Kuala Lumpur Eats - Sweet, Savoury, Sin

This is a must have whenever you're in Kuala Lumpur - the city's take on the ubiquitous stir fried hokkien noodles. Unique from any other version, it is characterised by its thick chewy noodles fried with delicious "wok hei" in a secret black sauce and the all important pork crackling. Sticky, savoury, sweet and very sinful.

We had the version offered at Kum Lin Kei located on Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown - Petaling Street. Drop by when night falls and soak up the atmosphere in this iconic street... and while you're here, indulge yourself in some seriously good noodles that will have you praying for more.

Kuala Lumpur Eats - Chilli Thrills

Alright... first up the noodles from this noodle chain aren't for everyone. Whilst it boasts a menu of freshly hand made noodles, the version I tasted on my visit were overcooked (one of my pet peeves) and not particularly interesting.

However, the main attraction here is the chilli condiments that accompany the noodles... there is a heart-stopping array of chilli in its various forms when it comes to getting that all important kick to your meals. Simply add as much or as little to your noodles topped with a poached egg and crispy anchovies. Not the best noodles around - but if you're out looking for chilli thrills - this sure does the trick.

Face to Face

11A-1, Jalan PJU8/51

Perdana Business Centre

Damansara Perdana

Kuala Lumpur Eats - Eye of the Beholder

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder... and how beautiful it is to behold - the infamous Ramly burger in Kuala Lumpur is probably as sloppy a burger as you're gonna get, but one bite into this burger with the beef patty (or so we're told) wrapped in an omelette - all fried in margarine and you'll be smitten.

Juicy, dripping in condiments (chilli sauce, mayonnaise and Lea & Perrins) and unashamedly bad for you - the Ramly burger really drives home the point that love is not only beautiful - it is also very blind.

Look out for these incredible mobile burger stands outside 7 eleven stores all over the city. We tasted the A&Z Ramly burger and our burger chef was kind enough to give us an extra portion of cheese in the above photo.

Kuala Lumpur Eats - Tasting History

Yut Kee, a Hainanese family coffeeshop first started in the 1920s and handed down the generations (in fact - the current owner bears a striking resemblance to his father pictured above). Choose from a wide range of cooked dishes or simply chill out over a traditonal coffee with charcoal toasted bread served with home made kaya.

I have a thing for Hainanese coffeeshops - the nostalgia, history, marble table tops, wooden chairs, retro tiles... everything about these establishments gives you a sense of calm. The fact that they have stood the test of time and have served up caffeine and sustenance to generations before me is very humbling because you realise that more than just a cup of coffee with toast... you're tasting history.

Yut Kee
35 Jalan Dang Wangi
Kuala Lumpur

(closed on Mondays)

Kuala Lumpur Eats - Hajime

Hajime Japanese Restaurant off Jalan Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful restaurant set in a bungalow - projecting a sea of calm the moment you step into its compounds. The food here is mostly izakaya style - Japanese tapas... some old favourites (think sashimi and tempura) and some with subtle twists (think wagyu fillet with grated fresh wasabi).

Everything here is done well, beautifully presented and the service personable. Food here is on the pricier side but you do pay for the quality and freshness of the ingredients which are perfectly cooked (or sliced in the case of the sashimi).

All in all, Hajime offers a feast for the tastebuds as well as the senses with the presentation of its dishes and its ambience. Worth a visit.

Kuala Lumpur Eats - Crunchtime!

There are two types of people in this world - those who love crunchy food - and those who lie. Wong Mei Kei just off Jalan Pudu in Kuala Lumpur caters for both parties by serving some of the best Cantonese roast pork I've ever tasted.

Delightfully crispy skin with melt in your mouth pork with just a thin layer of fat (sinful but oh so good)... the crunch with each bite is so addictive you almost need a timeout to stop eating. So whichever camp you belong to, drop by this highly acclaimed establishment and satisfy everybody's craving... for a little bit of crunchtime.

Kuala Lumpur Eats - A Wok & a Smile

Eating in a foreign city can be intimidating and confusing - is the food going to be good? Am I going to be disappointed? Will I get the runs from eating at this joint? But sometimes... you just know its going to be good.

This was the case with Shun Kei - a little hawker stall off Jalan Negasari. I stumbled upon this almost nondescript eatery because I noticed the chef owner who just sat with almost zen like calm next to his wok - with a smile. The humidity and sweltering Malaysian heat was almost unbearable but this beaming elderly man seemed to be completely comfortable with where he was - right in that moment.

