Probably the Best Indian Food in Kuala Lumpur

......can be found in the most unlikely place.
Situated just behind a car-park, crowded by construction sites just off Changkat Bukit Bintang, down-a-bit from Somerset Condo is a small stall dishing-up what is probably the Best Indian Food you'll find in Kuala Lumpur.
Local  Malaysian born ethnic Indians tell me that the food is "like my mum makes"
A full (almost over-flowing) plate of rice with a few other dishes will set you back about RM 6.50.
The price has increased a little since I wrote about it here! but not too much.
I would still say that after 10 years of eating here it is one of the best value-for-money lunches to be had in KL.
Simply load-up with rice and then serve yourself from the selection of meat, fish and vegetable dishes.
Friday lunchtimes are a little more "vegetarian" as the choice of veggies widens but there is always some lamb, chicken or seafood to select.
I would highly recommend the calamari-and the "Friday-only" potato cakes.

It doesn't look much-but the food is great!

The Only Dish Worth Trying in Pavilion Food-Court

.....is the Mee Jawa at the stall down the end going towards Carl's Junior.

The reason I say this is quite simple-most of the other food on offer has that bland-tasteless,franchised food-court feel about it.
It can all look OK but when you actually eat it,you begin to think ;What's The Point?"
Just about every Shopping Mall has exactly the same old sub-standard crap (except for Lot 10)
Not so with the Mee Jawa in Pavilions.
And,at RM 9 for a big,steaming bowl it's pretty good value for money for this food-court and is quite filling and very tasty.
It's much better than the Mee Jawa on offer at Old Town White Coffee,and cheaper than what they serve atLittle Penang Cafe

Definitely worth a try....makes me hungry just thinking about it.......

Duck King Restaurant Food-Court Level Pavilion Mall Jalan Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur

After opening one of the two best food stalls in Lot 10 read about it hear! You would have thought that the people who run Star Duck/Duck King would know how to do things.

I normally can't be bothered to add a caption!

Alas,No.
The recently opened Duck King Restaurant at the food-court level in Pavilion *should* be fantastic-but it's not.

Tastes like instant Noodles-but ten times the price!

Whether it's just "teething-problems" or not I don't know but we were sadly disappointed with our recent visits.
They have opened near the Supermarket end,a place that has had rather a lot of tenants...maybe it's just in a poor location....
Or,maybe we just selected the wrong dishes.
First,the noodles were no better than a packet of Instant Noodles you make at home.
Secondly,the Carrot Cake was powdery.
Third,the Fried Rice was bland and tasteless
and Fourth...
The service was..hmmm..."clueless" would be too severe a criticism but they were a bit "all-over-the-place"

Scallops were nice tho...

The only saving grace was that the scallops were rather good.

Powdery-Carrot Cake

Now,as I said there are always teething problems when opening a new restaurant but I wasn't impressed at all,especially when I love their little stall in Lot 10.
If ever you're hungry in Pavilion Mall and you don't mind spending a bit of money there is still no better bet than Crystal Jade which you can read about here!

But Could You Eat A Whole One?

This Burger Bar has a rather interesting menu...
Situated on the corner of Tengkat Tong Shin and Jalan Sahabat,opposite the new and rather useless Carrefour Express,Diamond Burger Bar has been operating for about a month,every night.
It has an extensive menu of Burgers from RM 2-RM 7 but I haven't been drunk enough or hungry enough to want to sample one of their delights....but there is always someone placing an order so I guess they can't be too bad.
Apart from the usual Beef Burger you can choose from; Rabbit, Catfish,Ostrich,Lamb and even Camel.

That made me think,if you order a Camel Burger from your car,would it tip-over like in the Flintstones?
And...they even have a "Baby Burger" on the menu...best not to ask!

Little Penang Cafe Mid Valley Megamall Kuala Lumpur

If you're stuck in one of the god-awful cathedral-like malls in Kuala Lumpur and need something to eat without splashing-out in a restaurant your choice is usually a dilemma between bland and tasteless food-court fare or dreadful international fast food chains.
There are a few mid-price cafes if you look hard enough and Little Penang have 3 outlets (KLCC,The Curve and Mid Valley) that may be worth trying.
As the name suggests,the style of food is supposed to reflect that of Penang.
It's a bit hit'n'miss....which is a shame as when it's good,it's very,very good and when it's bad...well it's just a bit too bland or poorly prepared.

