KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — Belts may have tightened this year but with our handpicked eateries, the passion to create great food worthy of a long drive or even a short wait in a queue are still burning strong.
Here are the dishes that stuck in my mind and also found much favour with family and friends.
Making a trip down to Klang specifically for bak kut teh sounds like a mad idea but for those who appreciate authenticity will just dismiss the distance as worthy for the best bowls of bak kut teh, like this thick, herbal version found at the unassuming Gao Sang.
The style here isn’t the soupy type; it’s a collagen-sticky dark broth perfumed with their secret herbs and spices blend, slowly cooked over a charcoal fire and paired with luscious meat cuts with jiggly collagen-rich skin.
What's most satisfying about this place is friends on social media have also started discovering the wonders of the stewed pork here, posting enthusiastic tributes to this bak kut teh.
65-G, Lorong Dato Yusuf Shahbudian 29a, Taman Sentosa, Klang.
Lemak laksa is a rare find in the Klang Valley and this version inspired by the Thai khanom jeen will win you over with its fragrant, rich broth with lemongrass and turmeric flavours, mixed with cucumber, pineapple, fresh mint and torch ginger flower.
While lemak laksa may have launched this business, other varieties like their asam laksa, their dual taste laksa (a combination of asam laksa and lemak laksa) and prawn mee are equally good.
The latest to join the party here is the fried laksa with translucent noodles coated with a fragrant spice paste, as the stall has also moved to the restaurant’s air conditioned section.
Restoran Station 8, 2 Jalan SS2/10, Petaling Jaya
One of my many weaknesses is a good bowl of pork noodles and each year, I drive from one end of the city to the other in search of bountiful bowls that satisfy.
This nondescript stall known to locals is worth the wait that can stretch up to 40-plus minutes for a freshly cooked bowl brimming with a sweet-savoury broth packed with meat and a multi-layer intestine.
8, Jalan Bunga Tanjung 10, Taman Muda, Ampang
Defying the norm is this grilled fish specialist that doesn’t drench out the delicate, sweet flesh with a fiery sauce.
Select your choice of the freshest catch to be grilled over charcoal fire and ask for the sauce to be put at the side, if you prefer to savour the fish on its own, dipping it in the sauce for just a hit of spiciness.
Jalan AU2/1C (next to Balai Polis Hulu Kelang), AU2, Keramat, Kuala Lumpur
Visually, this snack peppered with tiny whole prawns will have you salivating before you bite into it.
Once you eat it, the fritter has a thin, crunchy layer not drenched in oil that works in tandem with those sweet prawns, creating a snack worthy of eating as you wait and wait for that famed pork noodles.
Kedai Kopi Wah Cheong, 1080, Jalan 17/29, Section 17, Petaling Jaya
Restoran San Jee Fish Head Noodles
Wrestle with bones on the Song fish head and you will be victorious with its slippery bits mingling with the flaky flesh, as you drink the pork-chicken broth dotted with crunchy lard fritters.
No wonder that part sells out quickly as it’s the most satisfying element at this stall that also offers fish fillets and fish paste choices.
40, Lorong Yap Hing, Pudu, Kuala Lumpur
A clear sign of the appeal of this Tamil Nadu export is the constant queue of diners flocking here to lunch on Kongnadu dishes in an opulent dining room.
Almost every table has the Erode SPL Veg Meal with its unlimited rice and assortment of pickles, sambar and vegetables, since it’s great value for vegetarians.
One can add on your protein to bulk up the meal or consider their mutton biryani with tiny grains of seera samba and fork tender meat.
G9 (Retail). Sentral Suites, 248, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.
It feels sacrilegious that this year’s chicken rice find isn’t your classic poached type but a glorious, crunchy deep fried version found inside Gombak.
All the elements are prepared well and the thin, crispy skin with a hint of saltiness is the cherry on top.
Move over Colonel Sanders, this local version definitely has our hands busy with its juicy, crunchy chicken.
87-G, Plaza KLTS, Jalan Gombak, Kuala Lumpur
