Where to eat?
CHINESE

HEUN KEE CLAYPOT CHICKEN RICE, No.59, Ground Floor, Jalan Yew, Pudu, KL. (Tel: 03-9200 1603). Business hours: 11am-9pm (Fri-Wed). Non-halal. Nearby the Pudu Wet Market lies this eatery that has made a name for itself over the past 30 years. The owner uses a two-way heating system by cooking the rice in a claypot and placing more hot coals on the lid to help lock in moisture and the chicken’s flavours. A secret marinade sauce is also used for the chicken pieces.

LOI FATT RESTAURANT, No.168, Jalan 7, 9th Mile, Cheras New Village, Kajang. (Tel: 016-677 9519). Business hours: 11.30am- 3pm; 5.30pm-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 11.30am-10pm (Sat-Sun). Non-halal. The family-run eatery keeps to traditional recipes and uses only premium quality seafood. Recommendations include jumbo river prawns cooked in two styles, wild snakehead fish soup, sweet and sour crab, signature beancurd and Hakka deep-fried pork.

SEAFOOD

OVERSEA SEAFOOD KL, TREC Kuala Lumpur, No.436, Jalan Tun Razak, Kelab Golf di Raja Selangor, KL. (Tel: 010-303 2200). Business hours: 11.30am- 3pm, 6pm-10pm, daily. Pork-free. Experience a modern seafood meal where innovation meets contemporary elegance. Redefining the seafood dining experience with a tank-to-table concept, fresh seafood gets delivered via an innovative conveyor belt from the tanks directly to the kitchen. The seafood menu is extensive, ranging from expensive fish to huge tiger prawns, oysters, lobsters and abalone. For those not big on seafood, there’s a diverse selection of meats available too.

INDIAN

MEAT THE PORKERS, No.9M, Jalan Medan Setia 1, Bukit Damansara, KL. (Tel: 019-987 1945). Business hours: 12pm- 2.30pm, 5.30pm- 9.30pm (Wed-Mon). Closed on Tuesdays. Non-halal. Dubbed the Asian porky Indian restaurant, it serves classic Indian favourites and small plates of Indian starters, tapas style. Specialities include Siew Yoke Briyani, Tandoori Pork Ribs, Bacon Cheese Naan, Pork Varuval and Pork Vindaloo as well as South Indian favourites such as Butter Chicken and Palak Paneer.

MALGUDI CLASSIC INDIAN CUISINE, No.17, Lorong Universiti C, Section 16, PJ. (Tel: 03-7932 3599). Business hours: 11.30am- 10.30pm, daily. Mondays closed. Pork-free. Dedicated to the imaginative and creative cuisine of southern and northern Indian cuisines, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options available. Touted to serve one of the best briyanis in the Klang Valley.

JAPANESE

KURIYA, T2, 3rd Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Jalan Maarof, Taman Bukit Bandaraya, KL. (Tel: 018-236 0188). Business hours: 11.30am- 3pm, 6pm-9pm (Mon-Thurs), 11.30am-3pm, 5.30pm-9.30pm (Fri-Sun). Kuriya means “aristocratic kitchen” in Japanese and the restaurant offers a memorable Japanese dining experience with a wide range of special and authentic dishes. The menu also features seasonal ingredients air-flown from various parts of Japan. Seafood is flown in directly from Tokyo and Kyushu fish markets.

HYOTAN JAPANESE RESTAURANT, No.63, Jalan SS15/5A, Subang Jaya. (Tel: 03-5613 0358). Business hours: 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10pm, daily. Pork-free. The restaurant is one of the few in Subang Jaya that claims to provide diners an authentic Japanese experience. It is run by the Watanabe family and family head Shuzo himself leads the kitchen. There’s delicious Japanese hotpot, exquisite dishes and super fresh sashimi.

KOREAN

THE CHOI’S, The Hub, Jalan 17/47, Section 19, PJ. Business hours: 11.30am-10.30pm, daily. Pork-free, with award-winning chef Choi Myeong Hun showcasing genuine flavours from his hometown Busan, keeping to the Korean palette and offering authentic flavours. Besides favourites like spicy grilled chicken and chicken tangsuyuk, there’s Korean mainstay dishes such as beef doenjang, seafood jjamppong and kimchi jiggae.

THAI

AROI MAK MAK, No.1, Jalan 17/45, PJ. (Tel: 011-1887 8870). Business hours: 11.30am- 2.30pm, 5.30pm-9pm daily. Closed on Mondays. Non-halal. Dishes are made from scratch, right from the various pastes such as tom yam, green curry, red curry and even Thai dipping sauces. Signature dishes include Pomelo Salad, Tom Yam Pork Ribs and Pineapple Curry Chicken.

