KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 – If you ask me what’s a good neighbourhood for all-day eating, one of the first to pop in my mind might well be Bandar Baru Sri Petaling in KL.
While the heavy traffic and challenge of looking for parking can be off-putting for some, I think this is just a testament to how many fantastic eateries there are in one compact area.
Let us begin with breakfast, which is often my lightest meal of the day.
Typically I just want some carbs, protein and a good hit of caffeine. Instead of a kopitiam though, head to Restoran Clan, a dim sum shop that is a landmark here.
Residents flock here to satisfy their dim sum cravings.
Rather than binge on innumerable saucers of different dumplings and fried pastries, however, I prefer to focus on just one item: their signature gai wo bao (which, in Cantonese, literally translates to “chicken nest bun”).
It’s a hefty meal, with its fluffy and ringed exterior made from steamed white dough and a generous filling of glutinous rice doused in savoury gravy, chicken, pork, mushrooms and a smidgen of salted egg yolk.
One, I guarantee you, is more than enough. (Especially since you need to save space for all the remaining meals to come!)
For lunch, we join the line that forms well before noon outside Menya Hanabi.
Nagoya Mazesoba DX (left) and Toroniku Nagoya Mazesoba (right) at Menya Hanabi. — Picture by CK Lim
When the ramen shop finally opens at midday, customers are energetically greeted by staff before being handed menus.
These aren’t really necessary for regulars, who typically either order the Nagoya Mazesoba DX (almost always with an extra order of cheese to melt luxuriously into the noodles) or the Toroniku Nagoya Mazesoba which features thick chunks of braised pork cheeks.
The way to eat mazesoba is to enjoy it in stages: first taste the noodles on their own; then mix all the toppings together with the noodles; and finally, when you’ve eaten half the noodles, add some condiments such as shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-flavour spice) and homemade kelp vinegar.
Need a little mid-afternoon pick-me-up after the deliciously greasy noodles?
Drop by Minus Plus Coffee back along Jalan Radin Anum 1 (this street is a strong candidate for the most happening part of Sri Petaling).
There are many cafés in the neighbourhood, offering anything from championship level latte art to pour over brews with single origin coffee beans.
They also can get really crowded, thanks to their popularity.
Hojicha Choux, Sea Salt Genmaicha Latte and Latte at Minus Plus Coffee. — Picture by CK Lim
I find Minus Plus Coffee to be a quieter spot, where calmness reigns.
The staff will carefully introduce the items on their menu to you and it’s quite lovely for a leisurely teatime natter.
The shop offers both espresso and matcha based drinks; the Sea Salt Genmaicha Latte is a standout.
Freshly baked choux pastries are available too, in three flavours: Custard, Chocolate and Hojicha.
Time for dinner. A favourite of ours is Thai Chala along Jalan Radin Tengah (opposite the Pinnacle Mall).
The restaurant was started by a Thai chef, thereby guaranteeing authenticity in their menu.
You can’t go wrong with popular dishes such as pad krapao moo sap (rice with stir-fried holy basil with minced pork), khanom chin rice noodles with green curry chicken, Hatyai fried chicken and khai jiao (a fluffy and extra crispy Thai-style omelette).
These days we keep returning for Thai Chala’s kao kha moo (stewed pork leg rice, served with pickled Chinese mustard greens, a hard boiled egg and blanched kailan) and larb moo, an Isan salad of minced pork seasoned with khao khua (toasted rice powder) and fresh mint leaves.
‘Kao kha moo’ (left) and ‘larb moo’ (right) at Thai Chala. —cPicture by CK Lim
It’s the real deal.
Perhaps you’re hankering for another bite after dinner, just something to bring the evening to a close.
Head to Restoran Fa Cai, less than five minutes walk away and just around the corner from the Pinnacle Mall.
There are numerous food stalls at Restoran Fa Cai but the one you’d be trying out is the resident satay stall.
You can almost smell the smoky aroma of the charcoal being used to grill the skewers of meat from half a block away (which is a draw, really).
Here they offer three types of tender grilled meat – beef, chicken or lamb. My advice would be to get a satay trio, with at least two sticks per type of meat.
Variety is the flavour of life, after all.
At this point most of us would be returning home to slumber.
For some of us late night owls however, we might hanker for supper, particularly after a visit to a nearby bar or pub.
Satay trio (beef, chicken and lamb) at Restoran Fa Cai. — Picture by CK Lim
Where to go though, once it’s past midnight?
The answer might surprise you: Return to Restoran Clan for their dim sum, which continues to be served piping throughout the wee hours of night.
In fact, the dim sum shop only closes for four hours every day, between 3pm and 7pm.
If you were conservative with your order sheet in the morning, now’s the hour to be more extravagant.
From must-orders like har gow and siu mai to personal favourites such as wu gok (fried taro croquette) and phoenix claws (braised chicken feet), this is a midnight feast to relish.
At least till dawn breaks and it’s time for another day of eating!
Return to Restoran Clan for their dim sum in the wee hours of night. — Picture by CK Lim
Restoran Clan大家城点心茶楼
140, Jalan Radin Anum 1,
Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, KL
Open daily 12am-3pm, 7pm-12am
Phone: 019-326 8747
Menya Hanabi麺屋はなび
No 16, Jalan Radin Bagus 6,
Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, KL
Open daily 12pm-9:45pm
Phone: 03-2858 1392
Web: https://menyahanabi.com.my/
Minus Plus Coffee
82-B, Jalan Radin Anum 1,
Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, KL
Open Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat-Sun 9am-7pm
Phone: 010-362 6488
IG: https://www.instagram.com/minuspluscoffee.my/
Thai Chala
15, Jalan Radin Tengah,
Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, KL
Open daily 11:30am-10:30pm
Phone: 017-218 5992
FB: https://www.facebook.com/thaichala/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/thaichala/
Satay stall at Restoran Fa Cai
46, Jalan Radin Anum 1,
Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, KL
Open daily 5:30pm-11:30pm
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meals.
*Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
