Jeni: There's not much to do in Malaysia.
Me: You take that back. There's so much to do, you just need to go with the right people a.k.a ME.
Jeni: Let's go.
Earlier this year on Valentines Day, we made our way to Penang, Melaka and Kuala Lumpur. Our first time travelling together, we ate plenty and shopped till we dropped.
Here are a few places that we thoroughly enjoyed eating at and these are definitely places that I would revisit :)
PENANG
Siam Road Char Koay Teow
Address: 82 Jalan Siam, George Town
Opening hours: 12:00pm - 5:00pm (closed on Sunday and Monday)
Who doesn't love a good plate of char koay teow with excellent wok hei?
The 45 minute was definitely worth it and I am so glad Jeni talked me out of just getting one plate to share because this was one of the best char koay teow I have ever had.
This plate of goodness was cooked over charcoal heat for maximum flavour. The 78-year old uncle cooked all the orders himself in small batches, it's impressive. The char koay teow was smokey, the wok hei was perfect and the toppings were generous too.
If you love char koay teow and you are in Penang, you must pay this place a visit and order a plate for yourself. Don't share because you'll regret it.
Chulia Street Night Hawker Stalls
Address: Chulia Street, George Town
Opening hours: 6:00pm - 12:00am
Can't decide what to eat? There are plenty of night hawker stalls in Penang that will satisfy any cravings that you have.
This messy plate of noodles can be found at Chulia Street Night Hawker Stalls. I can't tell you which stall it is but if you walk down Chulia Street, all you have to do is find the stall that has lots of people that are quietly slurping away at their noodles and you know you have arrived at the right spot.
The wantan mee here is tasty, the noodles are chewy and springy, the wantan and char siu is yum and they are generous with their sauce.
Merry Me Ice-Cream
Address: Level 5, P1, Gurney Paragon Mall, Georgetown
Opening hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Malaysian inspired ice-cream? Say no more.
We ordered the Kaya Toast and Tau Fu Fah.
The flavours definitely did not disappoint; it was distinct and so deliciously refreshing and even though it was in ice-cream form, it did not take away from the actual dessert.
Bisu's Asam Laksa
Address: Air Itam Market - Jalan Pasar, Paya Terubong
Opening hours: 10:30am - 7:00pm (closed on Wednesday)
There are 9 different types of laksa you can have in Malaysia and Assam Laksa is my favourite bowl of laksa.
In Penang, most people flock to the "famous" Air Itam Laksa because most people just do. I'll admit I have been twice previously but wasn't amazed by it (just to be sure), honestly my mum makes a better bowl of laksa.
This laksa stall is situated in the Air Itam Market Food Court across from the "famous" one, managed by a brother-sister duo where the brother has been deaf since birth. The brother is the one responsible for cooking up the delicious laksa. This is a family-run business that was started by their father back in 1948 and now, the kids are continuing the laksa legacy.
The flavours are spot on; you can tell with the broth, how much mackerel fish has been put in to make it thick and paired with the other ingredients, it makes it tangy with the right amount of sweetness.
p/s: If you do pay this place a visit, learn how to say thank you in sign language. It puts a smile on his face :)
Chatto - Handcrafted Tea Bar
Address: 143 Lebuh Carnavon, George Town
Opening hours: 11:30am - 11:30pm (on Friday and Saturday, they open till 12:30am)
No matter where you are in the world, you are most likely spoilt for choice with a gazillion of bubble tea places to choose from.
Sometimes we get lucky and we stumble across really good ones that use really good quality ingredients.
One sip of Chatto's matcha pearl latte and you can tell they use really good quality matcha.
This place is a great pit stop in between hunting for Penang's street art.
Fu Er Dai
Address: 7 Jalan Sutan Ahmad Shah, George Town
Opening hours: 6:30am - 2:00pm
Last year, I came here with my family for their dim sum and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and ate too much. This time around, I had to bring Jeni here because their dim sum is that good and reasonably cheap too.
Like last time, the highlight for me was still their liu sha bao aka golden sands buns. Messy but totally worth the calories and as you can see from the video, it definitely oozes/squirts out.
MELAKA
Aunty Koh Cendol
Address: 5113 Jalan Batang Tiga, Kampung Bukit Rambai
Opening hours: 11:00am - 1:30pm (only on weekends)
There's cendol and there's Aunty Koh's cendol.
This place only opens on weekends so if you are craving a delicious bowl of cendol, this is the place for it.
It's one of the milkiest and richest cendol I have ever had, the fragrant coconut milk and the gula melaka combined with the gorgeous "cendol" noodles and shaved ice, it's the perfect way to beat the heat.
