KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — For 35-year-old bartender Sherwin Delgado, the Kota Raya Complex here means one thing — halo halo.

The colourful shaved ice dessert is the Filipino version of ais kacang, but with jackfruit, ube, flan and sweet beans instead of the usual red beans and corn.

“For me, if you want to try out halo halo, you should really try it at Kota Raya. There’s one shop there that sells a really nice and big portion of halo halo for just RM12,” Delgado told Malay Mail.

Delgado also swings by every month to grab his favourite snacks — Jack ‘n Jill Chippy chips — and to send money home through one of the many remittance outlets in the mall.

He said Kota Raya is often the first place he recommends to new arrivals from the Philippines.

Once a pioneer mall in Kuala Lumpur’s golden age of retail, the five-storey Kota Raya located at the end of Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock and just across from Petaling Street, has found a new life as a meeting point for the city’s Filipino community.

It was one of Malaysia’s earliest shopping centres and a must-visit spot when it first opened, thanks to its central location surrounded by banks, hotels, schools and transport hubs.

The mall is still very much a draw for shoppers, though it has now become a hub for the city’s Filipino community and hums with life in Tagalog.

According to the Philippines Department of Migrant Workers, Malaysia ranks 10th as a destination for overseas Filipino workers, with 31,519 deployed from 2024 to January 2025, a jump of more than 7,000 from the previous year.

For many of them, Kota Raya is their first taste of home.

Forty-one-year-old restaurant supervisor Vincent Ventura has lived in Malaysia for a decade and still makes regular visits.

“You can encounter a lot of Filipinos there and it is also a perfect place especially for those looking to do a foodie trip on Filipino cuisines.

“There’s a lot of authentic Filipino dishes that you can find in Kota Raya because some of the sellers there are also Filipinos themselves,” Ventura said.

He first heard about the mall from a friend and was instantly drawn to its familiar warmth.

He still drops by at least once a month to stock up on comfort foods like Eden cheese, mang tomas sarsa — a popular pork liver sauce — and sinigang mix, a tamarind-based stew seasoning.

“The Filipino community living around KL is very familiar with this mall, it’s become a landmark to them,” he said.

For 29-year-old Melody Jerah Tanedo Bonifacio, it’s her go-to grocery stop where she usually spends between RM150 and RM200 per trip.

Despite prices being up to three times higher than back home, she said the convenience is worth it.

“It’s really easy to find stuff there and there’s a wide range of stores selling Filipino goods.

“So if a product is not available in one store, chances are that you can find it at another,” she said.

For 35-year-old Mariz Penaflor Insuya, Kota Raya is more than just a shopping destination.

“I find it special in a way that every time I miss Filo food, I’ll just go there and find some.

“Although it is kind of expensive as they are imported from the Philippines, it’s fine because you’ll feel almost at home when you meet some kababayans,” she said, using the term Filipinos call each other.

Insuya, who has been in KL for a year, always makes time for dinuguan — a savoury pork-blood stew — and pandesal, a soft bread roll that’s a Filipino breakfast staple.

Beyond its grocery stores and eateries, Kota Raya also houses money transfer counters, courier services and beauty parlours on almost every floor.

On the top floor, a few small bars come alive on Sundays, often crowded with foreign workers on their day off.

Outside, NGO Kechara Soup Kitchen regularly sets up its mobile clinic to provide free medical check-ups and aid for the homeless community in the area.

For those looking to shop in peace, weekdays are ideal.

But to experience Kota Raya in full swing — the chatter, the food, the music and the unmistakable sense of community — drop by on a Sunday.