The most prominent spectacle that caught my eye upon stepping foot on Malaysian soil is their astonishing diverse culture that looked like a psychedelic art of mosaic built on the face of Southeast Asia. There is no distinguishable or dominant facial feature that can be seen among the sea of people as they all looked different from each other. It is quite interesting to see a mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and a myriad of other ethnic groups blend in one developing country living and breathing one unique culture and heritage. And that explains why the streets of Kuala Lumpur showcases a multitude of cuisine from different cultures apt for varying walks of life.
Spending a week-long holiday within the Bukit Bintang area exposes you to a repertoire of highly tempting and mouthwatering restaurants from different origins. From one different cuisine to another, foreign visitors like me never run out of choices on which place to go to when hunger strikes. Hawker-type eateries and food streets are famous in the city, while cafes, fine-dining restaurants, bars, fast food centers, night markets, and tons of food stalls can be found almost everywhere in the city's shopping and entertainment district. And I vowed to myself not to leave the country without having to taste the most popular dishes that Kuala Lumpur is known for.
1. PappaRich Nu Sentral
Ground Floor, Nu Sentral Mall, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, 50470 Kuala Lumpur
My first bite of exquisite, authentic Malaysian cuisine was at PappaRich in Nu Sentral, Kuala Lumpur. The restaurant is easy to find as it is just along the walkway on the second floor of the mall, almost just after climbing up the escalator from the Jalan Tun Sambanthan side, or a few steps from KL Sentral Train station. The place is so homey, though quite cramped and there's really a lot of people because it's a very popular resto in the metro. Once seated, you will be given a menu and an order form. Ordering is easy because you just have to write the code of the food you want to order in the form. I ordered, for example, N05 and D48 for Curry Laksa Special and Iced Honey Lemon Tea. This is very efficient for foreign visitors who are not so fluent in English and are afraid to talk to crew staff for fear of not being able to express themselves.
When my order arrived, the food looked very different from what was in the picture, and I even suspected that I was given the wrong one but my friend Amin, a local of Kuala Lumpur, confirmed that it really is the one. The meal is so heavenly scrumptious and fiery for virgin tongues. Curry Laksa is one of the most famous noodle soups in Malaysia as it is a fusion of Chinese and Malay popularized by the Peranakans, and is always one of the first recommended meals being offered to foreign visitors. It's a must-try! For just RM17.90, it's all worth the money!
2. Nando's
166 Bukit Bintang Street, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Regrettably, my first meal in Kuala Lumpur wasn't really Malaysian food because at the time of my arrival in the capital city, I was overwhelmed with the gazillions of restaurant choices and I couldn't decide which restaurant I will get into where I can have my most unforgettable first bite of the local cuisine. I walked all the way from KLCC Park and followed the sea of people getting to a covered walkway which led me to Pavilion KL in search of Malaysian dishes and ended up at the front door of Nando's. I've heard a lot about this restaurant before and I suddenly craved for peri-peri, which I have not tried yet. I never expected to get to try Portuguese food in Malaysia but knowing how diverse the culture of Malaysia is, I think it's time to experience the melting pot of the country! And I didn't go wrong!
It was almost closing time, however, that the first few choices that I pointed at their menu are no longer being served after their cut-off time. The friendly food server recommended Chicken Salsa Bowl and I paired it with a bottle of soda. I was served with an aromatic Mediterranean Rice topped with few pieces of chicken tenders wallowing in a mixture of flamboyant salsa. And... it wasn't really a bad choice! In fact, it was intimately luscious to the tongue that I wanted to munch it longer before submitting it to my gut. I can't believe it only cost RM13.71 yet it tasted like a lump of expensive white meat served in a five-star hotel.