KIN RAI DEE, No.173A, Jalan Aminuddin Baki, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, KL. (Tel: 012-261 8510). Business hours: 12pm- 2pm, 6pm-11pm daily. Closed on Tuesdays. The name means “don’t know what to eat” in Thai, and it offers the solution by featuring a slew of specialties ranging from cockle and salmon salads to crispy fried chicken tendons, raw shrimp in Thai Spicy Seafood sauce and crab meat omelette, among others. Cooking style is Isan Thai, which means you can expect fiery dishes, so be prepared to cry unless you tell the chef to tone it down.

NYONYA

BIG BABA RESTAURANT, No.34, Ground Floor, Jalan 2/109E, Desa Business Park, Taman Desa, KL. (Tel: 03-7987 7755). Business hours: 11am-3pm, 5.30pm-9pm (Tues-Sun). Pork-free. The idea behind setting up the Perakanan restaurant was to ensure Peranakan food would be around for future generations. Signature dishes include Kari Ayam Keluak, Ayam Pong Teh, Udang Lemak Nenas, Peranakan otak-otak and ju hu char. For dessert, try the bubur cha-cha and cendol, with brown sugar served on the side.

SRI NYONYA RESTAURANT, No.14, Jalan 22/49, PJ. (Tel: 03-7875 1031). Business hours: 12pm- 2.30pm, 6pm-9.30pm (Tues-Sun). Closed on Mondays. Pork-free. Family recipes like the Sri Nyonya Fried Chicken and perut ikan span four generations.

ITALIAN

VIA PRE KL ITALIAN, No.25, Lorong Setiabistari 2, Bukit Damansara, KL. (03-2011 2003). Business Hours: 11.30pm- 3.30pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm (Tues-Thurs), 11.30am- 3.30pm, 5.30pm-11pm (Fri-Sun). Closed on Mondays. A charming diner with alfresco dining on the patio just at the edge of KL city centre, the restaurant offers authentic Italian fare ranging from antipasto and pizzas to handmade pasta like gnochi, hearty main courses such as fish steak and tempting desserts, besides a good wine selection.

PORTO ROMANO, Mont Kiara Banyan, No.28, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, KL. (Tel: 03-6207 8171 – Mont Kiara, 03-7710 0509 – TTDI, 03-2162 6799 – The Intermark). Business hours: 11am-11pm, daily. Pork-free. The restaurant has something in store for each member of the family, be it pizzas, pastas, hearty main courses or light starters and desserts. Some of the dishes to look out for include Moussaka, Grilled Vegetables, Stuffed Mussels, Seafood Soup and Braised Oxtail Roman Style.

SPANISH

EL CERDO, No.43&45, Changkat Bukit Bintang, KL. (Tel: 013-309 4197 – Bukit Bintang, 012-322 0654 – TTDI). Business hours: 6pm-12am, daily. Non-halal. This restaurant is known for its Roasted Suckling Pig, Crispy Pork Knuckle, Grilled Pork Shoulder Steak, Mountain Paella, Oven-Roasted Iberico Spare Ribs, and Spanish Whole Roasted Baby Lamb Leg. Most of the food here is meant for sharing. MERCAT BARCELONA GASTROBAR @1 Mont Kiara, 1 Mont’ Kiara, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, KL. (Tel: 03-6211 7969). Business hours: 11am-12am daily. One of KL’s most authentic spots for Spanish food, Mercat offers a chance for a Catalan feast and some Spanish delicatessen shopping as well. Aside from the perennial favourite Artisanal Meat Platter, Mercat’s menu spans from Spanish octopus “a feira” style to Basque Txogitxu ribeye beef, Spanish suckling lamb shoulder and Catalan-inflected organic spring chicken stew.

WESTERN

THE CHARCOAL GRILL, No.62G, Jalan SS21/58, Damansara Utama, PJ. (Tel: 011-2631 3135). Business hours: 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10pm (Tues-Sun), Closed on Mondays. Non-halal. Neighbourhood grill venue offering smoky meats grilled over the best charcoal. Besides cooking up a carnivorous storm with signature chops of chicken, pork and lamb, look for unusual permutations such as Pecan & Walnut Parmesan Crusted Salmon, Thai Spice Pork Chop and spiced Chicken Chop.

STOKED RESTAURANT AND BAR, No.120, Jalan Kasah, Medan Damansara, KL. (Tel: 03-2096 1645). Business hours: Noon-2.30pm, 5.30pm-11pm (Tues-Sun). Closed on Mondays. Non-halal. Central to the cooking of many of Stoked’s dishes is the Bertha charcoal oven, which is fuelled by a combination of charcoal and firewood. Grilled meats take centre stage in its menu with offerings such as chilled prime cuts of steaks and off-cuts. A selection of pork ribs is also available.
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