Jalan jalan cari makan
Documenting KL’s heritage street food
Jalan jalan KL – Street food edition. A joint initiative by Think City and Citi Foundation
Food trail map 'bungkus' with 12 postcards featuring our favourite food
At the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s historic streets and laneways is the food. In the shade of a tarpaulin or in air-conditioned comfort, from carts and kiosks to five foot way tables, the variety is endless, and delicious.
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In this walking map we have lovingly curated a selection of our favourite street food, witha special focus on the heritage shops that have been serving their mouthwatering fare for generations.
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It is, however, not possible to list them all. In this part of the city one never needs to take more than ten strides to find the next eating place. So the map invites readers to take their palate on a culinary adventure to discover their own favourites.
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This project is dedicated to the Malaysia that Kenny and I know. Because 'merdeka' means that we can all come to the table together. My story for each makan place is in the caption below. I hope you will enjoy it!
Cari makan in Malay has the dual meaning of ‘searching for food’ and ‘making a living’.
And jalan has the dual meaning of ‘street’ as well ‘to walk’.
So the title of this page pays tribute to both the ones who walk the streets in search of good food (which is basically every Malaysian!) and those who ply their trade serving good, wholesome food on the streets.
MANSION TEA STALL and RESTORAN NOOR
Selangor Mansion, Lorong Bunus
These two shops next to each other are popular with Malaysians from all walks of life, co-existing harmoniously to offer us a variety of tasty meals. Aside from the usual warung mamak fare, Mansion Tea Stall is especially well known for one particular style of roti canai that divides people firmly down the middle: the roti banjir special or the special flooded roti. You will either love it or hate it. The roti canai is drowned in dhall curry, fish curry, sambal, then topped with a pair of very wobbly half boiled eggs: glorious to some and grim to others. Happily there is a wide variety of other dishes to choose from, and you can also opt not to ‘banjir’ your roti. Restoran Noor across the aisle has been serving excellent nasi kandar for the past 35 years. Behind the pots of mouthwatering curries you will find the friendly Encik Khamis Bin Abdul Majeed. Do say hello because he takes a long daily commute to serve you – all the way from Tanjung Malim, Perak to be exact – that’s dedication!
RESTORAN JAI HIND
31 Jalan Melayu
There are not many cafés today that can claim to be older than the country but Jai Hind definitely qualifies, as it has been here, serving wholesome Sikh food since the 1950s. The Jai Hind of today occupies three shoplots and offers a wide selection of vegetarian and meat dishes. The food is served buffet style, with vegetarian dishes on one side. You can choose to mop up the delicious curries with freshly made chappatis, or enjoy the flavours with a steaming mound of rice, washed down with a mug of chai. Finish off with one of their famous sweets: gulab jamun, laddu, barfi or jalebi, all handmade with care on the premises.
SANG HAR NOODLES
5A Jalan Yap Ah Loy
Tucked in an unassuming backlane off Jalan Yap Ah Loy is a small cluster of eating places that include the zinc roofed Sang Kee Sang Har Noodles. Sang har is Cantonese for giant freshwater prawn. The prawns, being a costly commodity, will be reflected in the higher-than-usual laneway food prices. It is a decadent treat, but one that is well worth paying for. The succulent prawns are cooked just right and served with noodles bathed in a rich, eggy, gingery broth. Equally good is their sliced beef noodles. While in the lane, don‘t forget to pay a visit to Mei Li coffee stall and also Auntie Pek Yoke for delicious kaya swiss rolls.
HONG KEE CLAYPOT CHICKEN RICE
(serves pork / lard content) In front of 83 Jalan Sultan
This 30 year old stall cooks their chicken together with the rice in small claypots on charcoal fire right on the pavement, and the aroma is hard to resist if you happen to be passing by. Do stop and take a seat. The cook, like a magician with hands of steel will typically tend to a dozen pots at a time – deftly lifting hot lids to check, adding just enough sauce and ingredients, rechecking for doneness, sweat pouring down his face as he works the rows of charcoal stoves. Only he knows the perfect time to take a pot off the fire and straight to your table. First, enjoy the aroma and taste of your meal: tender pieces of chicken in sticky soy sauce and rice, sprinkled with chopped spring onion and tiny slivers of chinese sausage and salted fish for extra flavour. Then don’t forget the best part – scraping the bottom of your claypot for the crispy layer of flavour-infused crust!
LIAN BEE HOKKIEN MEE
(serves pork / lard content) Off Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock
Lian Bee is famous for its glossy, dark noodles, stir-fried to perfection the traditional way with a roaring charcoal fire. The stall only opens in the cool of the evening and for good reason. Every Hokkien mee connoisseur understands that the true Hokkien mee taste cannot be replicated in a regular home kitchen, because what defines a good Hokkien mee, aside from flavour and texture, is wok hei, or the breath of the wok. Wok hei is the lightly charred aroma that is achieved by a culinary master using very intense heat. The wok is heated until it begins to smoke before he throws in the ingredients and tosses the food nonstop, at times tossing the flames into the wok and causing sparks to fly. Cooking the perfect Hokkien mee requires strength, skill and extreme heat endurance, and is certainly not for the faint hearted. Still, Lian Bee looks set to thrive. The third generation cook is now running the stall, with his sons assisting and ready to continue the tasty legacy.
CAPITAL CAFÉ
213 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
This charming old world café captures the spirit of muhibbah and diversity that has been the bedrock of our capital city. And it has been around for just as long, as an old menu dating back to 1956 proudly proclaims. The café, run by the Lin family, are Hockchew by origin but truly Malaysian in spirit – serving only pork-free fare so that everyone is welcome. Drop by at any time of the day or evening and you will find people of all races enjoying satay (available after 5 pm), rojak, mee rebus, nasi padang and mee hailam. All for a reasonable price so you will have plenty left in your wallet – which is convenient, as the café is located on one of KL’s busiest shopping street!
