Categories
Malaysia

Chocha Foodstore, Kuala Lumpur: Incredible Modern Asian Food

Located in a newly gentrified area of Chinatown in a shop which not long ago was the bedroom for homeless people, Chocha Foodstore is the very epitomy of modern Chinatown.

The building is a stunner. An old shophouse with original tiles throughout and even much of the original paintwork. This combined with an architect’s eye transforms this once rundown shop into one of the trendiest cafes in Malaysia.In Front Chocha FoodstoreWe ordered the Biang Biang Inspired Noodles, Duck Confit Rice Bowl and a couple of drinks. We loved it all.Duck Confit Biang Biang NoodlesThe Biang Biang Noodles were thick & wide sheets of pasta topped with crushed peanuts and chilli oil. For me, the noodles were slightly too thick and wide, but you do sort of need something big for all the saucy goodness to rest on.

The duck confit was great and the mix of barley and rice was enjoyable. The asian style salad was a beauty and its sharpness cut through the fattiness of the duck just perfectly.Drinks Chocha FoodstoreThe drinks were a fermented ginger drink and a sour plum thing. Both were delightful and something quite different from typical cafe drinks.Patio ChochaOne thing to note is that coffee is not available here. And usually for me that’s a cardinal sin. But I agree with the owners that coffee just doesn’t fit in this cafe. And that’s kind of refreshing.Inside Chocha FoodstoreInternet here is very fast at 30mbps down and 20mbps up and there is plenty of space for opening a laptop if you need to get a few bits and pieces done.

Lastly, we need to talk about price. I’ve read a few reviews saying this place is over priced. This place is expensive by Malaysian standards, but it’s definitely not overpriced. You get handmade noodles, house made drinks from fresh ingredients and perhaps the best looking cafe in Malaysia. For that, you have to pay above average prices. And here you do. But the prices are so reasonable by world standards that it’s just not worth commenting on.Chocha Foodstore Kuala LumpurIf you’ve got no cash, don’t come here.

Love this place.

Chocha Foodstore
156 Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur
Instagram: @chochafoodstore
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 23:00 (closed Monday)
Biang Biang Noodles: Rm18
Duck Confit Rice Bowl: Rm26
Ginger & Sour Plum Drinks: Rm18 each

Categories
Malaysia

Lokl Coffee Co., Kuala Lumpur: Modern Cafe with Good Food

I remember when Lokl was being built when I was staying at BackHome Hostel which is next door. That was about 5 years ago now and it’s still going strong today.

I recently had breakfast here while staying at Big M Hotel (highly recommended) and it was really good.

I ordered a cappuccino which had great flavour and had beautifully silky milk on top. A really good cappuccino.

I also ordered a granola bowl. And let’s just say it took way too long to arrive at the table. Over half an hour. But when it did arrive, I was very pleased.Lokl Coffee Kuala Lumpur GranolaThe cafe itself has a great fitout and is frequented mainly by foreigners. I’m not sure why. Maybe because it’s next door to the hostel or maybe just because it’s the best cafe in the area. Whatever the case, don’t expect to see many (any) Malaysian faces.

This also seems to be an excellent place to work with the odd power point and nice tables. But when I was there, the wifi was dead. Not working even a single bit. Which is sad because when I last stayed at BackHome Hostel about 4 years ago, their wifi was great and it’s the BackHome wifi which you’re trying to plug into.

This is a great little cafe, but the two things that really bugged me were how long that granola took to arrive (30min!!!) and the wifi not working. Still, worth a visit for the coffee.

Lokl Coffee Co.
30, Jalan Tun H S Lee, Kuala Lumpur
+60 3 2072 1188
Instagram: @loklcoffee
Opening Hours: 08:00 – 18:00
Granola: RM20
Cappuccino: RM12

Categories
Malaysia

Big M Hotel, Masjid Jamek: My Favourite Budget Hotel in Kuala Lumpur

I had high hopes for Big M Hotel because of all the good reviews I had read. And as it turns out, Big M really did live up to expectations.

The hotel is a tall, slim thing sandwiched next to McDonalds near Masjid Jamek. From the outside it’s easy to miss, but once inside, the skinniness of the place isn’t really that noticeable.Big M Hotel Kuala Lumpur BedThis is one of those hotels that asks for a RM50 deposit on arrival and the person at the counter couldn’t speak English so was asking the security guard to translate.

The rooms are small, but bigger than any other hotel I’ve been in in Kuala Lumpur at this price. It’s an extremely modern room which is also unusual for Kuala Lumpur at this price. So the combination of price, modernity and size really is fantastic.Big M Hotel Kuala Lumpur BathroomRooms come equipped with small flat screen TVs, but the channels aren’t good. The wifi took me ages to get working on my iPhone, but once it started working, it was fast and didn’t disconnect me once. I clocked it at 20mbps down and 15mbps up.

