Travel Diary Kuala Lumpur – Chinatown (Part 2)

Chinatown

Every time I travel to Malaysia, I need to run some errands on arrival – get myself a local sim card, buy some Malaysian currency, and hunt down and stock up on mango lassi (the only thing baby Noah will drink and his main source of sustenance since he doesn’t eat very much). Because of my late arrival last night I didn’t get the chance to get these out of the way so they’re on the agenda first thing today.

The local sim cards I buy are automatically de-activated after a month of inactivity (ie. when I go back to Sydney) which is why they need replacing every time I come back. There’s debate about which service provider is best, and this time I’m using a Digi (well, because my helpful tour guide decided to pick one up for me without my knowledge last night during dinner – but as there’s barely any credit on it – RM5 – I still have to go back to the store to add some, including for data).

First up though – breakfast in the alleyways of Chinatown.

Chinatown food stall

You’ll find when you travel to Malaysia (and I’ve since discovered – Thailand) that everything opens late – not so the street stalls in Chinatown, where a good crowd is already out and about for breakfast and grocery shopping.

21st century hawker in Chinatown with boom box…
Posted by Jackie M. on Monday, June 15, 2015

Chinatown in the morning

I have had an aversion to pork since I was a little kid – I used to have to hold my nose when accompanying my mom to the butcher and I feel sick every time I see pictures of belly pork shares (food bloggers seem to like belly pork) in my social media feed. A Chinese that doesn’t eat pork confuses my fellow Chinese every single time and my own family used to joke that I was probably switched at birth at the hospital and am in fact Malay. Looking for pork-free dishes in Chinatown is my challenge this morning.

Yong Tau Foo

I come across a Yong Tau Foo (tofu/vegetables stuffed with fish paste) stall and ask the seller in Cantonese if they’re pork free. Fulfilling the stereotype of the cranky hawker, the man gives me a glare and does not respond.

Yong Tau Foo stall with cranky hawker on the right

His assistant is more helpful and points out the pork-free options, which I happily order.

My Yong Tau Foo breakfast. Sauces at the background are hoisin-based and chilli.

My view at breakfast in Chinatown –

My Chinatown breakfast view

Other sights I came across in Chinatown – this stall selling “Old Style Burger” – which is a burger with chicken floss and “bakkwa” filling –

Old Style Burger in Chinatown

And this – a stall that sells nothing but durian – durian pancakes, durian popiah, durian cendol and durian crepe. As I always say, you can’t go wrong with durian.