NASI KANDAR IBRAMSHA
68 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
Ibramsha is one of very few Kuala Lumpur shops listed in Kandaqstan, a guidebook to the best nasi kandar in Malaysia. Understandably, most of the other entries are based in Penang, the spiritual home of nasi kandar, or kandaq, as they say in local dialect there. For purists, the classic nasi kandar consists of rice with just one curry, boiled eggs, blanched okra, some chutney and green chillies, as it was the humble yet nutritious meal of port workers, carried to the site by the seller in two baskets suspended from a kandar stick. The nasi kandar of today, however, is hearty, heady and definitely not shy on flavours and variety. That’s why a popular request when ordering is to have kuah campur, or mixed gravy. The server will then proceed to add a dollop of every gravy he has onto your plate of rice, one on top of another, resulting in a melange of spicy flavours that will delight your tastebuds. Whichever way you choose to have yours, you can be assured of a tasty meal steeped in Malaysian history.
AIR MATA KUCING
Intersection of Petaling Street & Jalan Hang Lekir
If you ever find yourself exhausted by the heat and chaos of busy Petaling Street, the best thing to do is to head for the air mata kucing drink stall, located in the middle of the pedestrianised market stretch. It is hard to miss even in the cacophony of activity that crisscrosses that busy intersection, as there is always a crowd of people surrounding the stall, either queueing to buy a drink or standing nearby to drink it there and then, unable to wait a second more. If you can’t find it, just ask any local, as this 20 year old stall is widely known as a landmark. The drink is a concoction of dried longan fruit (mata kucing), winter melon (tong kwa) and Buddha fruit (lor hon gor), all ingredients with cooling properties. On a hot humid day, it is a refreshing oasis in a cup.
YEONG’S CURRY PUFFS
Lorong Hang Lekiu (between Jalan Hang Lekiu & Jalan Tun HS Lee)
Yeong’s Curry Puffs has been in operation for more than 20 years. Sadly, the founder Mr Yeong passed away just a few months before the start of this postcard project. His widow Mrs Yeong and his daughter Yen carries on his legacy. The curry puffs taste as delicious as they always had, with spicy potato, chicken and boiled egg encased in a hand sealed pastry shell, then fried onsite for freshness. Yen’s younger brother helps out at home by mixing the ingredients at 2 am. The ladies are usually at the stall by 5.30 am to prepare and fry the puffs, and will begin selling by 6 am, usually finishing by 3 pm. The stall, as with most stalls in the Hang Lekiu lanes cater to the office crowd and do not open on weekends.
MADRAS LANE STALLS
(serves pork / lard content) Petaling Street
Parallel to Petaling Street is Madras Lane, a laneway wet market with a colourful history, and home to the best curry mee on the planet. According to Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Eatlist of 500 best eating experiences, the curry mee here ranks No. 2, with pintxos in San Sebastián topping the list. Unique to this part of the world, the fragrant broth is truly a curry of the Nusantara, with a mix of regional spices and flavours such as fresh turmeric, galangal, chilli, candlenut and shrimp paste, completed with coconut milk. Add noodles, shredded chicken, shrimps, cockles, puffed tofu, bean sprouts, then garnish with fresh chilli, mint and a squeeze of lime for an unforgettable culinary experience. Stall owner Chin Kim Fook, 60, was surprised by the news of the ranking but remained humble. In a news report he was quoted as saying, “I am happy about the news, but I truly believe that the experience of a particular dish depends on the person who tastes it. For me personally, I am content with the quality of my laksa as long as I can see that my customers enjoy eating them.” Equally popular here is the yong tau foo, porridge and roast duck rice.
LANEWAY FOOD STALLS
Lorong Hang Lekiu (between Jalan Hang Lekiu & Jalan Tun HS Lee)
Tucked in the maze of lanes around the Hang Lekiu area are various open air stalls that are a lunchtime staple for those working in the vicinity. The surrounding building walls (recently decorated with whimsical murals), along with large umbrellas and tarpaulin sheets provide shelter from the midday sun. For a very modest price, you can choose from a lavish nasi campur buffet (pictured here) or the Cantonese version, gingzhai fan, literally translated as economy rice. Three dishes with rice, plus a drink should cost you no more than the hipster latte from down the road. There are also noodles, soups and of course, tea stalls. And to complete your meal, fresh fruits – washed, cut and bagged to be eaten on the go. In Malaysia, whatever your budget may be, a tasty meal is never out of reach.
KEDAI KOPI LAI FOONG
(serves pork / lard content) 138 Jalan Tun H S Lee
This busy coffee shop has stood on this corner, at the doorstep of Chinatown for over 60 years, faithfully serving local coffee and tea with toast as well as a selection of noodle and rice dishes. There is always something assuringly reliable about shops that have stood the test of time, and this institution of hearty lunches is no exception. Locals will tell you that everything here is good, be it the lala (clam) noodles (pictured here), beef noodles, fried kway teow or roast meats with rice – if you can find a seat, that is. But the crowd turnaround is rapid, so the short wait will be just enough time to work up an appetite for the dish of your choice.
KEY COLLABORATORS
Client
ThinkCity
Citi Foundation
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Project managers
Eke Sumber Omardin
Wai Chung Hui
Photographer
Kenny Loh
Writer
Allie Hill
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Designer
Allie Hill