Mee Jawa

The Mee Jawa is very good.
This is an Indonesian-style noodle soup with bean-sprouts,tomatoes,shallots,hard-boiled egg,potatoes,tofu and squid that is served in a really thick and tasty gravy.
The Lor Bak is excellent-Lor Bak should be pork sausage wrapped in crunchy bean curd but as Little Penang is halal they serve chicken sausage but it's still very tasty (and you won't know the difference)
The Fried Kway Teow is disappointing. (there is only one place to go for Fried Kway Teow-and that's here! in Brickfileds)
Other dishes of noodles,rice,nasi lemak etc are available.
Lunch for two will set you back around RM 30-RM 40 so it's not cheap by any standards but it is worth a try.


Lor Bak

 Once-in-a-while.
Service? Well, just try and make sure that you're in a good mood when you enter as the service is pretty-poor.....

T-Bowl Restaurant 3rd Floor Sungei Wang Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur

I swear that this is true!
A new type of concept restaurant has opened on the third floor of Sungei Wang Shopping Mall.
The theme is crap.

Literally.
And that's the only joke I'm going to make about a restaurant where diners are seated on toilets.
The entire decor consists of toilet bowls,urinals and squat-toilets.
Some of the food is even designed to look like excrement (use your imagination) whilst other dishes are served in miniature toilet bowls.
I was quite taken aback when I stumbled upon this place,situated on the 3rd floor at the back near the Roller-Rink it is amongst a small collection of restaurants in a newly opened sort-of mini food-court.
I can't tell you much more about t-bowl as almost all the signage is in Chinese.
I've not eaten there but the few times I've walked past it's fairly busy and seems quite popular with teenagers and children with a scatological fixation (as Freud would put it)
I've no idea on menu or prices and their website was no real help either,so if you decide to go and try it please let me know.
I just think it's bizarre.

Late Night Nan Bread @ SK Corner

A few years back it was almost compulsory to have a late night supper of nan bread after a heavy night to try and mop-up the excess alcohol in your system....
Venue of choice was the 24hr coffee shop now sadly replaced by the 7-Eleven at the corner of Changkat Bukit Bintang and Tengkat Tong Shin....oh Happy Days!
These days after a night of partying on Changkat Bukit Bintang if you want a nan supper and can't be bothered to walk very far you will probably head to SK Corner a bit further down Tengkat Tong Shin.
When it first opened it was quite good but sad to say it's gone downhill recently.
And it's never as busy as it used to be...so I'm not the only one who thinks so......
Like so many food places these days they are either increasing prices or cutting-back on quality/quantity
I don't think they can make their nans any smaller so they have cut back on the dips/sauces that you get with your nan.
I used to like the dhall curry dip as there would be a surprise chunk of potato and the chick peas would be quite wholesome and at about RM 2 it was a good value supper (RM 3.50 if you added a 100 plus into the mix).....
Alas no more...
I was served a thin watery tasteless gravy that had no flavour whatsoever.and the nan bread wasn't even cooked properly..quite disappointing and not worth going there again...
The Maggi-Mee Goring was also dreadful....
Something so simple...and they've screwed it up!
If you want a nan supper try either along Jalan Nagasari heading towards the Istana Hotel or the Indian restaurant underneath Cruz Club on Jalan Sultan Ismail....or even the recently opened (but rather uninviting looking) new place up the steep bit of hill on Changkat Bukit Bintang heading towards Bukit Bintang near Jalan Alor....If you find any others please let me know....

Starduck @ Lot 10 Food Court Bukit Bintang

I mentioned here that you can find the Best Hokkien Mee in the World at Lot 10 Hutong Food Court.
I would have to say that this is without doubt the best food court in KL and the thought of eating some Hokkien Mee to help cure a hangover is rather comforting.
Incidentally,the German Restaurant mentioned here!  in the same foodcourt has gone off-the-boil a bit...they've cut down on portion size but maintained the price.I now avoid it.
Anyway...back to the point... On days when you're feeling fine you may need something less oily and lardy than Hokkien Mee

Fear Not.
Have a look at Starduck-Duckling,it's opposite the Sun Moulin Bakery and usually has a queue-always a sign of good food.
Here they specialise in Roast Pork and ,as the name suggests,Roast Duck.
The Roast Pork is gorgeous!
It's a little pricey (about RM 12 for a dish) compared to other stalls but it's worth it as it's unlikely you will ever find anything better in the heart of KL...and even in the suburbs food stalls like this are fast-disappearing.
So,what do you get for your RM 12?
A big glutinous ball of clotted noodles,a "nod" towards vegetables with an unidentifiable green-thing and some mouth-wateringly good slices of roast pork.

