Yut Kee, founded in 1928 on Jalan Dang Wangi and now on nearby Jalan Kamunting, cooks Hainanese chicken chop and roast pork roll in Kuala Lumpur.
OrderHainanese chicken chop and the roast pork roll with apple sauce.
TipThere is no queue line: give your name and party size at the front counter and wait to be called; weekend mornings fill fast.
Restoran Kudu Bin Abdul has served banked nasi kandar curries on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, since 1960, still family run.
OrderAyam sambal bawang and ayam madu, with the kuah campur mixed gravy over the rice.
TipThe lunch rush peaks from 12:30 to 14:00; the family cooks fresh batches for the evening shift, so dinner works too.
Yut Kee is a Hainanese kopitiam founded in 1928 on Jalan Dang Wangi, now one street over on Jalan Kamunting in Kuala Lumpur, known for its chicken chop.
OrderOrder the Hainanese chicken chop, fried in an egg coat and dressed in brown sauce.
TipLeave your name and party size at the front counter rather than waiting at the red chairs; staff call names in turn.
Kin Kin Chili Pan Mee in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, is the shophouse credited with inventing the dry chili pan mee that copies across the city chase.
OrderOrder the dry chili pan mee with a poached egg, then mix in the sambal at the table.
TipThe soup version exists but almost everyone here orders the dry chili pan mee with a poached egg.
Yut Kee Restaurant, founded in 1928 on Jalan Dang Wangi and now on Jalan Kamunting in Kuala Lumpur, pours kopitiam coffee beside Hainanese chicken chop.
DrinkKopi with kaya and butter toast
TipArrive before 10:30 on weekends; after that the crowd builds outside and you leave your name at the counter to wait.
House of Wheat in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, bakes sourdough loaves with a thin crust and a soft moist middle, serving them alongside Melbourne style cafe food.
DrinkMelbourne style espresso, served alongside the sourdough bakes
TipThe sourdough is the reason to visit; ask what came out of the oven that morning before ordering a loaf to go.
Ruma Puteh fills a candy-coloured corner house near Titiwangsa Lake in Kuala Lumpur with Johor-style dishes and Western brunch, Tuesday to Sunday.
DrinkButterfly pea iced tea
TipOrder the Johor-style lontong or laksa, the dishes the kitchen leans on beside its Western plates.
Sin Hwa Bee has handmade Chinese wedding biscuits and kacang biscuits in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur for more than sixty years, all done by hand.
Worth the queueGa lui beng wedding biscuit
TipThe ga lui beng wedding biscuits and tau sar piah are made fresh by elderly bakers in the back room.
103 Coffee sources and roasts its own beans for a Chow Kit hand brew bar in Kuala Lumpur, spanning single origin lots from five different countries.
BeansBrazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Bolivia
BrewsFilter, Espresso, Whole bean retail
TipThe hand brew list changes with the roast, ask which lot arrived most recently before choosing a filter.
Kwong Cheung Loong Kopitiam Bar on Jalan Doraisamy in Kuala Lumpur runs as a daytime coffee shop that turns into a plain, cheap beer room after dark.
DrinkCheap beer and local spirits in a working-day kopitiam
FoodKam heong chicken and other zi char plates
TipCome for the kam heong chicken before the kitchen slows down; the room gets louder and more bar-like after 9pm.
Kiku on the third floor of Yap Ah Shak House in Kuala Lumpur is a Japanese-style jazz kissa, pairing vinyl jazz with sandos, donburi and coffee by day.
DrinkCoffee poured to vinyl jazz in a Japanese kissa setting
FoodShokupan toasts, sandos, donburi and ramen
TipIt is on the third floor with no lift sign at street level; follow the stairs up from Jalan Yap Ah Shak.
Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee off Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur is credited with inventing dry chilli pan mee in this Chow Kit shoplot.
TryDry chilli pan mee with minced pork and anchovies
TipAsk for the dry version with the poached egg, then add the fried chilli from the tub on each table to taste.
Sisters Crispy Popiah runs a counter at the Saji food court inside Sogo on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur, frying popiah to order.
TryCrispy fried popiah roll
TipThe popiah is fried fresh per order, so expect a short wait at busy lunch hours.
Chow Kit Market, also called Bazaar Baru Chow Kit, on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman is Kuala Lumpur's largest wet market, a maze of produce, fish and meat stalls.
TipGo before 09:00 for the freshest catch, the wet section thins out by late morning.
A Chef's Tour walks Chow Kit market into Kampung Baru's wooden houses for beehun soup, otak-otak and satay, a Kuala Lumpur evening most visitors never see.
TipThe 17:30 start beats Chow Kit's worst heat and still lands you in Kampung Baru while the market is busy.
Murtabak Ana beside the morning market in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, folds meat-stuffed murtabak from roti dough flipped paper thin, sold for RM5 a piece.
TryMurtabak
TipFillings are chicken, beef or vegetable, and the stall is said to sell around 500 murtabak on a busy day.
Hamdan's Roti Canai fries flaky roti among the Chow Kit hawker stalls in Kuala Lumpur, ladling dhal and curry over a counter that opens at seven.
OrderOrder the roti canai with dhal and curry, flipped fresh at the counter.
TipGo for the roti sarang burung if the plain canai is sold out, it is nearly as popular.
Listen HiFi Cafe in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, books out thirteen turntable listening stations with headphones against a 500 strong vinyl collection.
TipA private turntable session runs from RM25 for one person and books out on weekends, so reserve a slot before turning up.
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