Most of us Singaporeans are familiar with Kuala Lumpur (KL), but do you know where to go for authentic Malaysian cuisine besides Jalan Alor? The rule of thumb is always to ask for recommendations from the locals, so before I popped by a few weekends ago, I spoke to my Malaysian friend. One of the restaurants that she recommended was Restoran Rebung by internationally renowned Dato’ Chef Ismail.
Lady luck must have been shining on me because the lovely team from Gaya Travel and Ministry of Tourism & Culture Malaysia already had it all planned!
We were personally greeted by the affable Dato’ Chef Ismail who gave us a thorough explanation of all the dishes we had to try (and also gamely posed for the camera with a huge pot of dodol!). You can choose between the ala carte menu or the buffet, but if you want a taste of authentic Malay cuisine in its full glory, I would highly recommend the buffet.
As a Singaporean, most of us are no stranger to delicious Malay food, but believe me, dining at Restoran Rebung is an eye-opening experience, and a very memorable one at that.
We were spoilt for choice with the endless selection of savoury curries and delicacies such as nasi lemak, assam laksa and roti jala. Plus, who could forget the wonderful dessert spread that ended our meal on a sweet note? At a pocket-friendly price of just RM75++ per pax, you can eat to your heart’s delight without worrying about bursting your budget (well, do beware of bursting seams though).
Restoran Rebung
Address:
5-2, Aras 5, Parkir Bertingkat Bukit Aman
No. 1 Jalan Tanglin
Taman Botani Perdana
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours:
Mon – Sun 7am – 10pm
Take a walk down memory lane at Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room, a restaurant that has been serving colonial heritage Hainanese cuisine since 1921. Much of Coliseum’s interior remains reminiscent of the colonial days and evokes a nostalgic feel. Coliseum Cafe and the beautiful building that it is housed in are gems, especially in this day and age when old buildings are torn down at lightning speed to make way for new ones.
When it comes to Hainanese cuisine, Hainanese pork chop is one dish that you can’t miss out on. All it took was one bite into the crispy crust that enveloped the succulent meat within for me to fall in love with Coliseum’s version of Hainanese pork chop. Popular among both Malaysians and tourists alike, Coliseum is a must-visit for those of us who fancy comfort food, photography enthusiasts and history buffs.
Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room
Main Branch:
98-100 & 102 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
50100 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Tel: +603 2692 6270
Fax: +603 2693 4635
Manager: Vivian (013-334 3159)
3. Street Food at Jalan Masjid Night Market
I don’t know about you, but I love night markets (also known as pasar malams) in Malaysia, especially in KL. I visited the pasar malam along Jalan Masjid recently as part of the KL Heritage Night Walk. The street food is amazing, you get to savour old school snacks and the stalls open till late.
I was completely bowled over by the delicious pancakes that were pan-fried to perfection. It left a lasting impression as I haven’t had anything quite like this in Singapore. Now you know where to head to the next time your stomach growls way past dinner time!
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Have you tried these places? If there’re any other food haunts that you would recommend, leave a comment or drop me an e-mail!
**This post was brought to you in collaboration with Gaya Travel and Ministry of Tourism & Culture Malaysia.**
