Malaysian cuisine is flavored by geography and history. Like Singapore, there is a heavy cross-cultural exchange of food and, although many dishes are shared, I found that the lines between influences are increasingly blurred. China, India, Thailand and Indonesia have all added spice into a beautiful mix of powerful flavors.
Chicken Chop
We began this exploration in the faithful hands of Sara Sam. She started us off at Yut Kee, where they have served up traditional favorites like Chicken Chop and Curry Mee since 1928. The deep dining room mirrored dining room still has original tiles and marble and cast iron tables. We also tried the Roti Babi, shredded pork and onions stuffed into a fried bread pocket and dipped in Worcestershire sauce.
Roti Babi
I followed her lead and ordered a sweet lime juice, a refreshing alternative to beer that is made particularly well in Malaysia - sweet, salty and with very little added to the fresh squeezed lime. It was a lot more flavoursome than the lime soda so popular in India.
Steph and Sara caught up over our long lunch. It has been a few years so we happily took over a table at the back for an hour or two. She was so enthusiastic to show us her world in Malaysia. We were fortunate enough to learn what it’s like to live here and see the country through her eyes.
Curry Mee
Founded at the juncture of two rivers, Kuala Lumpur literally means “muddy confluence” in Malay. We soon found that KL, as the locals call it, is now full of odd juxtapositions. Old cafes are tucked under gleaming skyscrapers and rumbling expressways. It looked very modern to us under first impressions. But as soon as you tried to walk anywhere the city seemed to be somewhat of a chaotic spaghetti bowl. Sara explained that Malaysia had a long way to go towards being a modernly efficient country. I had read that the government is on a campaign to make the country fully developed by 2020. Apparently this is more marketing spin and campaign promises than real progress.
There are over 7.2 million people living, working and coexisting here and Sara also explained how the different ethnic groups — Malays, Straits, Chinese and Indians — both live together (Indian), and stick together (Chinese) in Malaysia, while the Malays have mostly held on to the controlling interest at all levels.
As the long lunch winded down, Sara Sam offered to show us as much of KL’s food experiences as we could handle. And there was clearly going to be a LOT see, taste, smell if we were going to keep up!
Yut Kee
35 Jalan Dang Wangi
60-3-2698-8108
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