And the "secret sauce" which I think is sweet soy sauce.
The trick is to "untie" the noodles by continuously tossing and separating them with your chosen utensils (fork and spoon or the twig technology of chopsticks) and mix them in with the soy sauce underneath them.
Once the noodles have changed colour from white to brownish...you're ready to eat.
You'll be surprised how good it tastes.
Unbelievable!
And yet it's so sweet and simple...a bit like my wife!...

The Red Victorian Bar/Bistro

Situated just around the corner from Havana on Changkat Butik Bintang,opposite the Chinese Temple,The Red Victorian has been open for a couple of weeks now.
It's a Bar/Bistro with a rustic/simple feel to it.
It's always good to see new places opening-and even if I don't like them,I always wish them well.
The Red Victorian (yes,it is painted red) is going to need to do something a bit special in order to attract a good crowd and I'm not really sure what that will be.
The only draft beer they sell is that disgusting Starker/Jaz. I don't think I need tell you how bad that is.
Bottled Beers are available at around RM15.
The food menu is nothing to shout about and is a bit "so what"..It's also fairly limited in choice.
There is the compulsory Pasta section that every restaurant in KL seems to offer and then one beef dish.a chicken and a fish etc etc...
It's like they're offering something of everything but don't really have an identity or uniqueness.
I think they're trying to recreate a relaxed,casual atmosphere.The furniture is functional but the outside seats are those horrid Starbucks style steel chairs that cut-off blood circulation to your legs.
And because there is so much competition on the street they will have to do something a bit special to get bums-on-seats.
At the moment it looks like only the owners friends go there...maybe that will change over time.
As I said,I wish them well but I don't see a reason to spend any money here yet.

UPDATE 20/3/11
The Red Victorian is now under new management.
The people at Gypsy Bar have now assumed the managerial role at the Red Victorian.
Gone is that disgusting Starker Beer to be replaced with a mug of Tiger at RM 10 net-probably the best value for money around Chankgat Bukit Bintang at the moment.
There have been changes to the menu, it's still fairly limited but has a few interesting items (Spanish Sausage and stuff like that).
When I dropped-by it was still fairly quite but seemed to be picking-up a little.
Knowing how successful Gypsy Bar has become,compared to what was there before (Hemingways) then maybe in a few months Red Victorian will be full!
Anyway, Good Luck to them!

Nyonya Curry Laksa @ Precious Restaurant,Central Market Kuala Lumpur

I have generally avoided noodle-soup type dishes in the past,not because I don't like them but because I can't eat the bloody things as my chopstick skills are not sufficiently developed to grasp the slippery noodles.

I end up wearing more food than I've eaten and get really sulky and ratty!
However,on a recent visit to the tacky Central Market I stumbled across Precious Nyonya Restaurant,on the first floor at the front of the building and for a change I ordered a bowl of Nonya Curry Laksa.
It was gorgeous!
And I ditched the twig-technology of chopsticks and used a fairly modern invention of a fork and spoon and was able to eat the dish and not wear it.
The restaurant was a real discovery for me...There are very,very few places in town where you can get good Malay or Nyonya food ( a sort of hybrid Malay/Chinese cuisine) and to find this restaurant right in the heart of the tourist belt was surprising in that a) The food was great and b) It was patronised by many locals,so you knew it was not just serving bland crappy food to tourists who don't know any better.
The decor was interesting with old antique furniture,the service was average,the prices were OK but the food....yeah! the food was great!

A good friend of mine used to rave about Curry Laksa in Singapore and I never tried it because I knew I couldn't master the skills to eat it....so it's taken me 10 years to try it....what a waste...Nyonya Curry Laksa is a bowl of coconut flavoured curry soup with noodles,bean sprouts,tofu, fish balls,prawns and a hard-boiled egg and a few green beans floating on top.
What makes it fantastic is the flavour and smell of the curry sauce.
I can't recommend this highly enough and I want another bowl...right now....
You can find many Laksa dishes in the foodcourts of most shopping malls....but it will not taste anywhere near as good as this.

