Food & Culture Guides

Klang is a city that most visitors see from the window of a commuter train. It sits on the western edge of greater Kuala Lumpur, a former royal capital that has been absorbed into the sprawl of the Kl

Kampung Baru is a traditional Malay village in the middle of Kuala Lumpur. The skyscrapers of the KLCC district rise directly behind it. The contrast is jarring and deliberate. Kampung Baru is a villa

Ipoh is a city that food travellers pass through on their way to Penang or the Cameron Highlands. That is a mistake. Ipoh's food scene is distinct enough to justify a dedicated trip. The city develope

Gurney Drive is Penang's most famous hawker centre. The coastal road runs along the northern edge of George Town, and the hawker complex sits between the road and the sea. It is a covered structure wi

George Town's UNESCO World Heritage listing was awarded for the city's architecture, but the food culture is equally deserving of protection. The pre-war shophouses and clan jetties that make up the h

Chowrasta Market is Penang's oldest and most famous market. It has been operating in the heart of George Town since the early 19th century. The name Chowrasta means four roads in Hindi, a reference to

Chow Kit is the opposite of a tourist market. It has no gift shops, no air conditioning, and no English signage. It is a working wet market in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, serving the city's Malay comm

KL's Chinatown is centred on Petaling Street, a covered market that draws crowds for its counterfeit goods and counterfeit handbags. The food is real. The surrounding streets Jalan Hang Lekir, Jalan S

Penang's food scene is famously intense. Loud flavours, heavy chilli, and queues that test adult patience. But the island is also home to some of Malaysia's most child-friendly eating experiences. Haw

You are standing at the entrance of a KL hawker centre with a tired child in one arm and a stroller in the other. The noise hits you first. Sizzling woks, clattering plates, conversations in three lan

George Town at dusk has a specific quality of light. The white colonial buildings turn warm orange. The Chinese shophouses cast long shadows across the streets. The hawker stalls begin lighting their

The usual advice for couples visiting KL is to book a table at a hotel restaurant with a view of the Petronas Towers. This is not that advice. KL's best date night experiences involve plastic stools,