KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — Once you alight from the Pudu LRT platform, you are steps away from superb chappati, succulent poached chicken and one of the best-value Chinese restaurants in KL.
Tiger Jit has been in business for over four decades and his simple shack under a tree offers great food at fair prices in a clean, comfortable dining environment despite its location on the sidewalk of Jalan San Peng.
Its neighbour, San Peng Prawn Mee, has respectively carved a solid reputation for serving up slippery smooth poached chicken and a decent version of prawn noodles and the nearby Restoran Zai Kee’s King’s spareribs is a must-order.
The exit from the station also leads you to Sek Yuen, an institution of Chinese dining in the city. The kitchen here still uses 100 per cent woodfire. A meal here is recommended for a blast into the past.
At Jalan Seladang, Uncle Lai has been painstakingly making his curry puffs by hand for the past four decades; there are two varieties of meat puffs, chicken or mutton in addition to sweet ones filled with red bean, kaya and peanut selling for less than RM2 each.
Another must-try is Albert’s beef noodles. The star of this authentic Hong Kong-style dish is the robust, herb-tinged aromatic broth. On weekends, splurge on his US Striploin and Wagyu Beef specials. You won’t regret it.
I can’t recommend Tuck Cheong enough for its fresh, meaty and value-for-money dim sum. Unlike other outlets, all items here are self-made rather than outsourced.
Roasted geese are elusive even in restaurants, but in Pudu, you can get your fix from a nondescript corner stall named Chen Chen BBQ aside from duck, chicken and char siew. You will be spoiled for choice for homely traditional Chinese desserts at Ruby Restaurant and PMK. Both are on the same street and Nyonya kuih, thick black sesame paste and local snacks are the staples here.
As the sun sets, a row of stalls at the corner of RHB Bank on Jalan Seladang comes to life. I’m a big fan of Aunty Mun’s springy, handmade fishballs but it was the economy rice stall and Fatt Kee Roasted Fish that drew the largest crowd.
The former is popular for its cheap yet delicious dishes while the latter offers a unique eating experience where seafood and vegetables are cooked in a broth of different spice levels and served in a rectangular metal tray.
Another hot spot for dinner is the Pudu Wai Sik Kai (‘glutton street’) where the fried chicken stall boasts of a perpetual queue throughout its operating hours.
A few streets away, fans of the claypot chicken rice in 168 Kedai Kopi endure long waiting hours to tuck into the juicy chicken and crusty, fragrant rice. This is one of the few clay pot chicken rice businesses in KL that has kept to tradition and still uses charcoal to cook each pot.
If you think that’s all Pudu has to offer in terms of food, think again. However, space constraints doesn’t allow me to go on...
* For more gastronomic adventures — keep up with Rebecca on www.RebeccaSaw.com and instagram.com/wackybecky.
Getting there:
1. Tiger Jit/San Peng Prawn Mee/Restoran Zai Kee
Jalan San Peng, Pudu, 55200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
From the station: Turn left for Exit 1 Pudu which leads to the backlane behind Sek Yuen Restaurant or take Exit 2 for Jalan Pudu/Jalan San Peng. For Tiger Jit/San Peng Prawn Mee/Restoran Zai Kee, take Exit 2. Go straight and take the first right turn. At the end of the covered walk path you will see Tiger Jit in front of you while Restoran Zai Kee is on its left and San Peng Prawn Mee is on your right after the Indian temple.
2. Tuck Kee Curry Puff/Aunty Mun Fishball noodles/Fatt Kee Roast Fish Chen Chen Roost Duck/Siew Ngap Fai Shop
The stalls along Jalan Seladang in front of RHB Bank
From the station:Take Exit 2 for Jalan Pudu/Jalan San Peng. You will walk under a covered walk path; go straight and turn left at the first junction. At the end of it, cross the road (this is Jalan Pudu) to the opposite side where the traffic light junction is. Turn right and then make a left turn. You are on Jalan Pasar now. Stay on your left and go straight pass Jalan Landak. Once you see RHB Bank turn left into Jalan Seladang.
3. Sek Yuen
315, Jalan Pudu, Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
From the station: After the faregates, turn left at Exit 1 Pudu which leads to the backlane behind Sek Yuen Restaurant. Take the alley beside Hotel Pudu Bintang and the entrance into Sek Yuen will be on your left.
4. Kwai Hup Restaurant/Tuck Cheong Dim Sum/Restoran Ruby/Claypot Chicken Rice/Kedai Kopi Pudu Satu Enam Lapan
All the above restaurants are located on Jalan Kancil, Off jalan Landak.
From the station: Take Exit 1, then take the alley beside Hotel Pudu Bintang and Sek Yuen will be on your left. Cross to the opposite side of the road. Enter the lane (Jalan Kancil) between Kedai Kopi 168 and Maybank. Walk on and in 10m you will see Kwai Hup Restaurant. If you turn right and walk on, at the corner on your right is Tuck Cheong Dim Sum. From Tuck Cheong, turn left and you will see Restoran Ruby on your left while PMK is on your right.
