I decided to reach out to my good friend Alexandra, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and asked her for some suggestions as to where to dine out and what you absolutely must have while in KL. She also happens to be a chef herself so her advice is one worth listening to.

The first thing I noticed in our email conversation regarding cuisine in KL is that, it is a mix of Chinese, Indian and Malay. For someone like me, this is a whole trip’s worth of discovery.

According to Alex, food in KL can be found anywhere and everywhere; on streets, in back alleys, and in car parks. She suggests trying a few different stalls from the Chinese to Indian to the Malay.

For a nice restaurant that has great food, a “loungy” environment, and a great view of the Twin Towers check out Marketplace Restaurant on Lorong Yap Kwan Seng. Lunch is served from 12pm – 3pm and dinner from 6pm-11pm. Marketplace is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays, but open the rest of the week. They also have a happy hour from 5pm-10pm on the days they are open.

(http://www.marketplacekl.com/)

Tamarind Springs is the place to experience "luxury jungle dining" at its best. It has a Bali/Phuket resort feel to it and is located at the jungle’s edge. Its Indochinese menu is prepared by award-winning Chef Somkhuan Wandee. (http://www.tamarindrestaurants.com/tamarindsprings/tamarindsprings.php)

Local street treats:

Alex:

I would suggest a walk along Jalan Alor where there are many stalls serving great Chinese food.

For the banana leaf(Indian dishes served on a banana leaf) experience one should look out for a Sri Paandi's chain as there are a few scattered around town.

Dishes one MUST try if they visit Malaysia: Roti Canai, Hokkien Mee, Char Kway Teow, Thosai, Laksa.

So if you are in KL make sure you hit up a few stalls and if you are feeling like a little sit-down dinner time hit up either marketplace or Tamarind.

For a better scoop on cuisine check out Alex’s blog, Chefspiration.blogspot.com.

Labels: Culture, Food