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dinner in KL.

i have just returned from a rather whirlwind trip to kuala lumpur; or, rather, have just almost recovered from return--spent all of saturday from dawn to pre-dawn sunday in transit. as i was there for a conference, i didn't really have time to explore KL properly, nor did i get to try all the food that i wanted, but not for lack of trying.


ct garden nasi lemak

i did get to meet with the fabulous boo_licious and her equally fabulous boo_liciousman on my first proper night there, but unfortunately the trials of travel, weak appetite, and the suprisingly effective words of paul mckenna made me lackluster company. i hope to one day return in better form and as a better guest. miss boo so kindly took me out of the touristy pocket i was trapped in for most of my stay, and into kampung baru, the oldest residential area in kl, a historically preserved area where modern development is strictly regulated. we went to CT Garden (CT Roses) for my first taste of nasi lemak. nasi lemak translates to 'rice in cream': white long grained rice cooked with rich coconut milk, which is scooped out, topped with sambal and a quarter of a hard boiled egg, then wrapped in banana leaf. it is eaten as is, or with any number of side dishes. it is a cheap, filling breakfast staple--but can be found throughout the day and is especially popular as post-club grub--and is said to be the (unofficial) national dish of malaysia.

i let miss boo pick out the accompanying dishes, which were chicken livers and cow's lung (paru) marinated in soy sauce, lemongrass, and chilis then grilled, brown squid (dried cuttlefish which has been rehydrated) sautéed in a chili sauce, fried tempeh with ikan bilis and peanuts, fried chicken, and otak-otak, a blend of fish and chili paste grilled in a palm leaf. everything was very tasty and fresh, and i particularly enjoyed the otak-otak, which had the consistency of a firm mousse, and although made from mackerel and liberally spiced, was not overly assertive in any one flavour. also, the fried tempeh might be my favourite preparation of this soybean product, both complex in flavour and crunchiness.

but truly the standouts for me were the lovely company, and the view of the sultan sulaiman sports club, and the petronas towers beyond.

view

seriously, it's an advertiser's dream. nasi lemak: 60 sens, grilled cow's lung: RM 2, view from the outdoor dining area: priceless.

*

KL in reality sort of daft punk'd any idea i had of it, but i don't think i even barely scratched the surface. i've been gone for just over 24 hours and already itching to return. jumpa lagi, KL, next time i'll be better prepared for you....


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special thanks to MamaBok for facilitating the boo_licious/banana meetup. terima kasi!


12 comments:

S,

I'm glad you had a nice time in KL and got to meet Boo_licious. Whenever I return home, I miss nasi lemak first, then all of the other dishes I so enjoy.

*sigh*

hi reid! the first thing i wanted was curry laksa :( then mangosteen, rambutan, and sugar cane juice with lemon. wah wah wah!!! but have a jar of kaya, some wax meat and chicken floss, so i'll make do for awhile....

Welcome back! Too bad it was so rushed, but sounds like you fit in a nice visit and good meal... I'd never heard of the Petronas towers before, but they're beautiful - they look like crystal!

hi cathy! i thought i had nearly a week but i forgot about all the travel time :P bleah. petronas towers are pretty amazing, they're clad in stainless steel, aluminum and glass--shiny! this page has some pretty good facts about it. i saw a documentary about it when it was first built, but nothing prepared me for the sheer scale of it...and the 8 million sq feet of shopping below! :)

oh the coconut rice looks so delicious and tasty, makes me want to go for a visit too!

hello foodhoe! how are you? i urge anyone interested in going to singapore or the philippines to pay a visit to malaysia. or any foodcentric person, really :)

Welcome back..Santos..! i'm glad you all met up. :) and you were in good hands.. i was happy.. and relieve.. and i trusted .. Boo..and Jackson..and WMW .. to take good care of you .. while you are around our area.. :) I wished i could be there too.. but i'll have to wait another year.. or so.. before returning home for a visit.

This is what happens whenever I visit your blog - my stomach starts to rumble and me and my bagel feel deprived. That nasi lemak is making me crazy! Welcome back!

mamabok! i didn't get to meet jackson or wmw...this time! hopefully i'll return. i only saw a little bit of KL but it was amazing.

republic of candy, hallooo! and thanks, it's good to be back, even though i'm trying to schedule another trip somewhere....

Your pictures are gorgeous.

thanks, cupcake lady!

Nice meeting up with u santos! Great to meet the person behind those fantastic creations. Come and visit, anytime. Will take u around to all those clubs. Reid....when are u coming?