Gourmet Adventures in KL

Al dente ribbons of chewy rice noodles, bean sprouts, egg, meat and spring onions crowd the plate, embraced in a tasty mix of sweet dark sauce, chili, fish sauce and other secret confinements to which our tastebuds surrender wholly to.

It is fried just enough to exude the whiff of a perfect char, springy noodles tumbling out the wok and finding its way into our plate.
It is hands down The best char kway tiao we've ever had the pleasure of – it was love at first bite since five years ago, and it still is. There will be no other. #GourmetAdventuresInKL

Raved about as the best prawn noodles in Subang, Restoran Lim Mee Yoke only opens for lunch on weekdays, yet is perpetually packed. We can see why.

Its broth is rich, intense, and flavorfully spiced. If you're not one for spice, let them know and they'll kindly mix the broth with its wonton noodle soup to dilute the spice. Our take? Man up and face the heat. You'll thank us later. #GourmetAdventuresInKL

A traditional "birthday" dish, lam mee is the Malaysian equivalent to the Chinese longevity noodles "mee sua" [面线], believed to signify good health and long life.

Traditionally cooked in a gravy or prawns, pork ribs or chicken [Little Penang Kafe uses chicken stock], this dish is served with yellow rice noodles, garnished with chicken strips, prawn and egg, reminding us of the Malay mee soto. #GourmetAdventuresInKL

One of our favorite Malaysian dishes, this is the dish that makes our heart skip a beat [or many more, according to Fitbit]. While assam laksa is easily available in KL at any mamak, they aren't always as good – the broth may sometimes be diluted. This, however, is one of the better ones – fish gravy; thick and rich with a kick of spice, chewy rice noodles so good we ordered an extra serving, fish sauce, fresh vegetables, pineapple and mint. Delicious! #GourmetAdventuresInKL

Fresh mango served three ways: fresh, sorbet, and purée, atop freshly shaved ice, its signature 10 treasures herbal black grass jelly and taro balls. Perfect for this weather! #GourmetAdventuresInKL

Cooling off with ice cold desserts! Boiled for eight hours, this 10 treasures herbal black grass jelly is delightfully smooth, gliding down the throat effortlessly. Love how chewy these fresh taro balls are – anything chewy [like mochi] just gets us! #GourmeAdventuresInKL

There's obviously no way we'd make a trip up and not have our favorite chili pan mee – no way. We attribute it to these thick and chewy egg noodles that resemble a thinner form of pappardelle [cause we sure love our pasta], and the aromatic and fragrant chili flakes that we can't get enough of despite the heat.

Now if only we had this in Singapore. #GourmetAdventuresInKL

Probably the best egg tart in KL, Tong Kee egg tarts are baked fresh daily; a secret family recipe that has been guarded for nearly 50 years. Its pastry hobbles between crunchy and flaky, firm and crisp to the bite; its egg custard smooth and buttery.

On our first visit, we walked away with a dozen. Only four made it back to Singapore. #GourmetAdventuresInKL

Saving the best for last, the potato waffle was by far the best dish we had – the waffle; thick and chewy; sautéed mushrooms adding a burst of sweet savoriness alongside dill's bittersweet earthiness, a wobbly poached egg balancing atop – worth every penny.

This, we'll definitely have again. #GourmetAdventuresInKL

We read rave reviews about this burger and decided to have a go.

Our verdict: while the onion jam and pickled kyuri was delicious, the soft shell crab was overly fried to the point where oil was literally seeping with each bite, tasting of oil that has been reused one time too many. Probably not something we'd order again. #GourmetAdventuresInKL

There's a reason why you don't see many photos of hawker food here – the best hawker eats just aren't in Singapore. So we packed our bags and took the red-eye to KL because we were craving for bak kut teh.

Unfortunately, we missed Ah Ping's by minutes, but Chuan's isn't too shabby, holding the fort pretty well – it was full house on a Sunday night and people were still arriving despite 15 minutes to closing.

The soup, concentrated and sweet from hours of boiling with herbs and bones, brimming with beancurd skin, enoki and huge slabs of meat, evoked such an aroma that made our taste buds tingle.

And then there is the dry version, where every flavor is magnified. This is why you can't choose between the two. You just have to get both.
Good ol' BKT. #GourmetAdventuresInKL

There's just something about the noodles in Malaysia. Perhaps it is the way it is made, but noodles here always seem more springy, with a firmer bite. Restoran Lim Mee Yoke is such.
Despite being famous for its prawn noodles [we'll get to that soon], these wonton noodles are absolutely delicious as well, each chewy strand of noodle coated in a lip-smackingly tasty dark sauce.
Caramelized pieces of char siew [barbecued pork] and plump wontons accompany the dish, made better with vinegared green chili. My goodness. #GourmetAdventuresInKL