3. Chola Kitchen Restaurant
Lot A-G-1, Amplewest @ Menara 6, No. 6 Jalan Puncak, 50250 Kuala Lumpur
Just a few steps from the entrance gate of Pacific Regency where I stayed is the eye-catching Indian Restaurant Chola Kitchen which is just fronting the majestic KL Tower Menara. I really missed the authentic taste of Indian cuisine since my visit to Vadodara in August so I really planned to have my first breakfast in Kuala Lumpur to be in here. Not only that the restaurant is so homey but all the staff is very welcoming, friendly, and accommodating. I was alone being the first customer who entered the door and I was supposed to feel awkward but the crew staff hopped in and immediately made me comfortable. He handed me over the menu and when he noticed that I was having a hard time choosing what's best for breakfast, he then gave me several recommendations. I ordered Mutton Biryani and Cucumber Juice while some other guy served the food. With his bare hands, he gently poured the biryani in my plate and gave me selections of condiments. The food is really made in heaven! It's one of the most delectable foods I have ever tasted in my life. The staff who served my food came back and had a chit-chat with me while I enjoyed their food. He really made my stay very pleasant and comfortable. With just a bill of RM24.50, it definitely satisfied my craving for Indian cuisine while in the Golden Triangle. This restaurant deserves more than 5 stars!
4. Som Thai
KLCC, Suria, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur
Unbeknownst to me, it was an astonishing revelation that the Petronas Twin Towers are actually constructed standing on a huge, crescent-shaped shopping mall known as Suria KLCC, offering a view of a 10,000 sqm man-made lake in the Lake Symphony alongside the KLCC Park. All the while, I thought that the twin skyscrapers are an architectural structure built solely for the oil industry, but much to my surprise, I got to see that the base of the tallest twin towers in the world is a huge place to shop for luxury goods and high-street labels. And just like any other malls, it houses a food court at the 2nd Level of the building where you can find mostly familiar restaurant brands while some are famous names in Southeast Asian dishes. Since I arrived in Kuala Lumpur, I have been indulging in different types of cuisine in every meal and wanted to try a different set of creative dishes this time. And there's a name that caught my eye, a stall in Lot F19 which looks like a Thai Restaurant that I have tried back home in the Philippines called Som Thai.
Lunchtime in Malaysia is surprisingly different from what I got used to in my country. Back at home, I never eat lunch from 12 pm to 1 pm because it's the usual lunch break of all businesses, schools, and other establishments and I try to avoid elbowing a sea of people in all food stores. I prefer going out for lunch when everybody's done with theirs, usually from 1 pm onwards. While in Kuala Lumpur, I applied the same rule but I got surprised to see a thicker swarm of people not realizing that lunchtime in Malaysia is 1 pm to 2 pm. Thankfully, there wasn't a long queue in Som Thai that I was able to reach the front line in just a matter of minutes. The overhead menu is easy to read, and the pictures are large enough to see what's on every plate. Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts doesn't sound so alien to me so I ordered one and paired it up with my usual favorite soda. The lady at the counter was kind enough to tell me that Cashew Chicken, as they call it for short, is a famous dish in Thailand. A bowl of rice is being served along with a few pieces of chicken coated with caramelized vegetables and crispy cashews, in a lumpy sweet and sour sauce. The meal is just RM16.50 and it's not so festive but it's enough to get yourself full. Just after my order number got called, I saw a table being vacated so I hopped in right away and enjoyed the KLCC view while munching a taste of Thailand right in the heart of Malaysia.
5. Daily Kopitiam
The Weld, 76 Jalan Raja Chulan, 50200 Kuala Lumpur
It was my last breakfast in Kuala Lumpur before going back home to my country, and I just wanted to have another Malaysian cuisine to fill up my stomach before I head to the airport so I walked along Jalan Raja Chulan where choices of food establishments seemed endless until I reached the mall-like building The Weld. What caught my eye was this resto along the street with signage that reads Daily Kopitiam. It's a typical eatery, no a/c, lots of people eating and the busboy is always on top of his voice calling out the order number. I went straight to the counter and it's easy to order because there is an overhead menu with large pictures alongside the name of the food. I ordered Penang Curry Kee and Pineapple Juice. I was lucky maybe because as I turned my back to the counter, I found an unoccupied table just in front of the cashier.
