Hidden Culinary Gems of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT Line

Follow local tour operator Adventoro along the MRT line to uncover tantalising culinary gems in Kuala Lumpur

Streetside eats

Why
Malaysian food presents a true culinary adventure, a reflection of the diverse origin of its multi-ethnic population.

To let guests have a taste of hidden culinary gems in Kuala Lumpur, local tour operator Adventoro has rolled out a unique food trail around the Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT line. Participants visit local restaurants and hawkers serving some of the best of Malaysian classics, such as banana fritters, chendol, prawn mee, asam laksa, beef noodles, nasi lemak and satay, to name a few.

Streetside eats

What
All food stops are within walking distance from MRT stations along the Sungai Buloh-Kajang line.

The tour starts at Brickfields and ends at the famous Sate Kajang Hj Samuri. During the walk from the MRT station to the food outlet, my guide, Ken Lau, shared snippets of history and interesting facts about each location.

What impressed me was his commitment to ensure I had a good time, even if it meant taking me to food places that were not on the list.

For example, at Shin Kee coffee shop near Central Market, which served the best beef noodles I had ever tasted, we started talking about durian and I mentioned that I hadn’t eaten one for a long time. To my surprise and delight, Lau decided we should drop by Petaling Street for a durian feast by the roadside – Malaysian style!

The coffee shops we visited were not fancy, but don’t let their appearance fool you. On closer look, you will see numerous awards the shop has collected over the years hanging on the walls.

Similarly, an entire wall at the eponymous Auntie Lora Kopitiam was filled with pictures of Auntie Lora with Malaysian politicians and local celebrities who had dined there in the past, as well as newspaper articles of food reviews and awards. Auntie Lora Kopitiam has been operating in Kuala Lumpur since 1981, after moving from Penang.

Lau said it served the best prawn mee and asam laksa in the city, and it only took a sampling of these dishes for me to be utterly convinced.

I was lucky to have picked Wednesday for this tour, which also happens to be the day Taman Connaught night market comes to life. This is the longest night market in Malaysia with more than 700 stalls, half of which sell food, including fresh vegetables and meat.

By the time we arrived at Sate Kajang Hj Samuri nearly eight hours after the tour started at 12.30, I was almost full. But I had to taste Sate Kajang to find out why people travel here from Penang and Johor just for the satay. The secret lies in the thick, fragrant peanut sauce, which comes with a separate plate of chilli paste. The chicken sticks are also almost twice as large as you would find elsewhere.

How
The tour is sold online on the Adventoro.com website. The tour price is inclusive of an English-speaking guide, MRT tickets to various locations, plus food and drinks. On average, there are six food stops. Portions are kept small so guests are able to sample different types of food.

A day or two prior to the food tour, guests be notified via email or WhatsApp of the food stops. At this point, they may request to change some of the outlets.

Verdict
The food outlets in this tour have been well researched and almost all have won food awards of some kind. I would recommend this to foodies visiting Kuala Lumpur.

Duration Full-day tour departing at 12.30
Rates RM190 (US$46) per person
Contact details
Website: www.adventoro.com

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