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Home , Bangsar, Bukit Bintang, Cendol, Grass jelly, List of hot drinks, Lot 10

The Local Globetrotters Trot Fact Sheet:

Insider Tips on What to Do, Eat and in Kuala Lumpur,

1 Eat at a “Mamak” Restaurant There are lots of Mamak restaurants in KL, and most will offer a pretty standard menu. Here is a helpful list of popular mamaks in the KL area. From that list my favorite is Tissue Devi’s Corner, located in on the busy Jalan Telawi 3

(note: Jalan means street in Malay). There is a night market Goreng (or “pasar malam”) located next to the Bangsar mosque every Sunday night from 6pm onwards that is worth checking out for more ! You will be able to see the mosque from Devi’s Corner. Must tries at the Mamak include:  “Maggi Goreng” (essentially stir fried ramen noodles), with your choice of protein. Add a fried egg on top <3  Roti Canai: Arguably the most ordered /dish at the mamak, this is a kind of similar to the Indian . Served with fish (but you can request for chicken or beef too), and dhal (lentil curry).  (an almost paper thin, crispier and sweet Eat, Eat and Eat! version of the roti canai). It’s pretty big (see picture on Eating is the Malaysian national pastime. Thanks to the hot and humid weather, air- right, so share with friends!) conditioned malls are always packed with throngs of who window shop or  Nasi Kandar: White with curry poured over the rice watch a movie at the cinema, and of course eat at the many restaurants and cafes that (the curry blend and flavor is what differentiates this dish from one place to another), served with , fish, make up a significant portion of any mall. We often eat six times a day: squid eggs or fish roe – you’re in luck if they happen to 1. 4. -time have squid eggs! You can tell the server what you’d like or 2. Pre- snack 5. not want on your rice. 3. Lunch 6. Supper  Teh tarik or “pulled tea”: A typical accompaniment to any mamak fare, this drink is hot filtered tea mixed with With the ubiquitous “mamak” restaurants (or stalls) that are open 24/7, it’s easy to get condensed and pulled from one big metal canteen to food when you’re hungry no matter time of day it is. If you’re a soccer (football to the rest another to both cool it and froth to this delicious of the world!) fan, most mamaks will have projector screens or TVs that feature live games beverage. Take the LRT to Bangsar. that. If you’re a night owl and its EPL season or the World Cup, don’t be surprised to see crowds of people eating, drinking their “Teh Peng” ( with ) and roti canai at 3am watching the game. Try the National Dish, the Nasi It’s no surprise then that you will find most of the tips here to revolve around food and 2 Lemak drink – there are many tourist spots that you can easily find online but chances are you Oh , how I miss my mom’s version of our beloved won’t find many locals hanging out there (the few that are, are probably there for a food national dish. Literally translated as fat (as in the creamy type stall nearby)—it’s too hot, and we’re hungry! of fat) rice, (at its simplest) this dish is made up of rice P/s: cooked in (fresh squeezed from the coconut, none of that canned stuff), a sotong (cuttlefish in  Where possible, I’ve noted which LRT (Light Rail or Monorail lines) that can get you chili), fried dried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted , hard- to recommended trots. boiled egg, and a few slices of cucumber. While this is the  All web links provided here will include the addresses of suggested places to go to. basic version, at most restaurants you can add fried chicken, beef or chicken (stewed in coconut milk and )

Typically eaten for breakfast, it is sold at roadside stalls, on the back of motorcylces, and many many restaurants and Taste the King of Fruits, the Mighty (May – Sep.) hotels. It is often served in business class on Malaysian 3 As a zealous fan of the durian fruit, I highly recommend you try this creamy, oh so good fruit, Airlines and can be eaten anytime of the day. Here is a list of despite the many “horror” stories that you may have heard about this pungent smelling thorny top nasi lemak restaurants that specialize in this dish, from a fruit. Fans like me describe the taste of durian as a sweet, sharper, creamier, thicker version of trusted blog. From that list a favorite among my circle of , and it smells exactly the way it tastes. Detractors however claim that it smells like rotten Malaysian foodie friends is the Village Park nasi lemak baby’s vomit, or socks, which I frankly and vehemently disagree with! It’s a rather polarizing fruit . located in Damansara Uptown. The smell is so strong that hotels will not allow you to bring one in, and At Village Park, the basic you wouldn’t want to keep this in your car. The best way to eat it is combo comes with fried have it opened up at the stall itself, and eat it the way locals do, by the chicken, with a sambal roadside. My favorite breed of is the Musang King (Fox King), which that’s more sweet than tends to command a price of RM22/kg (~$7/2.2lb), but if you’re fiery. Be prepared for a half apprehensive about trying a whole durian, try out the pre-packaged hour wait if you’re dining at ones available at big supermarkets, otherwise, check out the Soon Village Park, or a 15 minute Huat Durian market featured in this durian blog post at Jalan Pandan 1, queue if you’re ordering to Pandan Jaya, KL. go.

