6 days in Malaysia- 6/16- 6/21/2024

Day 2 -City Tour, Kuala Lumpur-6/16/2024

Petaling Street Market

In the evening, we headed to Petaling Street Market, right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown, and the energy there feels completely different from the polished calm of the Petronas area.

Walking through the main gate of Petaling Street, with its bright arch and Chinese characters, you immediately step into a space full of movement and sound.

Historically, Petaling Street has long been a trading and commercial center for Kuala Lumpur’s Chinese community. Over time, it evolved from a traditional market street into a bustling night market known for shopping, food, and nightlife. You’ll see everything from souvenirs and clothing to watches, bags, and local snacks, all packed tightly together.

As we wandered away from the busiest part of Petaling Street, our eye was drawn upward to that familiar sight again, the tall tower that looks like a telephone rising into the sky.

It is Menara Telekom, and from this angle it feels even more dramatic, almost like a landmark guiding you through the neighborhood. Seen from Chinatown, it creates a strong contrast between old streets and modern infrastructure.

Below the tower, there are a rows of colorful buildings, their facades worn but full of character. These low-rise shop houses are typical of old Kuala Lumpur, brightly painted, tightly packed, and layered with decades of daily life. Laundry, signs, and narrow balconies give the area a lived-in, authentic feel, very different from the polished zones around KLCC

Turning into Lorong Petaling, the atmosphere shifted again. This small alley feels quieter and more intimate, tucked away from the main flow of the night market. On the left is a mural (see below).

Pasar Karat literally means “flea market.” This area is known for its secondhand and vintage market, where people come to browse antiques, old cameras, vinyl records, coins, watches, books, and curious odds and ends. Even if you’re not shopping, the mural marks the spirit of the place, nostalgic, slightly gritty, and full of stories. It reflects a side of Kuala Lumpur that values reuse, history, and everyday culture.

Walking along Jalan Sultan, the city felt especially alive and layered. Right in front was another colorful mural, bold and expressive, adding a creative, youthful energy to the street.

Just beside it, rising dramatically into the sky, was Menara Telekom. The contrast was striking, street-level art and everyday life set against a towering symbol of modern Kuala Lumpur.

Contrast between old buildings and new modern building.

As we turned onto the main street, the atmosphere shifted into something even more lively. Restaurants lined the street, and many had pushed tables and chairs out onto the sidewalk, creating a casual, social dining scene.

People were talking, eating, and lingering over meals, and the street felt warm and welcoming, especially at night. The sounds of conversation, clinking dishes, and traffic blended into a steady urban rhythm.

Further along, one building stood out, the Sri Lankan (Lankan) restaurant. Its façade felt distinctive, likely housed in an older shop house-style building, giving it character compared to the newer storefronts around it. The architecture, combined with the idea of Sri Lankan cuisine in the heart of Chinatown, reflected Kuala Lumpur’s multicultural identity. Indian, Chinese, Malay, and international influences all seem to coexist naturally on the same street.

We are now searching for a restaurant to eat and as I was looking up the Menara Telekom. building can be seen all around this area.

We settle on Nam Heong, listed in the Michelin guide as a bib gourmand, and known for authentic Hainan's Chicken rice and other traditional dishes.

Open in 1938, this restaurant has been hugely popular among the local. Two kinds of chicken are on offer  “veggie farm” chicken with leaner, firmer flesh and a free-range version with fattier, softer meat. Barbecue meats, such as roast pork belly that boasts crispy skin and alternate layers of fat and lean meat, are also bestsellers. Order crispy, juicy Ipoh bean sprouts to go with the rice.

When we got there, we were lucky to get the last portion of the chicken dish.

We also ordered a plat of sautéed morning glory with garlic.

 After dinner we continued our walk in the area, and at night, the street comes alive

A fruit stall.

So many exotics fruits.

A stall selling Durian.

As night settled in, the streets around Petaling Street transformed completely. People sat on plastic tables and chairs, eating, talking, and lingering late into the evening. It felt informal, crowded, and alive, the kind of place where food brings everyone together.

Stalls line both sides, vendors call out to passersby, and the air fills with the smells of street food, grilled meats, noodles, and sweet desserts.

We saw a very long line and we wondering why people are lining up.

One stall immediately stood out: the famous clay pot chicken rice vendor, marked by a very long line that seemed to move slowly but steadily. This is one of those places people are willing to wait for, night after night.

Clay pot chicken rice is cooked one pot at a time over high heat. Inside the clay pot, rice is cooked with marinated chicken, Chinese sausage, salted fish, soy sauce, and sometimes mushrooms. The clay pot retains intense heat, so the rice at the bottom develops a crispy, smoky crust, while the top stays soft and fragrant. When the lid is lifted, steam rushes out, carrying a rich, savory aroma that explains the long queue instantly.

Watching the cooks work is part of the experience, rows of clay pots balanced over open flames, lids clanking, quick hands checking rice and adding ingredients at just the right moment. There’s nothing fancy about the setup, but that’s exactly the charm. This is classic Kuala Lumpur street food, rooted in tradition and perfected through repetition.

Standing there, surrounded by chatter, sizzling sounds, and people patiently waiting for their turn, the clay pot chicken rice stall felt like the heart of the street, simple, comforting, and deeply tied to the city’s night-time food culture.

Strings of lights and glowing signs reflect off the pavement, giving the whole area a festive, slightly chaotic charm

A vendor selling fake designer bags.

As we walked through the area, the street lamps shaped like Chinese lanterns, some glowing in gold, others red, gave the streets a wonderfully festive feel. The warm light making Chinatown feel celebratory and alive, especially at night.

We are now leaving the area.

At night the place looks different than  during the day.  You can see the Mural in the center.

To catch an Uber, we moved away from the busy center and into a quieter stretch, ending up on Jalan Hang Jebat. The change was immediate. The noise softened, and the architecture became easier to appreciate. The shop houses with graceful arches lined the street, their repeating curves and old façades feeling elegant and nostalgic.

These buildings were mostly shop houses, a style that developed during the British colonial period, but they were not typically lived in by British officials. Instead, the ground floor was used as a shop, café, or business, and the upper floor were living quarters for local merchants, often Chinese families.

British colonial influence shows in the arched walkways (five-foot ways), symmetry, and construction methods, which were encouraged by colonial town planning. However, the people who lived and worked in these buildings were mainly local traders, not the British themselves. British officials tended to live in bungalows or residences in quieter, greener areas away from dense commercial streets.

Waiting for your Uber near Menara Telekom, the mood felt completely different from earlier in the day. At night, with the moon shining above the tower, the building took on a quieter, more dramatic presence. The tall, slender form rose into the dark sky, its outline sharper and more mysterious, almost like a silhouette rather than a piece of office architecture.

The tower’s design, often compared to a telephone or bamboo shoot, feels especially striking at night. Without the distractions of daylight, traffic, and color, the shape stands out more clearly. The moon above it adds a poetic touch, turning something very modern and functional into something almost symbolic, like a marker watching over the city.

Around us, the noise of Chinatown faded, replaced by a calmer, slower rhythm. Standing there, it felt like a pause between moments, the energy of Petaling Street behind us and the quiet of the night ahead. Seeing Menara Telekom under moonlight was a reminder that Kuala Lumpur reveals different personalities depending on the hour, and this one felt reflective, calm, and unexpectedly beautiful.

NEXT... Day 3- Batu Caves