First Time in Kuala Lumpur
Valentine Roti
Our first stop was a recommendation from our besties from South Africa. This roti joint happened to be near our hotel, which is great because we were starving from the long journey to KL. We got Milo, a chocolate malt drink popular in Southeast Asian countries, and a lychee juice. The drinks were great, but we really came for the roti. Kuala Lumpur is a very international city, and that includes its fusion cuisine. This was a great meal, and the roti was a bit thinner than the Indian roti we’ve had before.
The roti was served with several kinds of curry on the side, and the staff were very kind and helpful to us. We felt like silly foreigners who didn’t know how to eat with our hands since back then, we hadn’t been to many countries with this style of cuisine.
KL Tower
If you’ve ever seen Kuala Lumpur’s skyline, you’ve definitely seen the KL Tower. Many cities around the world have iconic observation towers, but this is one of the most notable. It is the 7th largest tower in the world, and the second tallest building in Kuala Lumpur. It also stands on a hill at the center of the city, making it visible from almost any place in KL. Because of its amazing vantage point, we had to go check it out.
Tickets for the tower are average for this kind of experience, about 20 USD for the observation deck, 30 USD for the outdoor sky terrace, and 40 USD for both. The view from the deck is okay, but we really preferred the outside sky terrace. Sometimes we prefer the comfort and view of the indoor deck, like the Macau Tower. However, KL Tower doesn’t have a lot to do inside, and the windows are tinted, so the outdoor deck is better considering the prices.
There is a “Sky Deck” experience, which allows you to step over the edge in a hair-raising glass box. Yemisi and I both hate heights, so it was a bit of a challenge to get over our fears. The queue was long even though there weren’t many people, so be prepared for a wait. Thankfully, they snuck us ahead in line after they realized how long we had waited, but for some reason, their photographer wasn’t there so we had to wait for him. Eventually, the man running the box gave up and let us take our own photos, at which point their photographer returned and took the rest for us. In the end it was a blessing in disguise, because the pics he took were truly atrocious and I wouldn’t pay a single dollar for them. I wonder if some random employee jumped in to take pictures and didn’t know what he was doing? Either way, it was a fun experience with a great view despite the high price.
Village Park Restaurant
The next day, we actually flew to the beautiful island of Langkawi for a few days of island relaxation. After coming back to KL, we were starving and stopped by Village Park Restaurant. They are renowned for their nasi lemak ayam goreng, one of the most iconic Malay dishes. Nasi lemak is a classic breakfast food with a combination of coconut rice, peanuts, anchovies, chili paste, boiled egg, and cucumbers. This is a truly local spot, so don’t expect a clean vibe or quiet dining. It’s chaotic, packed, and loud, but the food speaks for itself. It’s a bit out of the way, but it’s well worth the visit.
They don’t allow cameras or vlogging inside, so we did our best to show it off, but you can take our word for it; this place is legit. Everything is incredibly fresh, which makes sense because they are serving a lot of food every day. The chicken is unbelievably juicy, and the crunch of Malay fried chicken is something I’ve never experienced. The rest of the toppings with the rice are unreal, with every bit of crunch, spice, and sweetness you could want. I especially love the anchovies, but what’s great about this dish is that everything is served to the side, so you can add or remove anything you don’t like. Nasi lemak is a must-try Malay dish, and I can’t think of a better place to try it.
Feeka Coffee Roasters
Downtown in the center of KL is Bukit Bintang, the life force of the city. This neighborhood holds most of the city’s shopping malls, restaurants, and endless nightlife. We didn’t come to party though. In every country we try to visit at least one specialty coffee shop, and this was the perfect place to do it. Feeka is the epitome of a specialty shop, with some of the nicest gear I’ve seen in Southeast Asia and an incredible vibe to match. I’m not usually impressed by the overdone concrete warehouse aesthetic, but they did it very well with unique decor, nice skylight, and warm lighting that made it cozy and inviting.
