Exploring Old Kuala Lumpur | Claypot Coffee, Temples & Hidden Chinatown Gems

On a beautiful Sunday morning, before it got too hot, Shum and Janice took me around old Kuala Lumpur, including Chinatown. I’d seen some of this area from a bus tour on an earlier trip but never got off the bus. Lesson learned: you have to get off the bus if you want to see anything cool.

Breakfast first. Early on Sunday, a lot of Chinatown wasn’t open yet, but the morning market was, and the smell of charcoal barbecue was everywhere. We went for curry noodles, and even the small bowl is big. If you order the large and eat it by yourself, you have a problem. When I first arrived in Malaysia, I liked these noodle dishes so much I started gaining weight.

I don’t remember the name of the stall, but it was a local noodle dish, and it was pretty good. Not great, but pretty good.

Temples. We wandered through Sri Mahamariamman Temple and Guan Di Temple, right in the heart of KL, where you’re free to roam around.

Old buildings and street art. One building used to be a cinema and has been put back to use while keeping its original structure. There are murals all over the place, including one of Chinese opera, and I didn’t realize there were so many. They’re a lot of fun for photos.

Along the way I learned about the wau, the traditional Malaysian kite. It’s basically a kite with a cooler name and a cooler shape, and the real ones are usually huge. I also learned about meat floss, which is not for flossing your teeth. It’s a stringy, shredded dried meat.

Beef noodles and claypot coffee. Shum promised Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee had the best beef noodles in all the multiverses. Of every stop that day, this is the one I remember most. The noodles were great, and the shop was extremely busy, so Shum and I ended up sharing a table with a Malaysian man who lives in the US and was back visiting. We had a good conversation over our noodles. I highly recommend the place.

We also had coffee brewed in clay pots over charcoal at Pik Wah, which was interesting.

The Sunday market. The market was busy with people enjoying Sunday afternoon: tons of T-shirts, and more snacks than any diet can handle. I’m fairly sure I saw French fries covered in chocolate. Shum corrected me: it’s Milo. Much safer for you.

Planning: this walk doesn’t take any special planning. It’s easy to get in and out of the area, and there’s nothing challenging about it. One part I really enjoyed was the walk along the Klang River behind Central Market. Go on a Sunday morning, before the heat, if you can.

All jokes aside, I’m very thankful to Shum and Janice for showing us around. KL is an awesome city, and this side of it is worth a slow morning.