Aunty Koh plucks the fresh pandan leaves from the garden that's right next to her stall and makes the cendol herself. She is the loveliest and sweetest lady I have met to date that has a lot of trust in her customers, where you open the money till to pay and grab your own change.
The Old Mark Cafe
Address: 39 Jalan KSB 11, Taman Kota Syahbandar
Opening hours: 11:00am - 7:00pm (closed on Monday)
The Old Mark Cafe is a great little gem in Melaka, their souffle pancakes are eggy, fluffy and it just melts in your mouth.
These can definitely compete with Cafe Gram's souffle pancakes in Japan.
KUALA LUMPUR
Itik Salai Masthar
Address: Medan Selera Adikku - Kampung Sungai Ramal Dalam, 43000 Kajang
Opening hours: 11:00am - 10:00pm
Last year, my friend Farra and her husband wanted to bring me here for lunch but I was short on time so we didn't make it. Little did I know what I was missing out on.
This time around, when we drove into this open air food court and I saw Itik Salai Masthar...I couldn't contain my excitement and I squealed in delight. Only a few days ago before we ate here, I was watching Mark Weins' YouTube video on this place and the food looked really good.
I am so glad that we came here for a late lunch/dinner, the smoked duck curry was amazing - you can really taste the smokiness of the duck, combined with the curry and eaten with rice, it's definitely a winner of a dish. The other dish that was a standout for me was the smoked beef curry, it was so so good and you could really taste the tumeric leaf in the curry without it being overpowering.
This was one of the most satisfying meals I have had in KL and true to its word, it's definitely a place worth a revisit time and time again.
Need something to quench your thirst? Grab one of these bad boys whilst you enjoy the smoked duck curry.
Madras Lane Curry Laksa
Address: (Penjaja Gallery Jalan Tun H S Lee), off Petaling Street, 50000 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 8:00am - 3:00pm (closed on Wednesday and Thursday)
If you don't stroll the back alleys of Petaling Street, you will never know that this place existed.
A bowl of curry laksa with addition of chicken curry gravy will only set you back at RM8 (AUD$2.70) It also came with a generous amount of toppings; eggplant, long beans, pork skin and fried beancurd.
You can tell it's a good bowl of curry laksa when the curry broth is rich in spices and well-balanced in flavour. With the addition of their kick-ass sambal, this make it one hell of a good way to start the day.
ICC Pudu
Address: Jalan Kijang, Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 6:00am - 2:00pm (closed on Monday - very very limited stalls are open)
During our 5 days in KL, Jeni and I came to ICC Pudu to have breakfast twice!
With the selection of food stalls here, you can eat a different meal each day and rotate and still have new things to try.
There are some really good stalls at ICC Pudu that will keep me coming back for more whenever I am back in KL for a holiday.
Fatt Kee Hokkien Mee
Address: Win Heng Seng - 183 Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 5:00pm - 12:00am (closed on Monday)
If you need a late night feed in the Bukit Bintang area, this is the place to be unless you are more of a Jalan Alor fan.
The hokkien mee had good wok hei and the springy yellow noodles had bite to it, the sambal pairs really well with it. The pork soup was really peppery and the choy sum added a hint of sweetness, just the way I like it.
Brasserie Fritz (High Tea)
Address: Ground Floor, WOLO - Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 3:00pm - 6:00pm
Amidst the hustle and bustle of KL city, you will not expect high tea like this. Well, I didn't.
Even though Brasserie Fritz is located on Jalan Bukit Bintang, suprisingly, it was quiet and we really enjoyed our high tea.
As you can see from the photo, you get a selection of pastries, cakes and sandwiches that is served with a pot of tea.
Connaught Night Market
Address: Jalan Cerdas, Taman Connaught, 56000 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 6:00pm till late (Wednesdays ONLY)
My trip to KL is never complete unless I pay Connaught Night Market a visit to buy things that I want and also, to devour this delicious bowl of Assam Laksa.
This bowl of Assam Laksa is still hands down the best one in town. I'll even go to say this will give Penang's "famous" laksa a run for it's money and I'll even admit this, this bowl of laksa taste better than my mum's.
And if laksa is not your thing, there are plenty of food options for you to choose from. My only word of advice is to have a light lunch or no lunch at all because there's just so many things to eat for dinner here!
If food is not your thing, then there are plenty of shops for you to look look see see and buy buy from.
KOI The
Address: Sunway Pyramid (other locations: KLCC, Bukit Bintang, Sunway Velocity and 1 Utama)
Opening hours: 9:00am - 10:00pm
When in doubt, head to KOI The.
There are plenty of bubble tea options in KL and I'm sure everyone has their favourite but I quite like KOI The.
Whenever I order bubble tea, I always get double pearls...it's the only way to go :)
I'll be heading back to KL in a few months' time so I will be exploring more food places so stay tune for it!