The Best Hokkien Mee Hoon Mee in Town at Heritage Food Court Lot 10

It's quite sad that a lot of the Chinese-style coffee shops in my part of Kuala Lumpur are fast disappearing, to be turned into 7-Elevens, Showrooms or foot-massage places.Or stand empty as the greedy landlord awaits new and perhaps gullible tenants.
This is happening all over town as rents rise and the new generation of potential cooks don't want to run a food-stall (a lot of food stall operators are at least middle age/entering old aged and have made enough money to send their children overseas to study)
This creates a problem as it becomes more and more difficult to find favourite foods.....
I can't be the only person to think like this as those crafty capitalists who own Lot 10 Shopping Mall on Bukit Bintang have opened the "Heritage Food Court" in the basement.
What they seem to have done is rack their brains and try to remember where you can find the best types of Chinese food in KL.
They have then "persuaded" the stall owners to open/licence a branch in their basement.

Although where a German Restaurant fits into this is anyone's guess (I have written about this before under the title The Only Bacon Sandwich in KL?)
So, in The Heritage Food Court you can find all sorts of food stalls  such as Imbi Road Pork Noodles, Teow Cheow Porridge,Mai Chai deserts-and my favourite Kim Lian Kee-who specialise in Hokkien Mee.
I prefer the Mee Hoon Mee which  is a great dish consisting of fat,yellow noodles and thin vermicelli-style noodles fried in lard with a few prawns,bits of squid,pork and cabbage thrown in and all mixed in a rich,heavy black sauce.
It's probably quite unhealthy as it's fried in pig fat but boy does it taste good!
This particular food stall is located right in front of the escalator going down inside Lot 10.

You can't miss it and you can also hear the loud, rhythmic clash and banging of the woks as the chefs do their stuff and queue of people waiting for their order.
It's a bit pricey at RM 9.35 but well worth it.
And,yeah I know, you're eating in a bloody noisy and cold  food court but there aren't many places in town that serve this great dish.
And,if you're lucky you may even get a few "crispy-bits" of fried lard!

The Best Fried Kway Teow in Kuala Lumpur

OK-quite a strong statement but I'm prepared to stand by it-The Best Fried Kway Teow in Kuala Lumpur and possibly the world can be found at Restoran Hing Ang on Jalan Thambipillay in Brickfields.
Now,you may know Brickfields as being very "Indian" and true,you can get some good curries,saris and blackmarket booze but there is also a small but thriving (and mainly aged) Chinese community.
Fried Kway Teow is a dish of fried rice cake strips with ingredients that include soy sauce,chili,belachan,prawns,cockles,beansprouts and Chinese sausage all fried in pork fat with crispy croutons of lard.
Heart Attack on a plate!
But it's gorgeous.
Originally a dish for Chinese labourers it can be found all over South East Asia but the "Penang Style" served at Hing Ang is the best.
You can feel your arteries clogging-up as you eat it so it's best to only eat once every couple of months or so to give your body time to remove all the fat and cholesteral.
Restoren Hing Ang is opposite the Chinese Temple on Jalan Thambipillay.

It's a typical local cheap restaurant with lots of stalls catering to different tastes that all share a common seating area.
Soft drinks are about RM 2 and a small bottle of beer about RM 8.
It looks crap from the outside-and the inside is not much better either.
If you sit near to the front it can get very hot from all the cooking but they have a back area that is a little cooler but a bit more stuffy.
To get there from central KL either drive towards KL Sentral on Jalan Tun Sambanthan,turn left when forced to by the ridiculous one-way traffic system begins at the Mobil station and park at the YMCA.Then walk across the road to the usually empty and big Old Town White Coffee, past the imaginatively named Hotel Mexico and keep going. The restaurant is on the left opposite the Chinese Temple.
If the new and baffling one-way system seems a bit too much of a challenge,take the monorail and alight at the KL Sentral stop,come down the escalator and Jalan Thampibillay is the street right behind you.

Penang style Fried Kway Teow is served as small,medium or large servings-and costs RM 4,5,or 6, although I don't think the cook can be bothered with small anymore.
Remember to ask for extra lard crispy-bits!

Update 13/5/2011
He's moved! again! you can now find him on the corner of  Jalan Thambipillay,opposite Old Town White Coffee,underneath the Lido Hotel.
As it's a corner shop,it gets a bit more of a breeze so it's not as stuffy as before...but it's smaller and a lunchtime gets packed.
Nice atmosphere though.....

