City hitlist
Beyond the malls of Kuala Lumpur lie a flourishing coffee scene and charming neighbourhoods.
Beyond Kuala Lumpur’s shopping malls, Lara Dunston finds a flourishing third-wave coffee scene, tailored food tours and charming neighbourhoods.
STAY
Villa Samadhi
Clad in thatched grass, salvaged timber and styled in earthy tones, Villa Samadhi is the perfect antidote for travellers with an aversion to the skyscrapers that house most KL hotels. Concealed by towering bamboo, this boutique hotel is only 10 minutes’ drive from the central shopping district of Bukit Bintang, yet feels as relaxed as a Langkawi resort. The pick of the 21 rooms that wrap around the lagoon pool is The Loft, with an attic bedroom, plunge pool and views of the neighbourhood. 8 Persiaran Madge, villasamadhi.com.my
The Majestic Hotel
Built in 1932 and ideally located for exploring colonial-era KL, The Majestic retains its heritage in the original Majestic Wing – book The Straits Room, with timber floors, Art Deco furnishings and claw-foot bathtub – and has a Tower Wing extension with 253 modern rooms. 5 Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, majestickl.com
SEE
Brickfields is KL’s Little India, home to Hindu temples, shrines and the city’s oldest ashram. It’s peppered with sari shops, yoga studios, Bollywood music stores and beauty salons such as Vanni’s (233a Jalan Tun Sambanthan), which specialises in mehndi henna designs on feet and hands, and “banana-leaf rice” restaurants, where Indian thalis are served on banana leaves and eaten with fingers. Brickfields’ best breakfast is roti banjir, roti canai topped with curry, dhal, sambal and two soft eggs; try it at Mansion Tea Stall (Selangor Mansion, 2 Lorong Bunus Satu, off Jalan Masjid
India). And don’t miss Hundred Quarters (Jalan Chan Ah Tong), a row of 1920s buildings, scheduled for demolition. Learn how to make char siu bao, steamed roast-pork buns, from one of the last traditional bao makers in KL and try specialties such as laksa, char kway teow, Indian roti, and teh tarik (pulled tea) on a four-hour Kuala Lumpur Street Food Tour with Malaysian guide Pauline Lee, of Simply Enak. Lee also hosts a Flavours of Malaysia Tour, giving guests a taste of murtabak, pan mee, satay, and roti canai in out-of-the-way neighbourhoods such as Chow Kit. simplyenak.com
DRINK
KL’s third-wave coffee movement has blossomed in recent years, especially in hip Bangsar village, in the former Art Printing Works (APW) in the Telawi district. Cold-brew coffee is popular at Pulp, owned by Singaporean coffee specialist Papa Palheta. Opposite Pulp is whitetiled Breakfast Thieves, opened last year by three young Malaysians as a sister to Melbourne’s Fitzroy café of the same name; order Australianstyle breakfasts with
Asian touches, such as eggs Benedict with braised beef cheeks and yuzu hollandaise. Its coffee of choice is magic, a double ristretto topped with steamed milk. APW also houses Agak Agak, a modern Malaysian training restaurant for disadvantaged young people, 52 Barbers for beard trims, and Case Study for creative botanical-based cocktails. APW, 29 Jalan Riong, Bangsar. apw.my