Nasi Kandar Pelita
Although you can eat at lunchtime, things
Ever since the Twin Towers opened in 1998 (at
the time as the world's tallest building), they
have become the unofficial town centre - the
Golden Triangle - surrounded by luxury hotels,
gourmet restaurants and top-end shopping malls.
But there are still some great, cheap places to eat
around here, too. Nasi Kandar Pelita is one of the
success stories of the Malaysian food industry, a
one-shop family-business that now has over 50
outlets. Nasi Kandar is Indian Muslim cooking,
where a large serving of rice is accompanied by
dozens of different fiery curries. A hearty lunch
here will cost £3. But follow directions down a
nearby backstreet for the Zon Hotel and there is
an even better discovery, the outdoor Zon Food
Court, which isn't in any guide book. This is
traditional Malay cooking at its best - "nasi
campur", a choice of dishes laid out as a buffet
that is utterly irresistible. Begin with a handful of
raw vegetables to dip in homemade sambal
sauce, don't miss the tangy beef rendang, curried
cuttlefish, grilled and fried fish, and strange
vegetables like bitter gourd and pucuk paku, a
fern leaf that comes straight from the Malaysian
jungle.
149 Jalan Ampang, +60 (0)3 2162 5532,
pelita.com.my
Hakka Restaurant
Hakka cuisine from south-east China may not be
as famous as Sichuan, Cantonese or Beijing
food, but it is a firm favourite with Malaysians
for its simple rustic dishes, strong on flavour
rather than sauces and chilli. Nowhere is Hakka
food better presented than at this vast open-air
restaurant (which can serve a staggering 1,000
diners a night) in the sghadow of the Twin
Towers. The restaurant has been open for 54
years and offers an extensive menu, including
sizzling tofu with fermented beans, "kangkong
belacan" (morning glory greens sautéed in spicy
shrimp paste), delicate potato leaves in oyster
sauce, herbal chicken slow-cooked in a clay pot,
and the amazing "double cooked" pork knuckle.
Dishes start at around £2 each.
90 Jalan Raja Chulan, +60 (0)3 2143 1907
Restoran Han Kee Bak Kut Teh
Jalan Sultan is at the heart of KL's bustling
Chinatown, just at the bottom of the chaotic
Petaling street market. This is street food
paradise with both pavements packed with
hawkers cooking over blazing woks, cauldrons
bubbling away, and hungry diners sitting on
metal stools ordering different dishes from each
stall.
begin to get serious when the sun goes down and
the place is packed till the early morning. Each
stall has its own speciality - delicate "popiah"
spring rolls, claypot chicken with sticky rice,
barbecued honey-glazed pork, sweet and sour
"rojak" vegetables, tender Hainanese chicken
rice, wonton noodle soup. Han Kee is almost a
proper restaurant and has a bigger menu than
most, but people come here especially for the
"bak kut teh", an amazing herbal broth served
with small plates of pork ribs and intestines,
crispy tofu, and a pot of scalding-hot tea, all for
£2
42 Jalan Sultan
Soo Kee's Son Restaurant
Locals still refer to Medan Imbi by its English
name, Imbi Square, and this is another favourite
night-time rendezvous for Malaysian foodies.
One family has long dominated the Imbi food
stalls, Soo Kee, who opened up back in the
1950s and whose 13 children have all gone on to
be cooks and restaurant owners. The father's
original stall is now run by a daughter, but the
best food is served across the road by his son,
Stanley, who slaves away for 10 hours a day.
The cuisine here is all about noodles, and there
are three key dishes to try. A plate of "sang har
mee", giant freshwater prawns on a bed of crispy
mee noodles is not cheap for KL standards at
about £5, but is well worth the expense.
Cantonese-style "yee mee" comes in a much
creamier, eggy sauce, with a mix of spinach,
squid and pork liver, while Hokkien black mee is
made with a fat yellow noodle, wok-fried in
squid ink with crunch pork crackling, prawns
and pork, and must be eaten with two
accompaniements - vinegary pickled green chilly
and tons of finely chopped raw garlic.
29B Medan Imbi, +60 (0)3 2142 7752
Taman Paramount night market
Although KL-ites appear addicted to mall
shopping, there is still a lot of nostalgia for the
traditional "pasar malam" night market.
Shopping and eating always go together here,
and after families have got the week's groceries,
it is time to choose a hawker stall for the
evening's dinner. Every neighbourhood has a
night market at least once a week, and a big
favourite is to head out on a Sunday evening to
Taman Paramount in the suburb of Petaling Jaya.
In between the fresh fish, vegetables and exotic
fruits, it is worth tracking down the famous
1
 Basic Greeting That Will
Fatman Steamboat, a van converted into diner
with 50 or 60 tasty tidbits, priced at 10-20p each, Impress Malaysian
that you quickly plunge into boiling water then Selamat Pagi Good
dip in lethal chilli sauce.
Jalan 20/14, Paramount Gardens, Petaling Jaya
morning
Selamat Malam Good
W.A.W. Restaurant night
Jalan Alor is at the heart of KL's backbacking
budget hotels quarter, but the food stalls were Selamat Tengah hari
thriving here long before the tourists arrived. Good afternoon
Again, choice is limited during the day, and all
the best hawkers start preparing their food from Selamat Petang Good
late afternoon and are open from 6pm until 4am. evening
This is one of the best places in town to splash Terima kasih Thank you
out on seafood, as even a plate of chilli crabs or
huge succulent prawns steamed in Chinese wine Apa khabar How do you
won't set you back more than £3-£4. At the do
beginning of the street, stop off for satay or a
portion of durian fruit, but save your appetite for Saya sihat I am fine
W.A.W. right at the end - definitely the most Selamat Datang Welcome
popular restaurant with locals. They are famous
for crispy chicken wings, "ikan bakar", stingray
Selamat Tinggal Good
grilled in banana leaf, chilli "lala" clams, and bye
fish such as pomfret steamed with ginger or Maafkan saya Excuse me
grouper cooked Teochew-style with smokey
pork and tart preserved plums. Baik Fine
1-9 Jalan Alor, +60 (0)3 2144 2463 Saya minta maaf I am
The Fish Spa
sorry
Take a tour of the state of the art KLCC Boleh awak tolong saya
aquarium with the kids and then head next door Can you help me
to the fish spa. Dip your legs in the pools of
water and the fish will nibble the dead skin off. Bagaimana hendak
Lots of fun! kesana How do I get there
Kuala Lumpur, next to the Petronas Towers
Berapa jauh How far
Mei King Fatt eating house Berapa Harga How much
The spiced crab is to die for. Good job, given the Tandas Toilet
quantity of fat used in its preparation - the
English pun on the name may be a happy Tunggu Wait
accident but it's accurate all the same. It's quite Tidak No
cheap, too.
1, Lorong Awan 6, Kuala Ampang, Selangor Ya Yes
Kechara Oasis - excellent fake meat
A Buddhist-run vegetarian restaurant, this is a lot
Numbers in Malay
more fun than it sounds. Stunningly good fake Satu One
burgers, stir fry etc. Dua Two
www.kecharaoasis.com/
Unit 19-LG1, Level B1 Block D Jaya One, Tiga Three
No. 72A Jalan University, Empat Four
46200 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor
Lima Five
Tel: +603 7968 1818 Enam Six

