(Written by Him)
In recent times more and more Irish people are passing through Kuala Lumpur than ever before. The airports of KL and Dubai are the lay-over destinations for those flying between London and Australia. So while most of us are now broadly aware of KL far less have ventured outside of its impressive airport. We did, spending 6 days in one of the world's most amazing cities! Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur (literally translated as "muddy estuary") has come along way from its humble beginnings as a 19th century Chinese mining territory. This unlucky settlement was destroyed by both fire and flood in 1881. A British man, Frank Sweetenham designed a new layout for the town and ordered the rebuilding of destroyed buildings be made out of brick and tile, modelled on Southern Chinese architecture. By 1886 the town was chosen to be the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay states (under British rule) and was in turn settled by a mix of peoples all having some vested interest including, Chinese, Indian Muslims and of course the British ruling class. | 6th Airport and still smiling! |
Through the nearby central market housing indigenous handicrafts we unintentionally stumbled across a guide book restaurant recommendation. Restoran Yusoof dan Zakhir is a large canteen style eatery cooking traditional mamak food - Indian Islamic. No pork and everything Halal with the all male staff wearing the traditional kufi hats. We were quickly shown to a table and presented with the well worn single-page menus. While we went by the written descriptions this first night we did not restrain ourselves the other two nights we returned to Yusoof's! |
It really is a place where one should simply let their eyes and nose lead them: in one corner was the tandoori station - a huge clay cauldron, roasting hot where naan was flung in from baking stones and generously spice rubbed chicken joints were cooked on long skewers to the most awesome shade of dark red perfection; behind tandoori man stood the curry king, a huge & happy Indian-Malay barricaded behind trays of the best smelling curries - lamb, chicken, beef or fish, he heaps some rice on the centre of your plate before encouraging you to help yourself. Together with naans and roti of every description, dahl dips on the side, the food in this place was fantastic and the best I have had since our trip began. I was more than a little enthusiastic. The teh-tarik (local tea with condensed milk served hot or cold) flowed very easily and when it came to the bill we were delighted at how reasonable the price was. |
You may have noticed that we were thoroughly impressed by KL's multiculturalism. This diversity was most noticeable in the style of women's fashion. In a country that is approx. 80% Muslim we were immediately aware of the significant volume of hijabs and niqabs, something we just didn't see in Vietnam. The colours and the variety of ways to wear these head pieces transformed this religious symbol into something very chic. We were so taken with them that herself went into an Islamic "Penneys" equivalent and bought some of these versatile garments. The shop was very busy with Muslim women only and for the first time in Malaysia we certainly got some looks. |
I waited outside with the other men wearing their long white dress-like Muslim clothes and hats. We had to YouTube how to properly wear what she had bought. We also couldn't help but be distracted by the stunning Indian clothes on display around the city. Women wearing full length Saris and Salwars in the most magnificent shades of deep purple, pink & turquoise, complete with bindis and costume broaches, passed us on their way home from work. The younger Indian women also had nose piercings and henna decorations on their hands and arms making them look beautifully mysterious and otherworldly. We made a mental note to pick up some of these pieces when ever we saw them. |
That afternoon we hit Chinatown. A bustling, jam-packed area of about 4 streets, each adorned with long strings of red Chinese lanterns where street vendors pile in on top of each other vying for your attention. The good humoured vendors called to passers-by to 'come haggle with me'. Rather than feeling hassled and ripped off, the whole experience was taken in good jest and very enjoyable. Out of what must have been 200 stalls the vast majority were selling the same t-shirts, "genuine copy" handbags, pens, sunglasses and watches. We had come for the food and to see the Chinese culture being preserved at such a distance from their home. Of course such lofty pursuits devolved rapidly into haggling for handbags and souvenirs, Lets just say a few bargains were had! Herself was born to haggle. The experience was well worth the visit however and in fact we ended up re-visiting the area before leaving KL. |
The following day we were meeting an old Malaysian friend, Hong, for lunch. Having lived together in first year college, herself and Hong had not seen each other in 10 years. To make our 12:30 date we set off early to fit in Menara KL (KL tower). Completed in 1995 this huge tower used for telecommunication transmission is the 7th largest tower of its kind in the world and offers the highest viewing point in Kuala Lumpur. We took the free goKL City bus, a short walk and then a free 2 minute shuttle bus from the entrance gate to the door of the tower itself. From hotel to attraction for free, KL was looking better and better. We bought a ticket for the observation deck and the aquarium which sits at the bottom of the tower (next to the mini zoo no less). |
With 30 minutes to spare before lunch we popped into the Weld shopping mall for a nosey. Even this small centre, away from the main shopping district of Bukit Bintang felt impressive with its many levels and open courtyard-style central column. We met Hong across from her office, a huge banking centre, and hopped on the free bus to The Pavillion. Across a skywalk and down at least 5 escalators we reached the basement floor food court. The place was enormous with at least 5 restaurants for every type of food you could think of. We walked for a long time, still never reaching the end of this vast array, until we came to Madam Kwan's Malaysian Restaurant (where the lady herself can sometimes be spotted). |
We had set aside the next day for the Golden Triangle area. Although this district includes The Pavilion centre today we were heading for Petronas Towers. These twin skyscrapers are the tallest in the world but they do not dominate the KL skyline when sat amongst so many other very tall buildings. Getting to the towers was almost as impressive as the towers themselves. We took the free bus to one of the city rail stations where we expected to hop on the monorail line to bring us the rest of the way. |
That afternoon we headed back to KL tower to the level above the observation deck we had already visited heading for the revolving restaurant (Atmosphere 360). A huge buffet of Indian, Chinese, Western and Malay cuisine was spread along the centre static island. From there diners step on to the revolving area where the tables and chairs are spread out in front of the 360 degree window views over the city. A full rotation takes one hour. As we entered the restaurant we were asked not only for our names but the name of our hotel and the room number! I had to ask the reasoning at that point and the girl said it was because so many people lost their belongings in the restaurant. It was not until we sat down at our table that we finally understood how easily such a thing could happen. As we put our bags on the floor beside our table and started to tuck into our buffet, the floor beneath us kept moving, while the floor beneath our bags was stationary. Without realising it, our bags had drifted to the empty table beside us in a matter of minutes. Lesson learned! |
The other area we selected was Little India in Brickfields, the historical site where the brick and tile used to re-build KL under Sweetenham's direction was manufactured. We got up early and made the short walk to Merdeka Square where the bus stopped. This day however the square was closed to traffic facilitating a music event. Local info confirmed the bus would stop close-by and we should wait at a particular junction. After almost an hour in the searing heat...you guessed it, no bus. |
Finally on the bus we enjoyed the open top tour immensely and quickly left the morning's troubles behind us. We now only had time for one stop however and we opted for Little India. From the bus stop in Brickfields the main street stretches out in front, running from a large elephant style fountain (a symbol for overcoming one's obstacles) past shops selling beautifully coloured fabrics, Indian clothes & jewellery, vegetable stands and vast welcoming eateries. There is also a series of yellow arches with pink tinge along the footpath which really lifts the area and gives it a vibrant and exciting feel. Herself was like a spritely hare out of the traps, immediately hitting the shops with gusto. The Indian culture is displayed most prominently through female fashion and most of the shops only sold items for women. We looked at over-priced saris, bindi make-up, delicate embellished pumps and arrays of rings, piercings and necklaces. |