Come late morning a snack might be in order – perhaps a karipap (deep-fried pastry filled with spiced meat or fish and potatoes). Lunch generally starts from 12.30pm, something to keep in mind if you plan to eat at a popular establishment.
The British left behind a strong attachment to afternoon tea, consumed here in the form of tea or coffee and a sweet or savoury snack such as tong sui (sweet warm soup or custard), various Indian fritters, battered and fried slices of cassava, sweet potato, banana and – of course – kueh (traditional cakes often made from glutinous rice).
Mamak and hawker stalls see a jump in business a few hours after dinner (which is eaten around 6.30pm or 7pm), when Malays head out in search of a treat to tide them over until morning.
Eating Habits
AYou’ll rarely find a knife on the Malaysian table – fork and spoon are the cutlery of choice. Forks aren’t used to carry food to the mouth but to nudge food onto the spoon.
AChinese food is usually eaten with chopsticks (Westerners may be offered a fork and a spoon as a courtesy).
AMalays and Indians eat rice-based meals with their right hand (the left is reserved for unclean tasks), using their thumb to manoeuvre rice onto the balls of their fingers and then transferring the lot to their mouth. Moistening your rice with curries and side dishes helps things along and, as with any new skill, practice makes perfect.
ABefore and after eating, wash your hands with water from the teapot-like container on your table (Malaysian eateries) or at a communal sink to the rear or side of the room.
ANapkins on the table (and a towel to wipe your wet hands) aren’t a given, so it’s always a good idea to carry a pack of tissues when heading out to graze.
AIn some Chinese eateries, after you’ve placed your order a server will bring a basin of hot water containing saucers, chopsticks, bowls and cutlery to the table. This is meant to allay hygiene concerns – remove the items from the water and dry them off with a napkin (or shake them dry).
ARestaurants adhering to Muslim dietary rules are classed as halal and will not serve alcohol. Restaurants advertising themselves as pork free don't use pig products in any of their dishes.
Festivals & Celebrations
It’s no surprise that a people as consumed with food and its pleasures as Malays mark every occasion with edible delights.
At Chinese New Year banquets each table is sure to be graced with yee sang (literally ‘fresh fish’; a Cantonese raw-fish dish believed to bring luck in the coming year). Other foods special to this time of the year (look for them in Chinese supermarkets) include pineapple tarts, kueh bangkit (snow-white, melt-in-the-mouth cookies), nga ku (deep-fried Chinese arrowroot chips) and ti kueh (glutinous rice cakes wrapped in banana leaf).
The Ramadan bazaars are reason in themselves to visit KL during the Muslim holy month. Vendors compete to secure a lucrative spot at one of the city’s Ramadan markets, which swing into action late in the afternoon to serve those breaking the fast at sunset. They offer an excellent opportunity to sample home-cooked, otherwise hard-to-find Malay dishes.
For the Indian festival Deepavali, special foodstuffs are shipped from the subcontinent, such as hand-patted pappadams and kulfi (a frozen, milk-based dessert). Head to Little India, where you'll find special sweets such as jalebi (deep-fried fritters soaked in sugar syrup) and savoury snacks like muruku (crispy fried coils of curry-leaf-studded dough).
Need to Know
Price Ranges
The following price ranges refer to the cost of an average main course.
$ less than RM15
$$ RM15–60
$$$ more than RM60
Opening Hours
Cafes and food stalls 7.30am–midnight
Restaurants noon–2.30pm and 6–10.30pm
Blogs & Online Resources
Eat Drink KL (http://eatdrinkkl.blogspot.com)
FriedChillies (www.friedchillies.com)
The Yum List (http://theyumlist.net)
CC Food Travel (www.cumidanciki.com)
KYspeaks.com (http://kyspeaks.com)
Reservations
Only recommended for top-end places or large groups.
Smoking
Banned in air-conditioned cafes and restaurants.
Tipping & Service Charges
At some midrange and all top-end places prices will be '++', meaning 6% government tax and a 10% service charge will be added to the bill.
