Kuala Lumpur means “muddy confluence”; kuala is the point where 2 rivers join together and lumpur means “mud”.
Kuala Lumpur or more commonly called KL is the national capital of Malaysia as well as its largest city. Divided into numerous districts, its main hub is called the Golden Triangle which comprises Buki Bintang, KLCC and Chinatown. KL is widely recognized for numerous landmarks, including Petronas Twin Towers (the world’s tallest twin skyscrappers), Petaling Street flea market and Batu Caves which is over 400 million years old.
Beautiful night view of the Petronas Twin Towers.
A good place to stay in KL will be at Mid Valley Megamall. It is a shopping mall located in Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur. It comprises a shopping mall, an office tower block, 30 offices and 3 hotels namely; Cititel Midvalley, The Boulevard Hotel & The Gardens Hotels. When you are in mid valley, literally you don’t have to step out of the hotel as you are surrounded by mega malls, abundance of food joints and a big movie theatre.
I stayed at The Gardens Hotel when in mid valley. There is really no need for me to step out of mid valley mall as you can have everything under one roof. Just so convenient.
Room is clean, big and spacious.
There are a lot of food options in Mid Valley Megamall that you will be spoilt for choices. It will take a long while to cover all the food ground.
1. The Han Room serves delicious chinese dim sum, ala-carte and set menus. This is considered a high-end Chinese Restaurant.
2. Village Roast Duck serves Cantonese cuisine.
Roast Duck in Cantonese style, certainly need to pay homage when in Village Roast Duck. The duck is amazingly good especially the crispy duck skin. You can request for the duck to be de-boned. Also, remember to request for the gravy sauce to be served separately to experience the meat freshness, else it will be served with the gravy sauce poured on the dish.
Their Honey Glazed Barbequed Pork is another definitly must order dish. The barbequed pork is so nicely done with a good mixture of the fatty and lean meat and it literally melts in your mouth type. Every mouthful is so heavenly.
Braised Homemade Beancurd with Hoshimeiji Mushroom, Chinese Spinach & Minced Pork is also a recommended dish and goes really well with a bowl of steaming white rice.
The Stir Fried Mixed Vegetables of Four (4 Heavenly Kings) with Sambal Sauce for vegetable lovers. The dish comprises of lady finger, brinjal, string bean & onions. Tastefully done and blends well with a bowl of steaming white rice too.
A plate of plain noodle could be an option to go along with the above-mentioned dishes.
3. Little Penang Kafe serves authentic Malaysian food.
Kueh Pie Ti – Using the same fillings in Popiah on a cracker cup. Great for warm up.
Penang Char Kway Teow – Deliciously fried with cockles, prawns and crab meat.
Penang Hokkien Prawn Mee – The super rich soup base with prawn and chicken stock brings the entire tasting landscape of the dish to a whole new level.
Home-Style Fried Rice – Fried rice with diced long beans, prawn, anchovies and a fried egg. Not to mention the unsung hero, the sambal belachan that adds to the finishing touch.
Rojak – The Malaysian style with fruits like nutmeg, guava, pineapple, together with cucumber and cuttlefish.
Lorbak – Similar to our local Ngoh Hiang. A famous & recommended dish for starter.
Fish Ball Soup – Soup is tasty though I find it to be a little salty.
Coincidentally, there is also a Little Penang Cafe at 313 Somerset Food Republic. Below is their version of the set lunch offered.
4. Madam Kwan’s, another truly authentic Malaysian cuisine.
Deep Fried Dumpling – A great starter for warm up. The dumpling is of an acceptable size with generous fillings of the prawn meat.
Malaysian Satay Chicken – Another great appetizer to have. The chicken meat is super tender and blends extremely well with the peanut gravy sauce with additional condiments of cucumber, pineapple, ketupat (rice cake) and onions.
Fried Beef Noodles – The tenderness of the sliced beef with spring onions and thin ginger slices coupled with the wok-fried taste of the flat noodles is just beyond description.
Sang Ha Noodles – A must order dish when in Madam Kwan’s. The noodle texture and the big fresh prawn is another deadly concoction. Something to die for.
Nasi Bojari – Tripled coloured rice served with beef rendang, assam prawns and fried drumstick. This dish is a slight deviation from the traditional Nasi Lemak. You need to experience to tell the difference.
5. Red Lobster. This western restaurant serves fresh seafood and originates from Florida in 1968. They happen to have an outlet in Mid Valley Megamall and needless to say, have to check it out without fail.
Upon placing order, you will be immediately served with their in-house Cheddar Bread. The bread is tastefully done and you get to experience each mouthful with the cheddar cheese on it.
The New England Clam Chowder Soup comes with generous servings of the clams and ingredients. The garlic bread dips well with the soup.
The Grilled Whole Squid makes a great starter especially with the garlicky chilli sauce dip that whets one’s appetite.
The Grilled Lobster, Shrimp and Salmon provides a great option for someone who cannot decide on what they want and you get to lay your hands on each of the different items.
Pasta goers, you can zoom in directly to their Bar Harbour Lobster Pasta with roasted split maine lobster tail, tender shrimp, scallops and mussel.
Finishing touch will be none other than Caramel Apple Crisp. Chunks of lightly sweetened apples covered in a crunchy and tasty baked crust. Served with a scoop of ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce. Happy ending feeling.
6. Nonya Colors is like a high end local coffee shop. Their traditional nonya kueh is something to shout for. Queues are a common sight during morning breakfast and tea breaks.
Nasi Lemak Pandan
Thai Mee Hoon
Roti Jala with Curry Chicken
Interestingly, there is also a Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart outlet in Mid Valley Megamall as well. Best part of all, you do not need to queue to eat the tart. Other than original flavour, it comes with chocolate and durian flavours too.
There is another outlet, Hanjuku Cheese Tart selling baked cheese tart too. It is also from Japan. Somehow, I still seem to prefer Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart over Hanjuku Cheese Tart.
Well, you can try and let me know if you happen to be in Mid Valley Megamall.
That’s all folks. Bon appetit!
Malaysia, Truly Asia……