Great Banana Leaf Indian Food at Nirwana Magic Restoren,Jalan Telawi 3 Bangsar,Kuala Lumpur

I'm not quite sure where heaven is but there's a little bit of it hovering around Nirwana Magic Restoren on Jalan Telawi 3 in Bangsar.
Banana Leaf cuisine means that instead of a plate,you eat from a Banana Leaf-and it's without a  doubt gorgeous and one of the best things you will ever eat.
It's mainly vegetarian but meat/fish dishes are available.
Perfect for a huge lunch-time blow-out,The Nirwana is always packed and you'll have to wait maybe 10 minutes for a table.
Sitting inside has the benefit of being a little cooler but it's a bit noisier whilst outside is pleasant but can get a bit too hot.
The waiter starts by serving you with 2 or 3 gigantic scoops of rice and then you're served some veggie dishes including a nice and crunchy deep-fried bitter gourd (that has thankfully lost it's bitterness) and some sweet-corn,melon,green bean mix and some chopped-up fruity things.
Add some chilli's, lime pickles and a poppadom and then pour either dhall,fish or chicken gravy on your rice.
Then,you may add other dishes depending on how hungry you are.
Personal favourites are the Potato Massalla,Fried Squid and Mutton Massalla.
If your eyes are bigger than your stomach you'll struggle to finish.
Price wise,add in a drink and all the above should cost no more than about RM 12.
Service is always pretty good.

There are other Banana Leaf restaurants in Kuala Lumpur but frankly this is the best.
It's situated along the same road that has "The Social" and is opposite the new wing of Bangsar Shopping Village.

As I said,perfect for a truly big feed.

Brussels Beer Cafe, Menara Hap Seng, Jalan P.Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur

Brussels Beer Cafe, referred to as "Brussels Sprout" by some of my drinking buddies opened in Menara Hap Seng about 9 months ago. For those of you not familiar with the building, it's at the top end of Jalan P.Ramlee close to the KL Tower turn-off and the Weld Shopping Centre on Jalan Raja Chulan.

As the name suggests, it's definitely a cafe and not a bar.

Which, to me is a bit of a shame. The inside bar just looks a bit uninviting and sitting outside is great for eating but less so for drinking.

The water feature gurgles away trying to drown-out the sound of passing traffic but doesn't quite succeed.

It's a tried and tested formula as the owners have a branch in PJ and have just opened in Ampang-they seem a bit too "corporate" as they want to sell you hats and T Shirts bearing their logo...a bit like Air Asia...

However,whatever time I go past, it's invariably packed.

They get a good lunchtime crowd with an attractive(ish) lunch promotion and it seems that it's a good place for after-work beers as there are no real alternatives within this location except the ghastly Over Time bar at the Life Centre on Jalan Sultan Ismail.

But it's even busy on Saturday and Sunday evenings so they must be doing something right.

The menu includes the now-compulsory Pork Knuckle that you can get just about everywhere as well as Lamb Shank, Mussels, Hot Dogs, Sandwiches and Burgers, Meat Balls, Squid and stuff.

Beers include the pointless-unless-you're-driving Hoegaarden,the lethally strong Stella as well as Leffe and locally brewed Carlsberg.

I went there for lunch recently and there were two promotions going;

RM 15 for a Pannini sandwich and soft drink or RM 20 for something a bit more substantial with a soft drink and as much salad as you wanted.

This was a good thing as any sort of green veg is anathema to most Belgian/German food.

And the salad has bacon-bits and Chinese-style pork as selections so it's damn good in itself.

The Bratwurst was a little bland but was served with small serving of "stoemp"-I had no idea but apparently it's mashed potato with carrot in it. The onion gravy was a bit thin so I definitely needed another portion of salad to go with it.

The Beef Skewers with Rice were disappointing so it's probably best to stick to the Western Food here.

The Lamb looks like it's worth a try.

RM 20 isn't really cheap for lunch considering you can get a bowl of noodles for RM 5 but it's a nice change once-in-a-while.

They have a set dinner menu for RM 40,which seems a bit expensive as do most of their a la carte dishes.

Imported beer is always expensive-but they do some interesting Happy Hour deals so check-out the blackboard first.

Great Indian Food in Kuala Lumpur

I've been going to this place for years....forgot to write about it...until now.

It doesn't really have an address but if you want to go there (and you should) then head to Somerset Condo at the top of Changkat Bukit Bintang...opposite the car park next to the motor-mechanic on Lorong Ceylon is a stall that serves probably the best home-cooked style Indian food in Kuala Lumpur.