Tipping is not expected, but leaving small change will be appreciated.
Cooking Courses
A LaZat Malaysian Home Cooking Class
A Sarang Cookery
A Starhill Culinary Studio
A Nathalie’s Gourmet Studio
Food Tours
A Food Tour Malaysia
A Simply Enak
Eating by Neighbourhood
ABukit Bintang & KLCC Jln Alor, fine dining and everything in-between.
AChinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas Best for Chinese cheap eats.
AMasjid India, Kampung Baru & Northern KL Great Indian food, classic night markets.
ALake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar Multinational cuisine in Bangsar Baru.
Lonely Planet's Top Choices
Rebung Seemingly endless buffet of typically Malay dishes.
Dewakan Innovative fine dining in Shah Alam.
Jalan Alor KL's premier eats street is an unmissable culinary experience.
Sambal Hijau Authentic Malay cooking with more than 50 dishes to try.
Restoran Yarl An array of tasty Tamil food from northern Sri Lanka.
Best by Budget
$
Madras Lane Hawkers Sample the best asam laksa and yong tau fu in Chinatown.
Glutton Street Head to Pudu in the evening for this street of hawker stalls.
Kin Kin This bare-bones joint serves KL's best chilli pan mee.
$$
Rebung Feast on a buffet of expertly made Malay dishes.
Limapulo Homestyle authentic Peranakan food.
Merchant's Lane Lofty cafe serving a mash-up of Eastern and Western dishes.
$$$
Bijan Malay cuisine with fine-dining flair in a relaxed atmosphere.
Antara Restaurant Modern Malaysian dishes with a French twist in a restored colonial building.
Sushi Hinata Exquisite sushi prepared by expert Japanese chefs.
Best by Cuisine
Malaysian & Peranakan
Sambal Hijau Traditional buffet-style Malay cooking.
Wondermama Contemporary twists on Malaysian classics.
Limapulo Homely, Nonya-style cooking.
Chinese
Sek Yuen Pudu landmark with dishes made in a wood-fired kitchen.
Yut Kee Classic Hainanese kopitiam known also for its Western-style dishes.
Kin Kin Dry pan mee specialist; it also offers a vegetarian version.
Kedai Makanan Dan Minuman TKS Feel the heat at this Sichaunese joint on Jln Alor.
Indian
Lawanya Food Corner Homestyle cooking at a family-run curry joint in Brickfields.
Sri Nirwana Maju Banana-leaf heaven in Bangsar.
Saravana Bhavan There are several outlets of this famous vegetarian operation.
International & Fusion
Antara Restaurant French inflections on modern Malaysian dishes.
Cilantro Serves an eclectic range of Japanese-French-inspired dishes
Merchant's Lane Tasty mash-up of Eastern and Western dishes.
French
Yeast Bistronomy Brilliant bistro-bakery in the heart of Bangsar Baru.
French Feast Comforting cassoulet and other French bistro–style dishes in Bukit Bintang.
Nathalie's Gourmet Studio Expertly prepared meals at Publika.
Italian
Strato Tasty pasta and pizza high up the Norman Foster–designed Troika building.
Nerovivo Classy Italian eatery in a bungalow close to Changkat Bukit Bintang.
Prego Family-fri
endly pizza joint.
Hawker
Madras Lane Hawkers A treasure hidden behind Chinatown's wet market.
Glutton Street Pudu alleyway crammed with delicious hawker food.
Jalan Imbi Hawker Stalls A great alternative to touristy Jln Alor – and much cheaper.
Japanese
Sushi Hinata Sublime sushi, sashimi and other haute-Japanese creations.
Santouka Rich pork-broth ramen noodles in Pavilion KL.
Fukuya Full range of Japanese dishes, served in an elegant bamboo-surrounded bungalow.
Vegetarian
Dharma Realm Guan Yin Sagely Monastery Canteen Join office workers for a healthy breakfast or lunch.
Ganga Cafe Wholesome South Indian food on Bangsar's Lg Kurau.
