonalds."
The history of Kuala Lumpur is closely tied with the history of Petaling Street, and many of the shops we visit on this tour have been in business for generations. Lai Foong Beef Noodle Stall, the first stop on the tour, opened in 1956 and is still going strong. The Madras Lane Hawker Center, tucked in an unassuming market off Petaling Street, is likewise long-lived and beloved by locals. If you have a couple of hours to spare, Pauline's Simply Enak tour is a rewarding way to experience Petaling Street's history and culture up close.
For an inside look at Pauline's Petaling Street food tour, check out this Guided Tour of Petaling Street's Food Scene, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Address: The Simply Enak tour often kicks off at Lai Foong Kopitiam on the corner of Jalan Tun H.S. Lee and Jl. Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Google Maps)
How to get there: Ride Kuala Lumpur's Free Go KL City Bus and get off at its terminus off Pasar Seni Station near Central Market
Site:simplyenak.com
The Kuala Lumpur neighborhood known as "Brickfields" is the city's de facto Indian enclave. The main street of Jalan Tun Sambanthan feels a little like a cleaner, wider version of a Mumbai avenue, its expansive sidewalk lined with shops selling flower garlands, spices, saree, and Bollywood DVDs. Among them you'll find Sri Paandi restaurant, a small "hole-in-the-wall" establishment serving Chettinad Indian cuisine on banana leaf plates.
Similar to Penang's nasi kandar, Sri Paandi's patrons enjoy rice with their choice of curried meats and vegetables, including (but not limited to) fish curry, fried chicken, chickpea masala, and bitter gourd; yogurt and dal are served on the side to moderate the heat and flavor. For something lighter, order an idli (Chettinad rice-and-lentil-cake patty) doused with your choice of curry - a favorite Tamil breakfast.
The atmosphere is simple and unadorned, its stark interior never bereft of customers - getting a seat (much less getting the server's attention) may take a while. In the evenings, the owners set up tables and chairs on the sidewalk outside, allowing visitors to eat their curries with the rest of Brickfields as their backdrop.
Address: 254 Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone: +60 3 2274 0464
How to get there: From KL Sentral, walk out of NU Sentral Mall into Jalan Tun Sambanthan; location on Google Maps.
You'll get the most out of your food explorations if you stick close to the cultures that built up the capital; instead of trying the latest and greatest steak houses or sushi shops (of which there are many), go for a place serving traditional dishes enjoyed by generations of the capital's Malay, Chinese and Indian communities. Such as the places that made this little list!
Lot 10 Hutong, Bukit Bintang
A visit to Lot 10 Hutong saves the avid foodie the trouble of ranging across Kuala Lumpur to try its favorite Malaysian street foods . This "food village" combines Malaysia's best hawker food experiences under a single roof. (The Singapore Food Trail in neighboring Singapore runs with the same concept.)
Each of these award-winning food stalls have made their name somewhere else; the Chua Brothers noodle stall here, for instance, is a branch of the famous original stall over at Tengkat Tong Shin. Other food stalls come from as far afield as Penang, another famous Malaysian foodie stop.
This writer took a chance on the Chua Brothers' asam laksa, a fragrant sour noodle soup garnished with cockles, pineapple, and chilies. The fruit adds a crunchy dimension to a dish we otherwise associate with slurpy wet noodles; the soup's double-tap of fruity/herby sourness and chili slow burn complete the laksa experience. Dessert came in the form of a durian-filled mochi from Durian Lagenda, a pastry and sweets shop that specializes in the stinky fruit beloved across Malaysia.
The interior is a glossy remaking of a Malaysian food street, with none of the flies, smoke and grime of an average open-air street food area; the air-conditioning and neon lights may dim the authenticity a bit, but you'll forget the touristy setup when you try the food.
Address: Lower Ground Floor, Lot 10 Shopping Centre, 50 Jalan Sultan Ismail, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone: +60 3 2782 3500
Site:www.lot10hutong.com
How to get there: Monorail Bukit Bintang Station (more about Kuala Lumpur Trains) is practically at Lot 10's doorstep; location on Google Maps.
Petaling Street's Chinese Food Stops, Chinatown
You can't get more real than the kopitiam and street stalls around Petaling Street in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur; Pauline Lee's food tour of her childhood home allows you to explore the area's authentic Chinese food experiences up-close.
"Petaling Street is where I grew up - I still do my [shopping] here," explains Pauline. "And the [food outlets] that I go to, I've been going there since 13, 14 years old. The food outlets we visit on the tour has to have heritage, has to have generational recipes - The objective is to sustain them so they can carry on this trade to the next generation, so our sons and daughters can know other foods besides McDonalds."
The history of Kuala Lumpur is closely tied with the history of Petaling Street, and many of the shops we visit on this tour have been in business for generations. Lai Foong Beef Noodle Stall, the first stop on the tour, opened in 1956 and is still going strong. The Madras Lane Hawker Center, tucked in an unassuming market off Petaling Street, is likewise long-lived and beloved by locals. If you have a couple of hours to spare, Pauline's Simply Enak tour is a rewarding way to experience Petaling Street's history and culture up close.
For an inside look at Pauline's Petaling Street food tour, check out this Guided Tour of Petaling Street's Food Scene, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Address: The Simply Enak tour often kicks off at Lai Foong Kopitiam on the corner of Jalan Tun H.S. Lee and Jl. Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Google Maps)
How to get there: Ride Kuala Lumpur's Free Go KL City Bus and get off at its terminus off Pasar Seni Station near Central Market
Site:simplyenak.com
Sri Paandi, Brickfields
The Kuala Lumpur neighborhood known as "Brickfields" is the city's de facto Indian enclave. The main street of Jalan Tun Sambanthan feels a little like a cleaner, wider version of a Mumbai avenue, its expansive sidewalk lined with shops selling flower garlands, spices, saree, and Bollywood DVDs. Among them you'll find Sri Paandi restaurant, a small "hole-in-the-wall" establishment serving Chettinad Indian cuisine on banana leaf plates.
Similar to Penang's nasi kandar, Sri Paandi's patrons enjoy rice with their choice of curried meats and vegetables, including (but not limited to) fish curry, fried chicken, chickpea masala, and bitter gourd; yogurt and dal are served on the side to moderate the heat and flavor. For something lighter, order an idli (Chettinad rice-and-lentil-cake patty) doused with your choice of curry - a favorite Tamil breakfast.
The atmosphere is simple and unadorned, its stark interior never bereft of customers - getting a seat (much less getting the server's attention) may take a while. In the evenings, the owners set up tables and chairs on the sidewalk outside, allowing visitors to eat their curries with the rest of Brickfields as their backdrop.
Address: 254 Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone: +60 3 2274 0464
How to get there: From KL Sentral, walk out of NU Sentral Mall into Jalan Tun Sambanthan; location on Google Maps.