I've met locals eating there who describe the food as "just like my mum makes"

If you don't want to eat in a Car Park,you can order it "to go" and it will taste just as good when you get it back to your home/office.

You will be served a mountain of rice and then you walk around the stall and help yourself to the delights,there's a good choice of fish,squid,chicken and mutton and loads of vegetable dishes to choose from....the more variety you choose,the more you pay.

It usually includes a poppadom as well.

RM 5 will cover rice and maybe 2 dishes whilst RM 7.50 will cover rice and maybe 4 dishes.

It's a real "blow-out" if you're hungry and in need of a good lunch.

It's only open from around noon-2pm lunchtimes Monday-Friday and if you want to be certain of a good selection get there around 12.25pm.

On Friday there are more vegetable dishes than on other days as a lot of the customers are vegetarian on that day.

It's popular with office workers, delivery drivers and chauffeurs and it's perfectly OK to share a (covered)table if it's crowded.

Makes me hungry just thinking about it....

Old Town White Coffee, Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur

The corporate tentacles of big-business start to strangle Jalan Alor.

Well,that's what I first thought when Old Town White Coffee opened-up a few months back.

I imagined a Jalan Alor full of franchised outfits such as Starbucks,Coffee Bean,The Chicken Rice Shop and Papa Rich-and thought how horrible it would be....

But Old Town has opened in an Hotel lobby so the street is probably safe for now.

Old Town White Coffee is a local franchise chain that seems to be cashing-in on the nostalgia boom that is beginning to sweep the nation and most shopping malls now have some sort of nostalgia themed F & B outlet.

If you *must* have an overpriced coffee whilst sitting in an uncomfortable chair then this place is better than Starbucks or Coffee Bean-and the Hazel Nut flavoured Iced Coffee at RM6.00 is pretty damn fine.

The Best Chinese Food in Kuala Lumpur?....

...probably can be found at Restoren Crystal Jade Kitchen. There are a few dotted around town, my favourite being at the Food Court level in Pavilions on Bukit Bintang.
They are also at Mid Valley, The Gardens and Lot 10.
Rather surprisingly they are actually a Singaporean outfit.
Yeah, I know, Singaporean Food is usually crap.
But they've got it right this time, or altered the recipes for the more discerning, grown-up palates of Malaysians.
Some of their restaurants are halal whilst others serve pork.
Downstairs at Pavilion is non-halal whilst they have one in the walk-through near La Bodega that is halal.
It's a nice place for a splurge on a Sunday lunchtime or at any other time really.
You know you've found a good restaurant when you have to wait for a table, although the staff seem to turn the tables quite frequently so you don't have to wait too long, say 5-10 mins.
Crystal Jade offers good Dim Sum and a very extensive menu.
Price range is mid+ level and, as you would expect for that price the service is always good.
Amongst my favourite dishes would have to be the White Radish Cake Fried With Beansprouts which seems to be cooked in a unique style here, you can always tell an upmarket restaurant as they snip-off the unsightly bits of beansprout! the Beef Noodles are also good and some of their Dim Sum comes with a dip consisting of Soy Sauce mixed with HP Sauce-a truly great combination. The wild-fried rice is very tasty but the dish from heaven has to be without doubt Deep Fried Prawns in Wasabi Sauce.
Yeah,it's pricey but once-in-a-while it does good to treat yourself.
The only bad thing to report is that it's in a bloody shopping mall and the air con can make it a bit chilly after half an hour or so.
Oh, and if you sit on the soft bench seats it seems that the table is a bit too high, either that or I'm a bit of a short-arse.
Definitely worth a try though.

The Best Restaurant in Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur?

Yes. No Contest.
I've written before about Jalan Alor,the food street that runs parallel to Bukit Bintang.
The best food can be found at Meng Kee Grilled Fish Restaurant about half-way down.
This place covers about 3 or 4 shop-fronts as it sprawls out along the pavement.
It's easy to find because there are always lots of people sitting at the tables-the sign of a good restaurant plus,like most places along the street they have staff outside eager for your business. Look for the small Chinese woman boss with the big voice-she will always find you a seat!
Note: There is a totally different night time scene to day-time.
this restaurant only opens in the evening which is why there are many confusing name-signs.