The room also comes with a safe, truly icy cold air conditioning, a place to hang your clothes, coffee making facilities and a modern bathroom.Big M Hotel Kuala Lumpur InsideThere’s a rooftop area which is great for hanging out in and it has a great view of the nearby Masjid Jamek.

I think this is the best value budget hotel I’ve stayed in in Kuala Lumpur and I think it’s going to be hard to beat at this price. Mainly because other hotels at this price have a much more budget feel to them.

Check the current price on booking.com here.

Big M Hotel
38, Jalan Tun Perak, Kuala Lumpur
Standard (w/o window): US$23.50
Superior (w/o window): US$25.50
Superior (w/ window): US$27

Categories
Malaysia

Review: VCR Cafe — Is This The Best Cafe in Kuala Lumpur?

I’ve been visiting cafes in Kuala Lumpur for as long as I can remember and to be honest, they’ve largely been mediocre. Crass copies of things that were going on in Australia a decade earlier — they felt old and nasty.

But I really should have been coming to this place all along because it’s now my favourite cafe in Kuala Lumpur. I might even go so far as to say it’s the best cafe in Kuala Lumpur. It’s been around a few years now and I just never got around to trying it.VCR Best Cafe in Kuala LumpurLocated on a small road off Jalan Pudu, VCR is in an inconvenient and odd location. You have to go out of your way to visit it. And that’s why it wasn’t that busy when I visited. I mean, most tables were filled, but there was no waiting list or anything. And I’d kind of expect a waiting list at a place this good.

To get here, your best bet is to get off the monorail or train at Hang Tuah and then walking a couple of hundred metres or so.Coffee at VCR Cafe Kuala LumpurThe coffees I had here were excellent (RM11). Silky smooth milk, a strong coffee flavour, great temperature.

I also had a bowl of granola with yoghurt, milk and fruit which was awesome (RM19). A little small for my liking, but actually a really good size for a normal meal. I probably just usually overeat when at cafes.Breakfast Granola at VCR Kuala LumpurThe fitout is a good one with plenty of tables for singles and couples meaning you can easily set up a laptop here without feeling guilty. And the wifi is good!

I’m a big fan of VCR and I think most people will be too. Highly recommended if you’re into coffee and are in KL.

VCR
2 Jalan Galloway, Kuala Lumpur
+60 3 2110 2330
Opening Hours: 08:30 – 23:00
Coffee: RM11
Granola: RM19

Categories
Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur – overview

The vibrant city of Kuala Lumpur is one of the most popular destinations in the whole of Malaysia. People travel here from all over the world to browse for bargains in the city’s many malls and markets, dine on delicious cuisine and discover the city’s enchanting attractions. Firstly, if you’re looking for cheap flights click here for cheap flights to Malaysia JetAbroad.com.au and to view some of the exciting options that await you when you visit Malaysia.

Kuala Lumpur -- vibrant metropolis
Kuala Lumpur — vibrant metropolis

KL Tower

Riding to the top of KL Tower is the perfect way to get a feel for this dynamic city. Visitors can take an elevator to the panoramic observation pod, where they will be treated to stunning views of the entire city and the surrounding area. Visitors are handed headsets that explain all of the attractions that can be seen from each of the windows in the pod, which makes it easy to plan what you want to see while spending time in Kuala Lumpur.

Petronas Towers

The Petronas Twin Towers are without a doubt the city’s most famous landmark and can be found in the Golden Triangle district. These mighty towers are connected by a sky bridge, where you can stand and gaze out at the city. Another great way to see the Petronas Towers without having to join the long queues to ride in the elevator to the observation centre is by booking a table at the elegant Skybar in the Trader’s Hotel. The Skybar features a number of cosy window table set around the edge of an enormous swimming pool. Many of these window tables look out onto the Petronas Towers, and it’s best to book a table for around 18:00 so that you can watch the sun sink behind the towers before the towers become lit by thousands of tiny twinkling lights.

Petronas Towers - worth a visit!
Petronas Towers – worth a visit!

Shopping

If you want to do a spot of shopping, you should pay a visit to the world famous Petaling Market which can be found in the Chinatown district. There are dozens of market stalls that are piled high with copies of designer gear such as bags, belts and perfume. Aside from this great market, KL also features numerous modern malls with the Pavilion being just about the best.

Old KL Architecture
Old KL Architecture

Eating

Lovers of fine dining should check out the gourmet restaurants that can be found in the more upmarket Bangsar. However, eating out in Kuala Lumpur doesn’t have to break the bank as there are plenty of cheap and cheerful places where visitors can go to sample local cuisine. There are plenty of cheap eateries to be found in the Chinatown district, which serve authentic Cantonese cuisine as well as Malay dishes.

Please tell me you want to eat these! :)
Please tell me you want to eat these! 🙂

Of course, these are just a few of the things that await visitors to Kuala Lumpur. There are a bunch of other things to see and do such as visiting the Batu Caves. So, if you’re looking for a good deal, click here for cheap flights to Malaysia JetAbroad.com.au.

