A pleasant repast, back to our room to unwind. Happy hour after a brief respite.
Asked the very accommodating club captain which scotches were on tap. She pointed out…Jack Daniel’s?!?! Ok, I’m no stranger to Old #7. Somewhat surprised this young lady understood when I requested neat, even more surprised my drinking partner ordered same.
Very nice! I checked the price of the rooms at your hotel and I’m flabbergasted at how inexpensive they are for such nice accommodations.
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Presunto
(--> Back in Athens - Goat's/Sheep's Yoghurt every day ... [Fleeced Taxpayer :@)) :@)) ])
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Hard to believe it’s your first time visiting Malaysia! How is it possible? You go to (S.E.) Asia more often than most of us on here. Well, I think you’ll probably have a nice time eating and exploring.
My first time in Malaysia was back in 2001! Returned just last June (but it was not peninsular Malaysia). 23 years apart and a “different”* Malaysia (*autonomous states). Marvellous trip but more about wildlife.
A HEAPING bowl of La La-Malay Clams, over rice noodles in a light gingery seafood broth with Shaoxing wine undertones. Addictively delicious and amazing clam count.
Delicious gamey flavor as promised, Coconut accented Nasi (rice), crunchy fresh roasted peanuts and the requisite spicy Sambal. All in perfect balance.
Pretty (very) stuffed at this point. The late comers (8am) were cruising by with their trays not so subtly eyeing our table. Ok, time to pass the torch.
No. Eagle eye wife noticed a queue forming at a MUST EAT about to open stall.
Dessert!!! groan
Kuhn Bakul Fried Golden Cake.
FAMOUS for their fried Triple Bakul, Purple Sweet Potato, Taro and Nian Gao (glutinous rice cake) deep fried with a scrumptious crispy crust.
We love euro travel also. Flights across the pond have become more reasonable of late and we’ve found food prices in Europe (even Paris and Rome) to be reasonable and affordable. However, European room rack is ridiculously high at this time.
Japan hotels can be comfortably affordable, except for Tokyo. We’ve already booked Japan for May at an average of ~ $50/night. China (even Shanghai) very reasonable. @damiano knows.
We’ve been to Singapore a few times, first time to Malaysia. Very user and wallet friendly.
I love Europe too, but my last 3 trips have been to the Continent(not complaining) and have been fantastic. I need something different, somewhere that I haven’t been before. The fight times are pretty daunting from YYZ, and at this stage of my life, I ain’t flying economy for a flight that long
My hotels in Spain averaged around $325 CAD, which isn’t horrible considering they were nice properties. Time to rack up those travel points!
You hit some of the best spot! ICC Pudu is one of my favourite places to go for breakfast - I love the rice wine chicken buns and the Teochew steamed ho fun. Oh, and the fish head soup beehoon is also great…
Friday was a gorgeous day to walkabout this new town. Started at Independence Square, wandered through the Central Market and gawked and grazed through Chinatown.
Purported to be the Best Laksa (according to my wife’s impeccable sources), this super popular shop doesn’t need any signage or even an actual name. Famous for Asam Laksa, thick Rice Noodles in a spicy sour (asam) Fish Soup redolent of aromatic herbs and bits of Mackerel.
How does one find one’s way to this no-name spot?? Just Google Asam laksa Kuala Lumpur and this stall dominates the hits.
Humbly nestled in a breezeway sheltered from the sun and/or rain by a faded weathered red tarp, STREET CRED up the Yin!!!
We shared a small bowl of their signature Asam Laksa and a small Curry Laksa.
Curry Mee are Noodles in an enriched Coconut Milk based Curry broth simply adorned with a few deep-fried Tofu Puffs. Fragrant with aromatic herbs and spices, of course!
Yes, these are the pictures I love! Eating outside eating the food of locals… Chinatown KL is magnificent! I’m still dreaming about that small eatery in a back alley there where I had wonderful big prawns…
So, any first impressions about the taste? I mean China, HK, Thailand, those are all say ‘mono’-cuisines, but Singapore and Malaysia is very much an amalgam of different cultures.
ETA: just a quick edit. I’m not suggesting that there is only 1 cuisine in China nor Thailand. I’m actually just reading All Under Heaven by Carolyn Phillips, where she describes the different cuisines of China. And in Thailand you have the north, Isaan and the southern part. But my feeling is that in Malaysia and Singapore there are a few dishes where some of the different cuisines come together to make something new. Eg laksa. Anyway, enough rambling!
I readily admit to being unfamiliar with the foods of this region. I’ve been to Singapore a dozen times, yet had not truly developed a full appreciation of her food beyond the Hainan Chicken, Bak Kut Teh and a couple of others.
However over the past few trips here with my wife, I realize I want to scratch beyond the surface and learn and taste more of the foods and variations unique to each region.
To sort of answer your question. We’re loving our first trip to Malaysia. Even my non-rice loving wife is hooked on Nasi Lemak. Me, still looking forward to my first Chili Crab and much more!!
Wong Ah Wah was our first dinner in Kuala Lumpur. A totally immersive experience. The smokey atmosphere, controlled chaos, staff barking at each other AND customers, delicious looking plates whizzing by….quite intimidating at first.
Ain’t no tuxedo’d maitre’d asking “table for two”? You just do best to not get run over by the rushing service staff and jump on any table that opens up. We ended up sharing a six top with two others.
Started with Yu Sheng (Prosperity Raw Fish Salad), a Chinese New Year MUST order. Gotta usher in that good luck for the Year of the Snake!!
The BEST Chicken Wings in town. Marinated in the house special sauce and perfectly grilled by a master on smoking charcoal. Worthy of the reputation and potential lung damage.
Grilled Stingray Wings. Crispy crackling skin, firm succulent meaty threads pulling off the bone (cartilage?), spicy dipping sauce on the side which went unused.
Yes, and I’m familiar with this type of mixed cuisine. I was born in a former colony of the Netherlands where most of the people (from former contract workers) come from Indonesia, India, China/Hong Kong and Africa.
Admittedly my experience in KL is very limited, but this place excels in having high quality ingredients combined with great cooking. And mind - it is still very much Malaysian, for example the big prawns I had there were much sweeter than one would typically find in HK.
KL and Singapore are def on my radar now, probably 2026.
Chinatown KL is magnificent! I’m still dreaming about that small eatery in a back alley there where I had wonderful big prawns…