Waiting is not long. But when the staff served the food, it was the wrong one. I told the guy I ordered Penang Curry Kee and he immediately picked up the plate and turned his back, without an apology. He gave me my "real" food a few minutes after but it still doesn't look like what is on the menu. The one in the picture looked so loaded but what I see in my bowl is just a typical noodle soup with soaked shrimps. It tasted really spicy and hot, which is good enough to mask what it may have been bland without it. Pineapple juice is somehow okay, with real pineapple tidbits at the bottom of the glass. The ambiance is okay, food is not that good, but somehow good enough for the price of a meal of just RM17.50. Not bad at all.
6. Ben's Kitchen
1st Floor, No. 360 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
I came back to Kuala Lumpur two months after and what made me so ecstatic is that the hotel I am in is on the same street where Petronas Twin Towers is in. The excitement is not about seeing the tallest twin skyscrapers in the world for the second time, but the fact that there are hundreds of restaurants around where I can try new dishes. I had Malaysian, Portuguese, Indian, Thai, and American cuisine in my last visit to the capital city and I wonder what other dishes Kuala Lumpur has to offer me this time.
Just along the street where I checked in is a trendy retail center with shops and eateries called The LINC KL, known for its grand trees and surrounding greenery embellished with artworks that makes it its distinct feature. The second level is where the food stores are, with a lot to choose from such as Malaysian, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Persian, and western cuisine. A scene-stealer among them is a courtyard-looking restaurant with a 1900s colonial-style interior with huge four-letter-word signage on the wall that reads Ben's. It looked cozy and inviting so I got myself into one of the empty tables and waited for an order-taker to hand me over a menu. I have been sitting there for almost 10 minutes already but no one came to take my order so I had to wave to one of the guys standing at the corner mending his tangled apron as he looked totally surprised I was even sitting there. He hurriedly set the table for me while I skimmed on the menu, which was rather confusing than enticing. I was expecting to see a distinct cuisine but the list shows Italian pasta, Moroccan salad, Thai roast beef, Vietnamese beef pho, Malaysian rojak buah, Hainanese chicken chop, and so on. I looked around and noticed a rather cosmopolitan New York ambiance, with wall decors that looked Australian, decorated with a touch of Malaysian to make it homey. Now, I understand. It's a West-meets-East kind of restaurant that serves your choice of cuisine wherever continent you may have come from. I settled with Japanese so I ordered Teriyaki Chicken Bowl served with onsen egg, teriyaki chicken tenders, cucumber, nori, sesame seeds topped in a bowl of buttered long grain rice. The wait is all worth it because the entire meal is sinful but decadent, made to perfection. It's a bit pricey for RM38.30 but who cares if you felt like you have just eaten food only fit for the gods.
7. Spice Garden
Lot 1-3, The Linc KL, Jalan Tun Razak, Taman U Thant, 55000 Kuala Lumpur
Just right next to Ben's Kitchen is a lavish and regal ambiance of Indian and Middle Eastern restaurant that is true to its name. It calls itself Spice Garden. It is, for me, more aptly called Garden of Eden because this mythological milieu seems to be a Paradise for people like me who loves Indian cuisine. Truly a haven in heaven! I came in at 4:30 pm looking for lunch and the restaurant is surprisingly empty. It feels a little awkward to be the only customer of this diner sitting in one of the whacking glass tables at the far end but I felt the warm welcome instantly when the manager approached me and handed over the menu. Instead of letting me skim on the list of dishes that I can't even pronounce, he cordially walked me through the menu and started recommending their specialty food and some of their bestselling dishes. I got overwhelmed with the choices he had offered so I opted to choose the one I am already familiar with. I ended up with Chicken Biryani and my unusual pairing with soda.
