KUALA LUMPUR

KL’s contemporary cosmopolitan appeal is rooted in its rich heritage, cultural diversity and multi-ethnic cuisine. Travel writer Jenny Hewett tests the city’s top bites and sights.

8AM ROTI ROYALTY

Head to roti canai institution Tg’s Nasi

Kandar (3 Tengkat Tong Shin, Bukit Bintang) to sample Malaysia’s breakfast of champs. Fried and flaky outside, soft and doughy inside, dip it in dhal curry sauce and wash it down with teh tarik (condensed milk tea).

9AM HISTORY ON SHOW

Head to Brickfields on the first and third Saturday of the month and join a free Little

India heritage walk from the YMCA (95 Jalan Padang Belia). See Hindu temples, a devotional flower market, art galleries, pre-war shophouses and more.

1pm UNDERCOVER EATS

KL’s most iconic hawker stalls are now under one roof at Lot 10 Hutong (Bukit Bintang). Make for Penang Famous Char Koay Teow for a version of the Malaysian noodle dish.

3PM AFTERNOON DELIGHTS

Stop for soft-serve green tea ice cream, craft beer flights and sake sampling in the basement of Isetan The Japan Store (Lot 10, 50 Jalan Sultan Ismail). This slick store stocks everything from Harajuku fashion to kimono-fabric clutches.

6.30PM HAPPY HOUR ON HIGH

Kick back with tapas and boozy cocktails at South American-themed Fuego in the heart of the city (Level 23a, Tower B, The Troika). From an outdoor terrace 23 floors high, enjoy sunset vistas, chunky pickled prawn guacamole and Peruvian pisco sours.

8PM TASTE TESTER

Some of KL’s most inventive bites are at

Babe in Damansara Heights (11th Floor, Work@Clearwater), where Michelin-starred chef Jeff Ramsey serves a 12-course modern Japanese tapas menu of dishes such as ‘caesar salad’ capsules and clam miso soup.

10.30PM SPEAK-EASY DOES IT

Track down the concealed (and tiny) speak-easy Omakase + Appreciate (Jalan Ampang, Bangunan Ming Annexe), where the award-winning mixologists shake martinis and Negronis into masterpieces.

MIDNIGHT LATE GREATS

The night is not complete without a feast at famed hawker street Jalan Alor (Bukit Bintang). Try chilli crab at Restoran Meng Kee Grill Fish, satay at Fat Brother Lok-Lok and the crowd favourite, sticky, barbecued chicken wings, at Wong Ah Wah.