I was compelled to order a plate of his char kway teow - just because I wanted some of what he had. And was I rewarded for letting him take my order of faith. The rice and egg noodles were perfectly charred with unmistakeable "wok hei". The simple ingredients of egg, fish cake, shrimp, beansprouts and green vegetables cooked just right - and the sambal chilli that was added - simply fantastic. You get a slight numbing sensation in your lips after your first bite that doesn't linger - just the right amount of heat that brings everything in this simple dish together.

I loved this plate of char kway teow - and I really enjoyed watching the old man prepare it. He was full of smiles and you can actually taste the joy in his cooking. Perhaps it was the pleasure of finding a great meal in the most unexpected of places - but I was suddenly completely content with where I was... right in that moment.

Kuala Lumpur Eats - Bovine Bites

Just returned from a couple of days in Kuala Lumpur, during which I overindulged, overate and had an overall great time catching up with old friends.

Ngau Kee Beef Noodles in Jalan Tengkat Tong Shin is a well known establishment that serves up its simple but very tasty fare - beef noodles. Choose from a wide array of beef cuts (tripe, brisket, tendon, meatballs) in a very tasty clear beef broth (that the owner constantly tastes throughout the day to ensure consistency) to go with al dente thin egg noodles topped with an addictive meat sauce. This isn't fancy - but it definitely hits the spot as far as bovine bites go.

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

I found myself in the two capital cities of Malaysia recently - Kuala Lumpur in the West and Kuching in the East. And as much as I'll like to say that I feel a sense of belonging to this country which my parents once called home, I can't say I do. I attribute this to not having lived, spoken the language or made lifelong friends there. But the food in Malaysia is my connection. Malaysian food, in particular street food, is delicious. There's something genuine, wholesome and completely unpretentious about the wide variety of Malaysian food on offer.

Kuala Lumpur

I caught up with one of my oldest friends from Australia who moved to Kuala Lumpur for work a few years back. Knowing my eagerness to sample some of the local fare, he suggested that we head over to Jalan Alor for dinner. We checked in at "Wong Ah Wah" at the start of this food filled street. This old establishment serves up great local favourites which we eagerly ordered. The beef and chicken satays were flavoursome and moist, owing to the thicker cuts of meat used which had been well marinated. The barbecued skate was a thick cut of the firm fleshed fish and came with a side of sambal chilli that had a good amount of oomph. We also ordered barbecued chicken wings which were bites of sweet, savoury and gooey goodness. What was disappointing, however was the bamboo clams stir fried in black bean sauce. Whilst tasty enough, there was very little clam flesh encased .

But all was redeemed with a dish that Kuala Lumpur is famous for - the Fried Hokkien noodles in dark soya sauce. I had been told many a time by locals that this was one dish that I had to try - and I wasn't disappointed. Thick chewy egg noodles stir fried with pork, cabbage and a dark, almost syrupy rich sauce. What defines this dish however is the chunks of crispy pork crackling that are stirred through the noodles at the end of the cooking process. Very sinful - and very good.

Kuching

The quintessential breakfast grub in Kuching is the kolo mee, a deceptively simple yet majorly tasty noodle dish which is loved by the locals. I have always adored this dish - curly noodles cooked just al dente, tossed in shallot oil, deep fried garlic and topped with stir fried pork mince, slices of char siew, and prawns. I was pleasantly surprised to find a variation of this dish by a popular hawker (Top 1 food centre in Jalan An Cheong) on this trip - instead of the usual sauce and toppings, this version was tossed with chinese black vinegar and served in a big bowl of tasty broth (consisting of chinese preserved cabbage, bean sprouts, hand made pork balls, prawns and fish cake). The vinegar in this dish reminded me of one of my favourite things to eat in Singapore - Teochew minced meat noodles, in which a liberal amount of black vinegar is also added. Curious, I chatted briefly with the hawker and sure enough, he revealed that he was indeed a Teochew Chinese and had prepared the noodles true to his roots. He became surprisingly passionate once we were on the topic and went on to describe how this humble noodle dish has numerous variations, influenced by hawkers of different backgrounds that prepare it. An unusual twist on an old favourite and one that I'll definitely come back to.

Feeling satisfied from a delicious breakfast, we then proceeded for something sweet - and decided on Yik Cheong, a local coffeeshop near the food centre that specialises in pastries. The owner recommended the puff pastry balls which we decided to try. Biting into the buttery, flaky pastry revealed an interesting mix of chicken floss encased in sticky lotus paste. The contrast of the salty and sweet in these tiny morsels was surprisingly good.

By the end of my short trips to both the East and West of Malaysia, I felt strangely proud to have such a connection to this country. Malaysians love their food. They also have a uniquely down to earth attitude towards eating - and a genuine passion for great tasting grub... And at the very end of the day - that's something I will always be able to definitely identify with.