Restoran Wong Ah Wah (W.A.W. Restaurant) @ Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Restoran Wong Ah Wah is located along the busy street of Jalan Alor, Bukit Bintang. Most of the people that come here are tourists since this street is listed as a must visit place in most travel guide books. That being the case, it is not surprising to see such a crowd daily. Business starts at around 5 pm and goes on till 4 am. Throughout the night, the place is so busy and at times, it can even be difficult to get a table. This street is not a place that I frequent since all prices are 'tourist' prices and I only come here when I have guests visiting Malaysia. This evening was one such occasion when I had friends visiting Kuala Lumpur and they were staying at Federal Hotel. That being the case, this was the best bet. I had been to Meng Kee before which is along the same row and the food was nothing much to shout about. For a change and being the curious foodie, I decided to bring my guests here.

Crowded All Night Long

Signature Dishes

There's Lot More To The Menu

Their menu was pretty comprehensive and they had a long list of dishes. As expected, prices were premium and the owner had advised me that the portions may be small. Since there were not many of us and the fact that I had wanted to order a number of dishes for my guests to try, it did not matter much and I didn't want to upscale the portions of each dish. Everyone looks so busy here and the boss had forewarned me that it may take a while for the dishes to arrive. Since time was not a constraint, it wasn't really an issue for us. 

Grilled Stingray @ RM 29.00

Their Ikan Bakar looked and tasted quite pathetic. Seriously, I wonder why all the buzz about the food at this restaurant. The stingray was dry and flaky and a little overdone. Even the dip sauce was quite bland. If I were to rate this, I would only give it 4/10. Seriously one of the worst Grilled Fish that I had tasted. 

Kam Heong Clams @ RM 12.00

For the price, the portions were quite small. The boss had already informed me and so I can't complain. Taste wise, this was way better than the earlier dish. Not to say a great dish but it was decent. I would rate this at 6/10. 

Baby French Beans @ RM 13.00

A very simple dish but it was perfectly executed. The flavours were awesome and the French Beans were not overcooked. Compared to the earlier two, this was way better. I would definitely give this 8/10. 

Fish Stir Fried with Dried Chilies @ RM 20.00

An above average dish this was. The flavours were decent but the fish itself wasn't as fresh as expected. One thing that I liked about this dish was the generous amount of Dried Chili used. My rating for this shall be 6/10. 

Salted Egg Squid @ RM 18.00

Their Salted Egg Squid was not bad though. The squid had been perfectly fried and it was sufficiently crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It would have been better if they had been a little more generous with the salted egg batter. Decent but I have taste better ones. 6/10 is what I shall give this dish. 

BBQ Chicken Wings @ RM 9.90

Chicken Wings are the top seller at this restaurant. They sell by the thousands daily and it is grilled using charcoal stoves. In fact, we had to wait close to an hour for these due to the demand. And I would have to agree with the masses. This is one excellent BBQ Chicken Wings. It was so juicy and tasty. Right from the skin to the bone, it was so good and I have not come across one that is this good. 10/10 for this! 

Bill For The Evening

Most travel guide books list Jalan Alor as a food heaven and that being the case, you tend to see crowds of people every evening and the place is open from 5 pm till 4 am daily. Restoran Wong Ah Wah is the very first restaurant along this street and they occupy 5 units of shop lots. The place is so busy that at times, it may be a challenge to find a place to sit. We tried the food this evening and to be honest, I find it to be nothing great except for the BBQ Chicken Wings which was out of this world. The rest of the dishes were quite average and premium prices. For me, it's more of an experience dining here than to actually come for the taste.  

Address: Jalan Alor, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1700 - 0400 Daily

Telephone: +603 2144 2463 

Meng Kee Grill Fish @ Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Alor is a place that is most sought after by tourists when they are in Kuala Lumpur. In fact in most if not all of the guide books, this place is designated as a food heaven and a must visit place in Kuala Lumpur. There are easily hundred's of stalls here selling a variety of dishes but my favourite has always been Meng Kee and their seafood dishes. 

One major challenge here besides parking is finding a table to sit. Even navigating through the crowd can be a challenge at times. What you see in the above photographs is a typical evening along Jalan Alor. What I always do is try to park at the Church which is not too far from this lane. If you come round 10 pm onwards, then you should be able to get a bay there. 

The above are just a few pages from their menu. They have a huge compilation of dishes to offer, mostly seafood but their prices are touristy. Well, there's nothing much that you can expect as the place is such and even with this pricing, they are doing so well. I wonder what their daily turnover would be like. Initially we wanted to have crabs as well but got a shock when I was told that it is RM 130 per Kg. The current going rate is around RM 82 - RM 90 and RM 130 was surely sky high. And so, we said no and just went for more of other dishes. The place was a mad house for sure. The lady boss was controlling all her staffs and it's good that she was doing that. Or else, orders would have gone haywire and it would have been a mess. 