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Eat at Soo Kee Resturant, Ngau Yuk Hor

4 There are three things that you must try at this restaurant located in the shopping triangle. The star of this Chinese restaurant is the “Ngau Yuk Hor”, or Egg Drop Beef Noodles. Literally translated it means “cow egg wide ”. The noodles are fried over very high heat, and the beef is so tender that it melts in your mouth, covered in thick sauce that’s full of egg-y goodness accented with a delicious taste of spring and slightly charred noodles. It’s addictive! Paper-wrapped The second dish that this eatery is famous for is the Sang Har Mein, or fried egg noodles with water prawn. The Chicken noodles are toasted in a very hot wok until crispy, and then covered in flavorful braised freshwater prawns in a sauce with eggs and . Lastly is the paper-wrapped chicken, which you can order as an appetizer while your noodles are being prepared. Wrapping the marinated chicken in paper allows for the chicken to be Sang Har steamed while being fried, all at the same time. It’s wonderfully juicy. Try to get to here before 7pm, otherwise expect a wait! Mein Soo Kee Restaurant is located at 14, Medan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. Take the Monorail line to Bukit Bintang.

Cool Down with Local Nightlife Entertainment Along Changkat Bukit 5 6 You’ll find that you will need to cool down after walking around the city in Bintang the heat, what better way than to do so than with a nice bowl of “” or Changkat Bukit Bintang is an avenue of Jalan Bukit Bintag that’s lined with “ABC” (Air Batu Campur or mixed ice). Cendol is a that’s made of shaved upscale and trendy bars and restaurants. My favorites include Havana Bar ice, coconut milk and green jelly noodles made from flour and colored using (Cuban-styled hacienda salsa club), No Black Tie (arguably KL’s leading jazz club pandan leaf and syrupy palm . Don’t be put off by the green wormy looking – if you happen to visit when my good friend Rozz is performing, tell her Nurah noodles, it’s absolutely delicious. A renowned cendol stall in KL is the Sulaiman sent you ), Frangipani (a French-Asian fusion fine dining restaurant with a Cendol stall located in the bustling Pudu market. You can choose to add creamed romantic ambiance, featuring body of water in the middle of the dining area).

corns, red beans and also sticky rice for a heartier bowl of cendol. Most bars have an outdoor patio seating which is ideal for people watching You can also try the ABC at Sulaiman. The ABC is also topped with a heap of and soaking up Changkat’s energy. Werner’s on Changkat classes up Italian , but red beans is a core ingredient along with , -agar dining in a James Bond-ish setting, Black Forest KL if you’re in the mood for a (colorful jelly made from algae), and creamed corns. Condensed milk and red meter long glass of , El Cerdo (specializing in pork dishes), and the sugar syrup is then drizzled onto the ice, and sometimes topped with a small Bar has an impressive list of . A note though, relative to average food scoop of ice-cream. prices in the city, alcohol is expensive, with often equivalent to

American prices in USD (RM28-35 per glass). Cendol Sulaiman is

located in front of the MSS Maju Restauran, Jalan Pasar (Off ), KL. See Google Maps coordinates for Cendol Sulaiman. Open daily: 8.30am to 5pm. Turn into the alleyway next to Thean Fah Hardware Shop along Jalan Pudu and this stall will be in front. Don’t be afraid to ask the locals if you get lost! Take the Ampang Line LRT to Pudu.

See Changkat Bukit Bintang on Google Maps. Bars and restaurants are typically opened from 5pm – 1am on weeknights and closes at 3amon weekend nights. 7 Visit the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) Take the Monorail line to Bukit Bintang. The pride and joy of the city lies in 1,493 feet or 88 floors of stainless steel and glass—the Petronas Twin Towers (usually called KLCC) is home to the national oil company and held the title of world’s tallest building from 1998 to Tourist Traps to Avoid 2004, but is still the tallest twin buildings in the world. There is an observation >> deck on level 86, which I do not recommend since you have to line up to get  Cabs: If you are foreign, it’s very likely they will charge you a ridiculous the limited tickets at 6.30 -7am. The buildings themselves are picture worthy amount (100-200%), insist that they use meters, or haggle the price by at during the day, but are absolutely gorgeous at night, set against the city skyline least half, if they disagree walk away. The Bukit Bintang, Jalan Imbi and and city lights. Pudu areas are within walking distance to each other, get a good map or Located at the base (level 2) of the Petronas Twin Towers is Suria KLCC, a use Googlemaps while you have wifi to map out areas to avoid taxis. Travel shopping mall with over 300 stores, a by train (LRT) and monorail within the city is also much, much cheaper. cinema, over 50 eateries, restaurants and a Always be mindful of your belongings, it’s unlikely you will get it back if you huge food court, you could sample a lot of leave something behind in a cab. local cuisines in the comfort of air-  Avoid the stalls in Chinatown’s markets (Jalan Petaling), which is a tourist conditioning while doing a little shopping. trap selling a lot of fake goods and souvenirs, at astronomical prices. Don’t

ask for prices and start negotiating if you don’t intend to buy anything. I Petronas Twin Towers: suggest avoiding it altogether, you’re better off shopping at proper malls at , Pavilion, KLCC, or the Bukit Bintang area. Kuala Lumpur 50088, Malaysia Handy Resources See KLCC on Google Maps 1. KL Tourist Traps – Check for recency of comments posted Suria KLCC, >> 2. Malaysian Foodie Blog: Fried Chillis – Great recommendation s on No. 241, Level 2, KLCC where to eat by food type 3. Trip Advisor KL 4. Lonely Planet KL Take the Kelana Jaya Line LRT to KLCC. 5. LRT/Monorail Route Maps: Ampang Line, Kelana Jaya Line, Monorail

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