We had not planned on going to Kuala Lumpur. However when the political situation in Thailand (mostly Bangkok) was becoming hairy with standoffs between the government and protesters we decided to go somewhere else to get our China and Vietnam visas.
There was an inexpensive direct flight from Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur and so we decided to get a ticket to Malaysia. Neither of us knew much about Kuala Lumpur besides (of course) the Petronas Towers. The Petronas Towers were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004. The towers remain the tallest twin buildings in the world. We walked by these towers numerous times as most of the embassies are located near the towers. We were both impressed with their uniqueness, and they are really beautiful buildings. We stayed in a great hostel right in a colorful part of the city as evidenced by the downstairs neighbor...
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The city of Kuala Lumpur is very modern and (maybe it was just the area we were in) has some of the fanciest malls I have ever been in. If you need a Louis Vitton, Jimmy Choo shoes or a new Bentley this is the place to find it. Luckily Jim and I are not in the market for any of these expensive things, but going though the malls provides a shortcut to get to the embassies. Also it provides a little A/C because it was extremely hot and humid. Also Kuala Lumpur has good public transportation, but we were close enough to most sights that we only took the monorail a few times.
As I am a food dork, I was really excited to find out that Kuala Lumpur is a hot spot for food as numerous different cultures and people (Malay, Indian, Chinese, Pakistani, Afghan, Thai, etc.) have settled here. Right near our hostel was Jalan Alor. Jalan Alor is a tiny street food haven surrounded by fancy malls. There are rows of hawker stalls with people out front trying to reel you into their open air restaurant where the seating is right on the street. You have cars trying to squeeze through next to the plastic tables and chairs as well.
Both Jim and I were excited to try the grilled fish and Meng Kee Grill Fish was recommended. We tried both the grilled stingray and the grilled "chicken" fish. We are not sure if "chicken" fish is a type of fish we have never heard of, or just a different name for a more common fish. Either way, the chicken fish was good, but the grilled stingray was amazing. Both are grilled crispy brown and the fish inside melts in your mouth.
I had to try one other Asian delicacy that is pretty hard to find in the U.S., and that is the infamous durian fruit. Durian fruit has been described as smelling like smelly feet, compost or onions (or all of those in some freakish combination). Because of this smell, the fruit has been banned from most hotels and public transportation. People either love it or hate it, and with this kind of reputation.... I had to try it. I loved it. It tastes like sweet cheese or a custard. It is a taste that is hard to describe but I thought had a perfect balance of sweet and creamy. Also, I didn't think it was THAT smelly. Besides being tasty, I read that it is also a very healthy fruit, high in B vitamins! I think they are really hard to find in the U.S, so no worries! I will not be bringing one over as a dessert!
The last "interesting" food I had to try was a "dried meat and meat floss bun" burger. This is a Chinese delicacy and the store is filled with vacuum packed dried meats and a grill up front cooking all sorts or dried meat in a sauce. They put a bun on the grill, heat up some dried meat, and then top the bun and dried meat with cucumber, mayo, chili sauce, and finally shredded pork floss. For about U.S. 80 cents, this was another great food find!
Malaysia was another country where the people couldn’t have been friendlier. In fact it might be the safest we’ve felt in a city of this size anywhere, including the U.S. The mix of expensive high rises and street stall markets, women shopping in fancy malls in full birquas, the vibrant art and cultural communities, and Kuala Lumpur’s explosion as financial capital all contribute to make the city a very great (and, sadly, overlooked by most tourists) place to visit.
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