Of course, I had to get a pour over, and Yemisi got a matcha latte. At this time, Yemisi was on a real matcha kick, and this ended up being one of the better ones she had that summer. My pour over was great, brewed perfectly with fruity acidity. It didn’t quite reach S-tier for me, but it was exactly what we needed to pick us up for the afternoon.
Perdana Botanical Garden
West of the downtown core of the city is Perdana Botanical Garden. This is essentially the Central Park of KL, a massive green space as large as Bukit Bintang itself. There was no way we were going to see everything in this park; it would take a full day to explore the flower gardens, aviary, herbariums, butterfly gardens, plazas, playgrounds, and more. We arrived at the park late in the afternoon and quickly rushed around to find the spots we wanted to see.
We spent some time near the lake, where there are a few lovely islands, as well as a large glass dome structure. There is even a deer park near this area, but it was closed by the time we arrived. We even saw a few wedding photo shoots while in the park, which makes sense because it’s a very pretty place. Kuala Lumpur is a fairly green city, but after a few days in the hustle and bustle it felt great to have a place to completely get away from the city noise.
Islamic Arts Museum
Kuala Lumpur is a very religiously diverse city, straddling the line between Buddhism and Hinduism from the west, and Islam from its neighbors in the east. While 60% of the population is Muslim, the rest is evenly split between Buddhists, Hindus, and Christians. This makes KL a surprisingly religiously tolerant city, with many famous temples and monuments from all walks of faith. One of the main attractions of the city is the Islamic Arts Museum, which is exactly what it sounds like. This is the largest Islamic museum in Southeast Asia, with tens of thousands of artifacts on display.
At the time we visited KL, we had only been to a few countries, and never a majority Muslim one. Growing up in deeply Christian areas of the US, we were pretty ignorant of Islamic religious culture and were eager to learn more. This is a really beautiful museum; the entrance has a gorgeous staircase, and of course, all of the architecture is like a mosque. It has large ornate domes and carved pillars throughout the building. We travelled through exhibits on pottery and tilework, intricate carving, ancient scrolls, massive Qurans, and the list goes on.
The museum is quite large, and if you’re paying close attention to each exhibit, you can easily spend 2-4 hours here. At the time, it was overwhelming. But looking back, having visited many more Islamic sites in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and Brunei, it’s funny to think how far we’ve come in understanding this religion.
Heli Lounge Bar
Heading back into Bukit Bintang, Yemisi found one of the coolest bars ever. Heli Lounge Bar is a rooftop bar in the center of the city. There is a large, indoor bar area on the top floor, but you can also go up to the roof. Amazingly, there is a real helicopter pad that turns into an outdoor bar at night. This was our first time at a rooftop bar, and Kuala Lumpur was the best place to do it. Due to the design of the helipad, there are no obstructions in your view of the city. With a clear 360-degree view, it’s amazing no matter what seat you get. Just be sure to get there close to opening if you want to see the sunset. Heli Lounge Bar is packed the moment it opens and doesn’t die down.
KL is known for some of the most interesting architecture in the world, and this is one of the best places to view it. You’re not as high as the rest of the city, but it gives the perfect midway vantage point to see the incredible Petronas Towers, KL Tower, and several other stunning buildings. More than any other rooftop bar, I really felt like I was in the sky, and the air was so clear and still. It was a surreal experience I’ll never forget. There is a minimum spend, but they have some relatively cheap bottles of wine that will get you there, and pretty great food as well. If I could go back to any bar I’ve been to in the many countries I’ve travelled, this would be it.
Final Thoughts
Our first time in Kuala Lumpur was incredible. We had not explored Southeast Asia much, and this was an amazing introduction. To this day, KL is one of my favorite cities with its unique blend of culture, which we got to know even more on our second day. If you’re looking for amazing food, great city vibes, and a good time, Kuala Lumpur should be first on your list.
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