Sambal Petai @ RM 13.00

This was a very good preparation. I loved the portion size and they surely didn't skimp on the ingredients. The flavours were awesome and I loved the fact that they had added dried shrimps as well. A good dish that I would recommend here. As per my rating, this deserves 9/10. 

Grilled Stingray @ RM 25.00

For the price, I felt that it was too small a portion and taste wise, I wasn't too happy as well. There wasn't much spices used to marinate the stingray as they tended to rely more on the sauce to do the trick. The sauce as well lacked lime and it would have been better if it was zesty. Compared to what I tasted some years back at this very same place, this for sure was a disappointment. I would rate this at 6/10. 

Kam Heong Clams @ RM 20.00

Just like the Sambal Petai, these Kam Heong Clams were very impressive as well. The generous usage of spices and dried shrimps definitely added to the taste and lifted the dish. Absolutely loved it and I would rate this at 9/10. 

Salted Egg Squid @ RM 20.00

Their Salted Egg Squid was another marvelous dish. The squid was fried to perfection and had a rich salted egg and curry leaves coating. Nothing to complain in terms of the portion size as well. I would give this 9/10 as well. 

Fried Oyster & Egg @ RM 13.00

This O Chien was a shame. Seriously it was! Instead of frying the oysters and eggs together, they had fried the oysters first and then separately fried the eggs and placed it on top of the oysters. The necessary flavours that I had expected were also lacking. I would only give this 5/10. Not a dish that I would recommend here. 

Despite this place being a tourist spot that is highly sought after, I did enjoy some of their dishes that we tried tonight. Their Sambal Petai, Salted Egg Squid and Kam Heong Lala were all excellent. Grilled Stingray could have been better and their Fried Oyster & Eggs was a shame. The prices of crabs were also a shocker. For RM 130 per Kg, there's so much more that I could have elsewhere. Crabs are one that I would recommend skipping at this place. Otherwise a great place to chill with friends and definitely a great spot to entertain foreign friends who are visiting Malaysia as it would be an eye opener to the vast food that we have in Malaysia. 

Address: No. 39, Jalan Alor, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1700 - 0400 Daily

Upper East Side Cafe @ Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Unlike my usual posts which is about visits to restaurants, this is a unique one as it is about my recent visit to a Culinary University. Located on the 14th Floor of Times Square, student's of Berjaya University College of Hospitality (School of Culinary Arts) can experience what it is like to work in a live restaurant. Here at this university, there are three restaurants that are open to public and students' can practice their skills based on the agreed format with their lecturers. Of course, this would be done under the supervision of the lecturers and seniors. This afternoon, they were having a Deepavali Luncheon concept and the theme was South Indian Food. 

Upper East Side Cafe At Level 14

Lovely Environment

Their Menu

Contact Information

Menu For The Day

Everything Was Set According To The Books

The place was beautifully decorated for Deepavali and the ambiance was amazing. Seriously, I wouldn't mind bringing clients here for discussions over a meal as the place was so cool and professional. Of course, you get those serious looking students who were in stress as their lecturers were watching them closely and correcting them when necessary. It was fun to observe. Everything had to go by the books and a single mistake, they would be called aside and given a small lecture. As mentioned earlier, the theme for the day was South Indian food and this set that you see here was priced at RM 25.00 . I know that they had printed RM 35.00 in the menu but the price had been altered for the day. Right from the moment we walked in, everything happened by the books and these kids were trying their best to get everything right. That was evident. 

Chapati with Chana (Chick Pea) Masala

Water To Wash My Hands

As the appetiser, they served us Chapati with Chana Masala (Chick Pea and Potato). The presentation was perfect. Of course, cutlery of various sizes and shapes were neatly arranged but being an Indian, I could not resist using my hands and the moment they saw that, one of them brought a bowl with sliced lemon and mint leaves for me to dip my fingers later. I just loved that. Coming back to the Chapati, it was good and I was impressed. It was soft, tasty and the texture was just right. The Chana Masala too was perfect. Just the right quantity for the Chapati. I would rate their Chapati at 9/10 and Chana Masala at 9.5/10 . Loved it!

Thali Meal Set

Thali Meal Set

Next to arrive was the Thali Meal Set. This came with Rice, Sambar, Curd, Rasam, Cucumber in Raita, Beetroot, Spinach, Papadam, Fried Bitter Gourd, Pickled Chili and some Mango Pickles. A great selection of vegetables and sides!

Cucumber Raita

Spinach with Potatoes

Beetroot

Unlike the common cabbage etc., they had given us some quality vegetables. The preparation was lovely. The Raitha was thick and creamy, the spinach was delicious and the beet root was good. I would rate the beet root at 9/10 and the rest at 9.5/10 .