Blue Boy Vegetarian Food Centre Remarkable hawker-style cafe at the base of a backstreet apartment block.
Bakery & Patisserie
Bunn Choon Purveyers of KL's best egg tarts.
Jaslyn Cakes Tiny shop in Bangsar selling a delectable range of sweet treats.
Tommy Le Baker Top-grade sourdough bread, pastries, sandwiches and quiches.
Best Market Food
Bazaar Baru Chow Kit Sample noodles in a rich cow's-liver soup and an array of Malay desserts.
Masjid India Pasar Malam A wide range of excellent food stalls at this Saturday-night market.
Bangsar Sunday Market Noodles, satay and fresh juices at this lively and mainly daytime market.
Best Local Breakfast
Imbi Market at ICC Pudu Try the popiah, congee and egg tarts.
Chee Cheong Fun Stall Best rice noodles in Chinatown.
LOKL Coffee Co Choose between delicious dessert toasties or a full English.
Best Afternoon Tea
Colonial Cafe at the Majestic Hotel High tea with all the trimmings served in a gorgeous orchid-filled conservatory.
Atmosphere 360 Gorge on the buffet in Menara KL's revolving restaurant.
Rococo Choose from a table piled high with bread, pastries, cakes and scones.
Best of the Chain Gang
Ben's Tempting range of Western and Malay comfort foods.
Little Penang Kafé Offering excellent versions of Peranakan specialities.
Delicious Reliable, elegant restaurant with something for everyone.
Nasi Kandar Pelita Flash mamak with branches next to the KLCC and in Bangsar.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Bubble tea, iced kopi-o, a frosty beer or a flaming Lamborghini – KL’s cafes, teahouses and bars offer a multitude of ways to wet your whistle. Muslim mores push coffee and tea culture to the fore, but there's no shortage of sophisticated cocktail bars and other alcohol-fuelled venues where you can party the night away with abandon.
Tea served from brass urns | CHRISTER FREDRIKSSON/GETTY IMAGES ©
Time for Tea
British colonial rule left Malaysians with a taste for tea. The leaf is grown on the peninsula in the Cameron Highlands, with BOH the largest producer of black tea; there’s also plenty of tea imported from China, India and Sri Lanka.
One of the best shows at hawker stalls and kopitiam (coffee shops) is watching the tea wallah toss-pour an order of teh tarik. The result is one very frothy cuppa. A true teh tarik is made using condensed milk, but this ingredient has largely been replaced by condensed creamer made from palm oil.
Other tea drinks of note are teh halia (tea flavoured with ginger), teh ais (milky iced tea), teh-o-ais (iced tea without milk) and teh limau (tea with lime juice). For an especially rich cuppa, ask for teh susu kerabau (hot tea with boiled fresh milk).
Coffee Culture
Traditional Malaysian kopi is also popular. This dark, bitter brew is served in Chinese coffee shops and is an excellent antidote to a case of jet lag. Another unique-to-Malaysia caffeinated drink is cham or Hainan tea, a blend of milky coffee and tea.
There's no need to go without your daily dose of latte or espresso, though. The kopitiam and their contemporary counterparts – chains such as Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, PappaRich and Old Town White Coffee – are rivalled by a host of excellent independent cafes that deal in single-origin beans and employ baristas trained to use classic coffee-making machines.
Juices & Other Nonalcoholic Drinks
Caffeine-free beverages include freshly blended fruit and vegetable juices; sticky-sweet, green, sugar-cane juice; and coconut water, consumed straight from the nut with a straw. More unusual drinks include barley peng or ee bee chui (barley boiled with water, pandan leaf and rock sugar served over ice); air mata kucing (a sweet dried longan beverage); and cincau (a herbal grass-jelly drink).
Sweetened kalamansi juice and Chinese salted plums may sound a strange combination but make for a thoroughly refreshing potion called asam boi. There's also a whole range of bubble teas, drinks that come with various sago pearls, jellies and other edible additives floating in them.