As the name Meng Kee Grilled Fish suggests,specialities here are fish.
The menu is simple and easy to understand with pictures and prices under each dish and you can order small,medium or large. Fish dishes range from RM20-RM35 and "small" is big enough for 2 or 3 people to share.
I think the beer comes from another stall along the street and is RM15 for a big bottle.
The Grilled Stingray with Chili sauce,The Chicken fish (guess what it tastes like) and the Buttered Prawns are amongst my favourites with Four-Angle Beans in Chili sauce or Taiwanese Bean Sprouts as a veggie accompaniment.
Plus the rice-or noodles of course.
The staff and the boss are very friendly and the restaurant caters to tourists,expats and locals.
I've been coming here for years and to my knowledge have never been overcharged.
I've recommended it to many others-all of whom have enjoyed it.

If you're a bit "fussy" the idea of sitting at a plastic table on a dirty and sometimes smelly pavement-knowing that their are plenty of rats in the vicinity whilst you're being hassled every ten minutes by some tout may be a bit off-putting.
Or you may think it adds to the atmosphere!

BB Park,Jalan Bukit Bintang,Kuala Lumpur

BB Park is the little cut-through that links the IT heaven of Low Yat Plaza to Jalan Bukit Bintang.

Whoever called it a "park" has probably never seen a real one,unless a couple of pot-plants and taped bird-song constitute a "park".

There's concrete,more concrete,the constant whir of aircon units and a dozen or so little stalls selling cheap tourist-tat and a shop selling more upmarket tourist "arty-stuff".

But there's also a few restaurants/bars here -and a few more getting ready to open.

You can choose from:

"Outback Steakhouse",a sushi bar, "Chateau" a French Restaurant that has an interesting island bar in the middle of the walkway,the ever-popular "Bangkok Jam" offering Thai Food and beer for 35+ per jug.

Two new places have recently opened,one of which has such a badly written sign that I've no idea what it's called and next to it is "D'Spice"-a local "nostalgia" restaurant selling a mix of local cheapish dishes of Indian,Chinese or Malay origin....I can get a nan-bread at SK Corner(written about previously) for RM 2 so I don't think I'll pay RM 4 here,cheapskate that I am.

Incidentally,there are quite a few of these "nostalgia" restaurants opening up-all selling sanitized versions of old favourites in aircon-settings-a branch of"Papa Rich" on Jalan Bukit Bintang opposite BB Park and branches of "Old Town White Coffee" at Pavillion Shopping Centre and along the side of Low Yat Plaza to name but three....must be the new "in" thing.

Anyway,back to BB Park-It has promise and a good selection of restaurants and at least now there are a few places along Jalan Bukit Bintang where you can get a beer-but somehow,the place does nothing for me.....

Turn it into a Beer Garden-and now you're talking!

Bayernhaus, Cap Square, Kuala Lumpur

I've blogged before about Cap Square and how it's best to be avoided as it seems to be devoid of any atmosphere whatsoever....
However...
If you do find yourself here and feel like a good feed than you could do no better than to check-out Bayernhaus Bar and Restaurant.
As the name suggests,the restaurant serves mainly German Food and German Beer (Paulaner) both of which are surprisingly good.
Although the place has been open for about a year it is under new (German) management which translates to improved quality in both food and service.
First thing to mention would be their bucket promotion whereby RM125 for a bucket of 5 big Paulaner's gets you free food which varies each night but includes Ribs,Pork Knuckle or a plate of sausages. This 'free food" comes in normal size portions so it does seem good value for money.
The menu itself although not extensive,covers most items you would expect from a German restaurant; Pork Knuckle,Schnitzel,Steak and various sausage combinations.
The thing about the Germans (apart from being a little too good at soccer) is their apparent dislike of all things made of vegetable or salad....This is a restaurant for meat-loving carnivores not for people who want veggies with their meal.
Yeah,OK-you can order a salad to go with your main but the chef here nods towards the existence of vegetables rather than embraces them.
Having said that-the food is very good.
Portions are big. Quality is very good. Service is very good.
Pricing seems quite reasonable with dishes in the RM 25-35 range.Or you can share the mixed grill for RM 60.
You can choose to sit inside (which I always find a bit chilly) ,at the outside bar and at high or low tables outside.There's even a sofa for lounging....
I know we're going through a bit of a hot spell at the moment but sitting outside seemed really hot! There are no fans,the air is still and clammy and the mosquito's were just as hungry as I was. Next time we'll choose a high table or sit at the bar.
And next time,I'll order a side-salad!
Overall though, I was quite impressed with this place.
Maybe Cap Square isn't so bad after all.......