The manager personally served the appetizer while the main course is being prepared. He constantly checks on me if I liked what was served and if I say I don't, he immediately takes it out and serves a different one. But honestly, there is nothing that he presented to me that I didn't like. All of these are spicy, rich, flavorful, and unbelievably delectable. The entrée and its condiments were served by two lady attendants who, to my utmost surprise, were speaking in Filipino dialect. The food servers were also surprised when I started talking to them in vernacular as they both mistaken me as a Malaysian who works in the same building. One other Filipino attendant joined them and they started flocking at my table and chatted with me as if we have known each other for years, a very typical Filipino trait, which is either annoying to some but convivial to many especially to those who were experiencing homesickness. It was a great experience, having to relish yet another set of food I love and having to chat with my kababayans in one unconventional place in Kuala Lumpur.
8. Secret Recipe
Giant Hypermarket Batu Caves, 10243 Jalan Batu Caves, Taman Samudra, 68100 Selangor
Visiting Batu Caves in Selangor is not just a spiritually mystifying and divinely moralistic experience, but equally tiring after climbing the 272 astonishingly painted concrete steps and getting yourself oxygen-deprived while in a 400 million years old cave, that you'll surely crave for a banquet right after descending from it. Thankfully, Giant Hypermarket, the largest supermarket chain in Malaysia (thus the name), is just less than 10 minutes drive from the limestone hill. With tons of restaurant choices available in this top retailer in the country, one of the most captivating among them is Secret Recipe, a halal-certified cafe chain in Malaysia known for its cakes and fusion cuisine.
Their food menu is fully loaded with Asian Classics, Western, Starters, Kid's Club, Shinjuku Bake, and lots and lots of mouthwatering cakes. I tried the Curry Seafood Laksa, a noodles-stuffed-with-various-sea-creatures-that-makes-you-burst-into-flames kind of soup that can only be found in this place. Yes, it's a must-try for virgin tongues and it's a self-reward for spicy food lovers, and that's how perfect this soup is. With just RM21.00, it's all worth the wait (it took about 15 minutes for them to serve it) and you may not even be hungry until the next mealtime as you will be stuffed for two successive meals. Make sure you don't forget your name on your first bite!
9. Kenny Roger's Roasters KLCC
Lot C8, Concourse Level, Food Court, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Jalan Pinang, 50088 Kuala Lumpur,
My travels are not always into fine dining on white tablecloth fancy restaurants but in fact, I much prefer casual eateries, cafes, or family-style restaurants. More often than not, my usual first meals are quick bites at fast-food huts like McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, or Subway, as they are the easiest to find. Normally, I don't consider them memorable eating adventures because their signature dish always tastes the same wherever they may be sold, which is technically the purpose of their food branding, that's why I don't intend to include them in this list for everyone to know. In fact, I don't need to let people know what they already know!
So what is Kenny Rogers Roasters, a world-famous wood-fired rotisserie fast-food restaurant, doing in this list? The food, ambiance, location, and elegance of service are its intrinsic qualities that made its exemption. That rainy night I visited the twin skyscrapers, I was drawn to eat my dinner here at what I thought to be a casual restaurant with a more relatively inexpensive popular dish. As I stepped into the resto's entrance door, I was escorted by one who seems to be a butler, to one of the tables in the corner. Surprisingly, he handed me a menu and started setting up the table with a fancy napkin, cutleries, and a placemat, which I have never experienced in any of the KRRs back home. The food list on the menu looks like the typical contents you would find in all its branches so I picked something familiar. I got myself a Kenny's Chicken Rice Solo for RM13.71 and paired it up with Coke for RM4.74. I was surprised, however, that I was served with a fried chicken instead of the usual roasted leg part. I thought I was given the wrong order so I asked the lad who served the food and I was informed that I ordered Ayam Goreng, which literally means "fried chicken," that comes with java rice and cucumber side dish. I was awestruck! I didn't realize that Kenny Rogers is frying chicken. I was enraged and thought to bring my whining to social media and Trip Advisor but when I made my first bite, it felt like the heavens suddenly unfurled right through my eyes that I saw paradise in split seconds. The chicken tasted so divine that its special in-house chili sauce and caramel soy sauce made it even more otherworldly, washing away my displeasure and turned it into absolute satisfaction. It was totally a remarkable experience and I promised myself I will be telling everyone about it.
10. Putrajaya Food Truck
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Presint 2, 62000 Putrajaya
