I loved Bali, I really did. But goodness was I excited for the next stop.
It was time to make my triumphant return to my favourite food city in the world – Kuala Lumpur!!
If you’re interested in how much all this cost – here is the budget breakdown.
Wednesday, January 1st
The flight from Bali to KL went smoothly, and it was awesome arriving to some easy e-gates at the airport. You know what else was nice to arrive to? SIX LANE HIGHWAYS BOOOYAH!! After the crowding in Bali with the small streets, it was a welcome sight and feeling to be on big roads with lots of space.
We took a Grab from the airport to our fancy pants hotel stay.
The hotel: Arte by Thomas Chan – our room was the Palatial Noire III
I saw photos of this hotel a long time ago and said if I ever returned to Kuala Lumpur, I’d make sure to stay here.
You can see all the fancy pants photos below of our room, the rooftop pool and what nighttime looks like in the saloon. I did like the hotel, but for the really high price (to KL standard) – it was just alright. The room and facilities were beautiful, but my boyfriend said it all felt like a veneer. And I have to agree. It looks luxury, but the service and being around the hotel just wasn’t giving that. I wish I could explain it better, but I’ve been to some very nice hotels and the staff in them was 10000/10. This didn’t feel like that.
Pretty and IG-worthy though!
After taking a bajillion photos around the hotel I took my boyfriend over to see the famous Petronas Towers. Can’t really visit Kuala Lumpur without seeing these beauties.
Now, for the most important part of the visit – Jalan Alor Food Street.
My favourite place in KL. You have to come to this outdoor food market. There are so many darn options, and everything is so delicious and cheap.
I went a little wild with spicy pork, dumplings and then went to a stand and picked random things to be BBQed on the spot. Loved it. As busy, vibrant and delicious as I remember it from 2016. We had the best time.
Thursday, January 2nd
We woke up today and took advantage of the breakfast included in our stay at the hotel.
As you see, so pretty!! The dining area is so cute. The breakfast was OK. I liked the pastries, it’ll do.
Even though we had a small breakfast, it was FOOD TOUR TIME!!
We chose to go with an AirBnB Experience this time – Culture On a Plate.
First, here is a list from the amazing host with everything we ate on the tour, and my notes about it:
Mee Goreng Mamak – A stir-fried noodle dish with a mix of tangy, savoury, and slightly spicy notes. (fucking delicious)
Popiah – Fresh spring rolls filled with crunchy fritters, jicama, eggs, beans + tofu, served with a sweet and spicy sauce. (great snack)
Nasi Lemak – Malaysia’s national dish: coconut rice, served with sambal (chilli paste), anchovies, egg, and peanuts. (my boyfriend and I both thought this was outstanding)
Pani Puri – Crispy chickpea baskets filled with potato and tamarind chutney, served with mint water. (uh, HELL YEAH delicious)
Char Kway Teow (CKT) – Smoky stir-fried flat noodles with prawns, pork and bean sprouts. (shocker, also delicious)
Kuih ketayap (coconut pancake) – grated coconut with brown sugar wrapped in pandan skin. (I love coconut, this really hit the sweet spot)
Bak wa toastie – a slice of pork bak wa, pork floss and a fried egg, drizzled with chilli sauce and mayo in toasted bread. (if I was hung over, this would have been even more delicious)
Roti Canai – Flaky flatbread served with curry for dipping. (never a bad time for roti anything)
Thosai – A South Indian fermented rice and lentil crepe, typically enjoyed with chutneys (coconut & tomato) and sambar. (again, HELL YEAH YUMMY)
Seasonal Fruits – A refreshing touch of tropical sweetness, including favourites like guava with asam boi (sour plum) powder, mangosteen and rambutan. (so this was the first time I tried mangosteen and it might be top 2 tasting fruits on the planet)
Apam Balik – Fluffy pancakes made with rice flour and pandan, dressed with fresh grated coconut, a nostalgic street food treat. (oh look, more coconut, so good)
If you are in KL and have a long belly like I do, you MUST do this tour. This city having such amazing varieties of food, and then walking with a local to tell you all about them. Awesome experience.
Naturally, we took a nap after all that food and walking.
But when we woke up, yep, time to go look at some more food.
We took a Grab over to this fancy mall named Pavilion.
I wish we had woken up a little earlier, because we arrived one hour before the mall closed. Luckily, there was still more amazing food to be had.
We indulged in some yummy Korean BBQ chicken and some cheese tarts from Hokkaido for dessert. Never a bad meal in this city!!!
After reading all of the above, I think you can all see why this is my favourite place for food.
Nothing has changed. It ranks supreme. You need to visit Kuala Lumpur and just eat. I don’t care if you do nothing else, prioritize your belly.
Ok, off to the last stop on this jaunt – Singapore.
- Mirna
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