Sek Yuen, the oldest Chinese restaurant in KL, serving unique dishes like Pipa Duck and Aspic Chicken
Meng Chuan, known as Stanley, wok frying at Son of Soo Kee Restaurant
Stanley's famous Hokkien Black Mee
and Kangkong water spinach fried in pungent 'Belacan' prawn paste
A change of scene to PS150, bordello speakeasy hidden behind a toy store in Chinatown
PS150's lethal cocktails
then on for live music till the early hours at No Black Tie, KL's legendary jazz club
Virtuoso musicians jam at No Black Tie
Next morning and a foodie tour of Chow Kit wet market
dried fish
juicy mangoes
fiery chillies
On for delicious Nyonya dishes at Madame Kwan
A fearsome fish head curry with the unique Nyonya fusion of Chinese and Malay flavours
and Sambal Petai, known as 'stinky beans' that are not for the faint-hearted
Also lots of amazing live fish, crabs and molluscs at Unique Seafood
including the weird and wonderful California Geoduck
and Unique also have terrific wine list like this Australian Shiraz
The funky Mezze also has a terrific choice of organic wines - plus a vast selection of whiskies
and discovered a bottle of Domaine Sainte Croix made by Englishman Jon Bowen in the Corbieres and featured in my Wine Trails book
Late night means Troika Fine Dining, choosing between the gourmet Canteloupe or fashionable latin cuisine at Fuego
Last drink has to be the Trader Hotel's penthouse SkyBar, still the hottest address in town
Where to stay in KL? The Mandarin Oriental and Shangri La still top the list for total luxury, while this swish newcomer, E&O Residences, is something very special with its fab service appartments
and the pool is pretty tempting too
I am just back from sultry Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital that continues to be one of the hip under-the-radar destinations in South East Asia. Tourists often see the futuristic metropolis as just a quick stop-off before heading off to the beaches or jungle, but they don’t know what they are missing out on. With its multi-ethnic cuisine of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Nyonya flavours, KL offers unbeatable streetfood, gourmet dining and hidden restaurants that serve dishes unchanged since colonial days. Moreover, there are more and more adventurous wine lists featuring organic, biodynamic and low-suphite vintages from France and Italy, Argentina and Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. With the Malaysian currency weak right now, luxurious accommodation has become affordable, while if you know where to go, nightlife spans cool cocktail bars, live music and funky dance clubs.
Click on the slideshow above to see all the latest addresses………..
