Crave April 2012-Kuala Lumpur Dining

GASTRO TRAVEL
Bon Ton
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Once covered in virgin jungle, Kuala Lumpur was a city that grew from a humble tin-mining shanty town
MALAYSIAN MASH-UP
Old Asia meets modern international metropolis in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital
and one of the region’s tastiest cities.
Text by Michele Koh Morollo
W
ith its magnificent mosques, colonial
train stations and Chinese temples,
Kuala Lumpur is a patchwork
of multicultural diversity. But along with
all that old Asia charm it has a modern
cosmopolitan character reflected in gleaming
space-age skyscrapers such as the iconic
Petronas Twin Towers.
Once a jungle tin-mining shantytown,
Kuala Lumpur is now one of Southeast
Asia’s most successful international
trade and commercial centres. Its wealth
and rapid economic growth is reflected
in high-end shopping malls and
designer boutiques, ritzy clubs, sexy
lounge bars, sassy cafes and fashionable
restaurants, where the city’s exotic
cultural mix proves as potent on the
plate as in the architecture.
In the past decade, the dining scene
has taken off in a big way in tandem
with the city’s retail and party scenes.
Restaurant hubs have sprouted up
around major malls and nightlife districts
that not only offer a good meal, but are
destinations in their own right — for
people watching, unwinding after a day’s
shopping, or fuelling up before a night out.
At Suria KLCC, the mega mall beneath
the Petronas Twin Towers, visitors will
find both American chain restaurants
such as Chilis and small, locally owned
cafes. Beyond the mall, entertainment
areas inhabit a network of nearby roads
such as Jalan Ampang, a shady green
stretch with a cornucopia of Asian-and
GASTRO TRAVEL
54
Bijan Restaurant
and Bar
3 Jalan Ceylon
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (603) 2031 3575
Meaning sesame in Malay, Bijan is on
Malaysian Tatler’s top 100 restaurants
and is also listed in the Miele Guide.
To sample authentic Malaysian food
without having to queue at a hawker
stall, this lush, garden oasis is the
ideal choice.
Bisou Bake Shop
Corbis
Bangsar Village
1 Jalan Telawi Satu,
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (603) 2287 3535
Clockwise from top: Ambassador’s dinner; Ikan siakap asam pedas; Gula Melaka cake
Owner Debbie Lee is passionate
about baking and decorating cakes,
turning out edible works of art
such as the red velvet cake and
lemon crunch cake and its famous
13 different cupcake flavours —
great midday pick-me-ups.
Clockwise from top: Cupcakes in a variety of flavours; Red velvet cake; lovingly decorated beauties
In the last decade, the dining scene here has taken off in a big way, growing in tandem with the city’s retail and party scene
European-influenced restaurants, bars and
lounges serving killer cocktails.
Jalan P. Ramlee is the city’s busiest
party hotspot, where award-winning
Japanese fusion restaurant Hakka
Republic is earning rave reviews. Dine
on foie gras on chawanmushi, steamed
grade 9 wagyu beef with ponzu sauce,
marinated tuna tartar with green tea
soba and Japanese citrus dressing,
or Australian black Angus short rib
with Japanese sweet potato. Then
move on to one of the area’s many
clubs – 7ateNine, Bar Ibiza, Passion
or Zouk – to boogie the night away.
Bukit Bintang, near KLCC, is Kuala Lumpur’s
second-largest entertainment zone with
five main dining streets — Bintang Walk,
Changkat Bukit Bintang, Jalan Bukit
Bintang, Jalan Ambi and Jalan Alor —
and gastronomic delights for every
palate and budget. For local hawker fare,
head to open-air food street Jalan Alor
for Malaysian specialities such as satay,
grilled stingray, chilli clams, frog porridge,
oyster omelette, grilled stuffed beancurd
and barbecued chicken wings. Dress down
— it’s usually pretty humid and smoky.
For a more upmarket alfresco experience,
Bijan Bar and Restaurant serves traditional
Malaysian cuisine in a stylish, contemporary
patio on Ceylon Road, off Changkat
Bukit Bintang. Tantalising signature dishes
include ikan siakap asam pedas — a whole
fish cooked in spicy tamarind sauce —
and lamb rendang. Bon Ton Restaurant on
Jalan Sultan Ismail offers a wacky East-meetsWest menu with Nyonya dishes such as
Hakka Olio noodles and fusion plates including
lemongrass chicken on garlic mashed potatoes.
A couple of streets away, Delicious at the
Marc Residence is a lovely place for afternoon
tea, with chic décor, high ceilings and
plenty of natural light encouraging diners
to linger over sandwiches and desserts on
lazy afternoons.
The newest entertainment area is also one of
the oldest: Asian Heritage Row, a terrace of
80-year-old houses on quaint Jalan Doraisamy.
Once abandoned, the pre-war houses have
been transformed into a dynamic lifestyle
landmark filled with restaurants serving
everything from Vietnamese to Portuguese
cuisine. After dinner, many of the venues morph
into vibrant lounge bars and dance clubs.
