Kuala Lumpur, MY — She’s called, “The queen of Petaling Street, ” and in her majestic presence I became a royal subject, a devoted follower and a lifelong fan. Madame Tang has been selling muah chee or as the Japanese call it, “mochi, ” a glutinous rice flour dessert, rolled in ground nuts from her pushcart stall on Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown for 60 years. During that time, she has beaten out three competitors to her throne.
“Silky smooth. Tastes great, ” Madame Tang calls out in Cantonese over a loud speaker to passersby. She is at her cart daily from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm. Her recipe is self taught and her flavors include black sesame, lychee, mango, dragon fruit and green tea. A container of a dozen muah chee sells for five Malaysian ringit, about $1.25 USD. One bite and I was hooked.
Like Madame Tang’s muah chee cart, you see them all over this part of the world. Small family run food stalls and cafes. Often specializing in a single dish, with no more than a few small tables and some plastic stools. These are the places where the locals dine. It’s usually where you’ll find the most inexpensive and best food. There is no reason to be afraid of these places. If you see a lot of people eating at them and they cook everything fresh, then you know you’re getting a great meal.
In 2016 when the late Anthony Bourdain was filming a Vietnam episode for his show Parts Unknown, he invited then President Barrack Obama to join him for lunch. Bourdain could have chosen any restaurant, but instead he chose to dine with Obama at a small family owned place with a few tables and small plastic stools. Having spent part of his life in Indonesia, Obama was familiar with this type of dining and obviously enjoyed himself. The episode became one of Bourdain’s most popular shows.
“Low plastic stool, cheap, but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer. This is how I’ll always remember Tony,” Barack Obama 44th President of the United States.
One of the first things I do whenever I travel to a new place is to book an inexpensive walking tour with a local guide it helps me become more familiar with the place. You can usually find tours like this though sites like trip advisor or the city’s local tourist information center. I booked a tour with Kuala Lumpur’s Fun Information and Walking Tours. Our guide Alvin was excellent taking us through Chinatown, Central Market, Little India, The National Mosque and The Botanical Gardens.
Some of the other things I enjoyed in Kuala Lumpur were the Bird Park. It’s the world’s largest free flight aviary and a very relaxing way to spend an afternoon.
I also visited The Petronas Towers. When these twin towers were completed in 1998 they were the tallest structures in the world. They are 88 floors tall. You will be taken first to the sky bridge on the 41st floor and then to the observation deck on the 86th floor.
Getting around: KL has a great system of subways, buses and monorails. The free Go KL buses will take you to most of the tourist attractions. There is also Grab which is there version of Lyft and Uber. I prefer to walk or take public transportation to lessen my impact on the environment.
KL is a mix of Malay, Indian, Chinese, Arabic and Europeans. Since this is a former British colony, most people speak English. You’re also close to the equator so it’s going to be hot and humid. I’ve average about three showers a day.