Wine, Beer & Spirits
Sky-high duties on alcohol can make a boozy night out awfully expensive. The cheapest beers are those brewed locally, such as Tiger and Carlsberg; they're best enjoyed alfresco while watching the streetside theatre of Jln Alor or Chinatown's Jln Hang Lekir. KLites are also partial to an expertly mixed cocktail, which can be sampled at one of the city's many rooftop bars or one of the growing number of speakeasy-style 'secret' bars.
Clubbing
Wednesday to Saturday are the main clubbing nights, with plenty of different events happening to suit all musical tastes. What's in and out is fairly fluid, so it's best to check local media listings before heading out. Be prepared for cover charges, which typically include your first drink.
LGBT Scene
There's a fairly open LGBT scene in KL, with several established gay dance nights, the main ones being DivineBliss at G Tower and Lovemachine at Marketplace. Don't miss the monthly party Rainbow Rojak (www.facebook.com/RainbowRojak); this laid-back and inclusive event for all sexual persuasions is currently held at Marketplace.
Need to Know
Opening Hours
Bars 5pm to 1am Sunday to Thursday, to 3am Friday and Saturday. Happy hours offering two-for-one drinks and other deals typically run from opening until around 8pm.
Clubs 9pm to 3am Tuesday to Saturday; Zouk and Zion Club are open until 5am.
How Much?
ALocal beer: RM15
AImported beer: RM25
ACocktail: RM40
ACoffee: RM10
ATea: RM5
Drinking Water
AFiltered tap water is usually fine, but check first.
AAvoid ice if a place looks dodgy.
Cover Charges
Club admission ranges from RM30 to RM60 depending on the venue and event.
Bar Crawl
The Kuala Lumpur Pub Crawl meets at 8.45pm every Thursday and Saturday at Nagaba on the corner of Jln Nagasari and Jln Mesui in the Changkat Bukit Bintang area. Includes five drinks and discounts on others.
Information
Time Out KL (www.timeoutkl.com) Latest info on cafes and bars.
Utopia Asia (www.utopia-asia.com) For local GLBT info.
Eat Drink KL (http://eatdrinkkl.blogspot.com) Reviews of KL's latest drinking spots.
Drinking & Nightlife by Neighbourhood
ABukit Bintang & KLCC Home to Changkat Bukit Bintang, new entertainment complex TREC and several classy sky-high bars.
AChinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas Backpacker bars and some speakeasy-style cocktail bars worth hunting for.
AMasjid India, Kampung Baru & Northern KL Heritage drinking spots at the Coliseum and the Row.
ALake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar Bangsar is the place for classy cocktail bars and cool cafes.
Lonely Planet's Top Choices
Heli Lounge Bar Amazing city views from this helicopter-pad-turned-cocktail-lounge.
Marini's on 57 Toast the close-up views of the Petronas Towers.
Omakase + Appreciate Speakeasy joint on the edge of Chinatown.
PS150 Shanghai-style drinking den concealed behind a fake toyshop.
Coliseum Cafe Colonial charmer where Somerset Maugham enjoyed a drink or two.
Best Clubs
Zouk Multizoned dance space that keeps on pumping till 5am.
Zion Club Stumble home in the early hours from this club on Changkat Bukit Bintang.
Nagaba Come for the Rooftop Mojito Bar and the 2nd-floor club.
Best for Coffee
VCR Latte-art-contest-winning baristas serve up quality brews.
Feeka Coffee Roasters Choose from microlot beans or espresso-based drinks.
Coffea Coffee Slick Bangsar operation by a Korean barista champ.
Best for Tea
TWG Tea Classy tea emporium in Pavilion KL.
Chocha Foodstore Sample the hot and cold blends selected by the in-house 'tea sommelier'.
Newens Nibble macarons with your lapsang souchong.
Best Cocktail Bars
Omakase + Appreciate Top-secret retro cocktail bar.
PS150 Concealed behind a fake toyshop in a hip hood.
Lonely Planet Kuala Lumpur, Melaka & Penang Page 4