Categories
Malaysia Singapore Travel

How to get from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I really had no idea how I was going to get from Singapore into Malaysia before the day of departure. Was I going to take the train or bus were the main decisions to make first of all. Secondly, is it cheaper to catch a bus to Johor Bahru (Larkin terminal) first and then change to a Malaysian bus or get a bus straight through from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur? After finding out where the bus to Johor Bahru departed from, I decided to give this option a lash!

The bus from Singapore to Johor Bahru in Malaysia, just across the border, leaves from the Queen St Bus Terminal right next to Arab St and very close to Little India. Look it up on google maps for the exact location. From here, there are a number of bus options all taking you across the border to Johor Bahru. Firstly there is the public bus 170 which picks up passengers along the way as it travels to the border. It costs $1.60, there is no space to store luggage and many people stand up for the journey. Secondly there are a few private bus companies charging $2.40. These buses also have no space for luggage, but because the buses travel half empty, you can just plonk your bags on a spare seat. These buses do not stop before reaching customs/immigration at the border.

The Border

Lemur at Singapore Zoo
The border can feel like a jungle

The border has two aspects to it. Firstly you must clear the Singapore exit requirements on the Singapore side of the causeway. Everyone exits the bus here and takes all of their luggage with them as you will not be catching the same bus on the other side. You go through the normal immigration/customs procedures and look for a bus that looks similar to the one you departed 15 minutes before.

Once on the bus, this will take you through the no man’s land to the Malaysian border post. Here you will be required to take all your luggage off the bus again, fill out an entry card and clear customs/immigration. Once you have completed this process, you head back downstairs and try and find another one of your buses. My experience was that the private buses come much less frequently on this side of the border than the public ones. Still, I only had to wait about 15 minutes for a bus to turn up to take me to the Larkin terminal. It is also possible at this point to simply walk into the centre of Johor Bahru if you want to spend the night there.

Larkin Terminal


At the Larkin terminal in Johor Bahru there are buses to all over Malaysia. Everywhere. And the buses are cheap. My 4 hour bus journey to Kuala Lumpur cost just Rm31 — less than $10. There are a range of food stalls here and a market so you can get a cheap bite to eat without any problem. Buses to KL leave 6 times every hour with a range of companies. One piece of advice: don’t purchase a ticket from a tout as they are notorious scammers. Just head to a window and buy a ticket. Transnational have a good reputation, but cost a little more than the rest. My Transnational bus was only 3 seats wide meaning I had plenty of room.

Arrival in Kuala Lumpur

Jaguar at Singapore Zoo
Who doesn't love a jaguar?

You arrive in the outer suburbs of Kuala Lumpur approximately 13km from the centre of town. This isn’t much of a problem as for 50c, you can catch the train towards Masjid Jamek. Every bone in my body wanted to catch the train away from Ampang, but in reality, you want to head in the Ampang direction to get to the centre of KL. Where you want to get off the train is up to you, but be warned that information at the bus terminal/train station is very poor.

So there you have it. It’s easy and cheap to simply catch a few buses and a train to get to central KL. Forget going direct from Singapore for $30 by bus and forget the train unless you’re a train buff. Bus to Johor Bahru, then bus to southern KL bus terminal and then train to central KL is the way to go!

Categories
Malaysia Travel

Taxis in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We interrupt our Bali programming for a good old fashioned rant. The taxi services in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are bad. Really bad. There’s two problems. First of all, the drivers are lazy. They very rarely can be bothered to drive you anywhere unless they are paid a lot for it. Secondly, they’re dishonest. I think they’re more lazy than dishonest, but dishonest they are! OK, so perhaps I shouldn’t lump all drivers in Kuala Lumpur into the same basket. It’s not fair to the 5 that are hard working honest men.

So this is how it goes down in Kuala Lumpur. You go to a taxi stand and are about to hop in the cab and the driver asks you where you’re going. When you state where, they quote a price. The law in Kuala Lumpur is that prices must be determined by the meter, but 90% of drivers refuse to use the meter when tourists get in the car. So what does this mean? You either pay about 4 times as much as the real fare or you just don’t travel by cab because it is too much of a hassle to constantly flag down cabs only for them to quote ridiculous prices. And they’re not even nice about it. My experience has generally been that not only are they incredibly shifty, they’re rude too — especially when you challenge them and insist on the meter.

One guy I challenged insisted that the meter doesn’t pay him enough. So instead, he rips tourists off. But not just by a little bit so he can make ends meet, by a factor of four just for good measure. In reality, if it’s not good enough pay, he should get a job doing something else.

So this is my message to the universe to say that Kuala Lumpur really needs to do something about the taxi situation because at the moment it is unworkable and makes travel around the city very difficult when you’re not near a train line.