2
Tujuh Seven Take the Star Line and stop at Kampung Baru
Station
Lapan Eight
Sembilan Nine Nasi Kandar Pelita
A huge outlet of Malaysia's largest nasi kandar
Sepuluh Ten chain, with long queues
snaking out at lunchtime. Ordering is easy, just
choose and point, but be sure
to ask for their specialty kuah campur (mixed
gravy), meaning that you get
Night Market half a dozen curry sauces splashed on top
China Town/Petaling Street Opening hours
How to get there 24 hours open
Take the monorail to Maharajalela Station How to get there
Open Hours There numbers of branches all around the
Daily 10a.m-11p.m country

Jalan Telawi Bangsar Roti Boy

How to get there Outlets in KLCC and all over the places. Famed
Take the Putra line to Bangsar Station for its buttery coffee buns
Open Hours RM1.50, which took not just Malaysia but
Sunday 6p.m-11p.m Singapore and Thailand by storm
Chow Kit in 2004. They are, indeed, incredibly tasty when
How to get there fresh from the oven but lose
Take the monorail to Chow Kit Station their delectableness fast. Outlets and imitators all
Open Hours over town, just follow
Daily 10a.m-11p.m your nose.

Jalan Berhala, Brickfields

How to get there
Take the monorail to T. Sambanthan PENANG STATE NIGHT MARKET
Open Hours Attraction In Penang Island That You Don’t
Thursday 6p.m-10p.m Want To
37 Miss
Batu Ferringi (1km night market)
Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman This is a must visit place for tourist. You will
How to get there enjoy the night life here.
Take the monorail to Medan Tuanku Station You will enjoy the beach here and in the evening
Opening Hours people will gather at the
Daily 6p.m-10p.m beach to see the sunset. At night there will be a
Plaza Mont’ Kiara night market along the road
How to get there for about 1km. You can buy lots of souvenirs
You will need to take a cab here at dirt cheap price, do
Opening Hours remember to bargain.
Thursday 6p.m-10p.m

EATING OUT
Kampung Baru
The place where you can taste all of the
Malaysian food. Over hundred stalls
available. The most famous food here is Nasi
Lemak Antarabangsa
besides Kuala Lumpur International Hotel.
Opening hours
24 hours
How to get there