Anchor tenants include CoChine Lounge &
Restaurant — which serves Laotian,
Cambodian and Vietnamese food — and
Mojo, an Austin Powers-inspired retro
restaurant and sports bar where you can
groove to 70s music, hip hop and R&B
or play a game of pool. Papa Rich serves
crowd-pleasing Malaysian favourites including
fried kuey teow, curry laksa and cendol.
Delicious at
Marc Residence
3 Jalan Pinang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (603) 2166 9099
This sunny tearoom offers such
delicacies as duck confit spaghettini
with sun-dried tomatoes and coriander,
a three-tiered mixed grill, berrilicious
chocolate pavlova and cool drinks
such as watermelon and lychee blast.
Mouth-watering.
A short cab ride away, Bangsar Village
attracts a diverse crowd. Expatriates
and socialites head to Brasserie Balzac
and Alexis Bistro, while the younger set
gravitates towards Bangsar’s many
mid-range cafes and open-air coffee
shops. Everybody comes to Bisou Bake
Shop, a sweet spot with some of the
best desserts and cupcakes in town.
Detour for apple, ginger and lime
cake with ginger cream cheese frosting
or the home-style lemon crunch cake on
the way back to your hotel — nowhere
is far away in Kuala Lumpur.
It’s an easy city to navigate. KLCC, Bukit
Bintang and Asian Heritage Row are
close to each other and to most city hotels,
so you can choose to make your culinary
explorations on foot. Besides, what
better way to work up an appetite for all
that delicious food on your doorstep.
BON TON
RESTAURANT
Lot 10 Shopping Centre
Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (603) 2142 2287
Clockwise from top: A bright, casual cafe; Berrilicious chocolate pavlova;
Duck confit spagettini with sundried tomatoes and coriander
Eastern and Western elements
meet beautifully in this stylish
yet cosy restaurant with a breezy
alfresco area. Signature dishes
include lemongrass chicken,
Hakka Olio noodles, Nyonya
laksa and rack of lamb.
Clockwise from top: Main dining hall; Rack of lamb; Nonya laksa
GASTRO TRAVEL
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Hakka Republic Wine
Bar and Bistro
Robert Koehler
Level 2, Menara Hap Seng,
Jalan P. Ramlee
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (603) 2078 9908
Former Westin Hotel Kuala Lumpur
chef Adi Radzi spent many years in
Japan and uses this experience to
infuse his innovative dishes with
flavours such as miso and wasabi
at this award-winning restaurant
and wine bar.
Asian Heritage Row
42 Jalan Doraisamy
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (603) 2697 7999
Kuala Lumpur: where should I start?
Get your bearings by visiting the city’s most
famous landmark, the Petronas Twin Towers.
At 452 metres, the buildings were the tallest
in the world until 2004, when they were surpassed
by Taipei 101, and are still the tallest twin
buildings on the planet. They are monuments
to both the city’s rapid economic growth and its
main religion, Islam, with the facade paying tribute
to traditional Islamic decorations and the cross
section based on a Rub el Hizb symbol. Visitors
can take the elevator to the skybridge joining the
towers on the 41st floor, or travel all the way up to
the 86th for a stunning view of the city. Afterwards,
descend to the popular shopping complex Suria
KLCC at the base of the towers for international
fashion brands and entertainment venues,
including a cinema and science discovery centre.
What about something more
down to earth?
Clockwise from top: Chef Adi; Australian Wagyu ribeye; The bar
Mojo
CRAVEMAN IN KUALA LUMPUR
Inspired by Austin Powers, this retro
restaurant-slash-lounge bar has a
sports bar, indoor and alfresco areas,
award-winning wines, cocktails and
good music. It’s a convivial spot for
a good meal and a night of partying.
Yeah, baby.
Kuala Lumpur boasts a rich cultural heritage,
with a diverse ethnic population and a
centuries-long colonial history. The old railway
station is a superb example of “oriental” Victorian
colonial architecture, and the Central Market
is a 1936 art deco building on the site of a
19th-century wet market. It was reborn as
an arts and crafts centre in the 1970s, with
shops divided into different ethnic zones,
plus a local arts gallery, food court and
outdoor stage for cultural events and festivals.
Where can I hang out with
the locals?
Kuala Lumpur has one of the most dynamic
Chinatowns in the world. It’s an explosion of
sounds and sights that shows the city at its
most authentic and unpretentious. Visit traditional
Chinese and Hindu temples, and take a break
at one of the old-fashioned Chinese cafes in the
cramped, chaotic lanes. Chinatown gets even
livelier after dark when the night market starts.
The festive streets are filled with dazzling lights
and tides of visitors thronging the stalls and
sampling every kind of street food you can imagine
while shopping for souvenirs at bargain prices.
Clockwise from top: Mojo’s retro inspired interior; Exterior;
Comfort food is what this place is all about
Text by Vincent Leung