Sambar

Curd

Rasam

Once again, these too were lovely. The flavours of the Sambar, the improvisations done with the Curd and the simple yet tasty Rasam, all were good. I would rate the Sambar at 8.5/10, the Rasam at 8/10 and the Curd at 9/10. 

Fried Bitter Gourd and Papadam

Pickled Chili and Mango Pickle

The sides were also amazing and they were very fresh. Surely not one of those foldable Papadams. And their presence of mind was great. They had given us a little of each, increased the variety and made a simple meal look great. Who needs quantity when there is a certain limit as to what one can eat at any point in time. Great planning!

Chicken Chettinad Perattal, Semolina Fried Fish and Mutton Perattal

A Closer Look At The Mutton Perattal

Fried Fish Was Coated With Semolina

Another excellent thing to do was to include Chicken, Fish and Mutton as part of the complete set. A little of each, but they were good. The Chicken Chettinad Perattal was lovely. Not too spicy and it had the perfect coat of spices. I would rate this at 8.5/10 . The Semolina Fried Fish wasn't up to my expectations. The fish was fresh and fried to perfection. Nevertheless, the unnecessary coating killed the dish. It would have been better if it was simply coated with masala and deep fried. This I would rate at 3/10 . The Mutton Perattal was again lovely. Small bits of mutton were cooked in a pressure cooker first (to soften the meat) and then added to the masala and it turned out to be lovely. This I would rate at 9/10 . 

Rava Payasam

Rava Payasam

This was a twist from the usual Payasam that we get and it was a winner. Almost like Kesari, but it was still in semi liquid form and was cooked with lots of milk and a dash of cashew nuts. Served hot, it was so addictive and heavenly. I would rate this nothing less than a perfect 10/10. Excellent!

Masala Tea

This was cute and yes.... that was all that we got. But the Masala Tea was excellent! A great way to end a hearty meal. I would rate this at 10/10 .

In conclusion, I am very happy with the meal today. The food was good, service excellent and the ambiance was cosy. I am now thinking of coming more often and explore what they have to offer on other days. Definitely worth paying them a visit!

Address: Level 14 East, Berjaya Times Square, Jalan Imbi,

                55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1200 - 1500 Daily

Alor Corner Curry Noodle @ Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Alor in Bukit Bintang may not be someplace strange to most KL'ites but sadly this is the first time that I am here today and that too by chance. Though I have worked in Bukit Bintang for more than a year, I have always kept it strictly to work as I hate the traffic jam here. But having had a meeting here today right opposite Jalan Alor and having used a taxi to commute in and out, I was fortunate that I had not got to worry about the traffic problem. This is when I discovered a whole street full of eateries. This entry is not about the entire street but about a particular stall that I have tried and would like to endorse here for their great food.

Alor Corner Curry Noodles @ Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Everyone Seats In Open Space

The set up is very simple. just order your food and head over to one of the vacant tables which were placed on the pavements. This place seems to be quite famous with both locals and tourists as well and with that, you can expect some waiting time before being able to get a table. This stall mainly offers a number of Noodle dishes. They are Curry Mee, Assam Laksa, Dry Noodles, Chicken Slices and Prawn Noodles, Prawn Mee and Meatballs / Fish Balls Soup. Many of these dishes are favourites of mine but since I am alone today, there is just a limit as to what I could eat and so, I decided to try the Curry Mee first. 

Chili Paste for the Curry Mee

Curry Mee @ RM 6.00

All the dishes here cost RM 6.00 per plate unless you have requested for some add on items. What you see above is the standard Curry Mee. This in itself comes with sliced chicken, cockles, tofu and some brinjals. The curry itself is very thick, laden with spices and it was not on the spicy side.  The red colour of the broth is contributed by the lack of coconut milk which is good as it is much healthier. The taste was extremely delicious and this is one of the best curry mee's in town. The Chili Paste that is provided is another excellent preparation. At some point, I was just having the plain chili paste as it was really good. I would rate this Curry Mee at 9.8/10 .

Fish and Meat Balls @ RM 0.70 Each

I also wanted to try some of their Meatballs and Fish Balls and hence I ordered a small portion of the above. Their soup was just average but the Meatballs and Fish Balls were really great. The Meatballs here are made from Pork. Both were fresh and absolutely good. Definitely recommended here. I would rate their Fish Balls at 8.8/10 and Meatballs at 9.3/10 .

Definitely a fantastic place to get a good fix of your favourite noodle dish. I was told that they have been here now for more than 20 years.  It is best to come early as they may sell out fairly quickly. Locating this stall is quite easy. It is the very first stall along Jalan Alor facing the KL Baptist Church. I would surely be returning here soon to try the other dishes.

Address: Jalan Alor, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1700 to the late hours of the night (or until sold out)