Notes on Two ABC Bistros at KL Sentral
At the edge of KL Sentral, two ABC signs glow red and blue beside the road into Brickfields. A narrow alley separates the entrances, but from the station side they read almost as one brightly lit place.
Malaysia
Visits
Notes on Nasi Kandar Kudu on Jalan TAR in Kuala Lumpur
On Jalan TAR, a faded green sign marks a shophouse where the first thing placed on a nasi kandar plate is not red sambal or yellow curry, but a thick black gravy. It spreads across the rice like tar, pulling the rest of the meal into its orbit.
Notes on Nasi Kandar Saddam on Jalan TAR, KL
Outside SOGO on Jalan TAR, a curry-scented queue gathers beneath a sign bearing the name Nasi Kandar Saddam. From the pavement, the counter, steaming pots, fried chicken, and the movement of each plate are all on display.
Notes on Hameediyah, Penang’s Oldest Nasi Kandar
On Campbell Street, a bright yellow-and-green shophouse draws tourists to its doorway while regulars move through it without stopping. Inside, the curry arrives with the dense, freshly ground scent of a spice stall rather than a display preserved for visitors.
Notes on Original Penang Kayu at Nu Sentral, KL Sentral
At the bottom of Nu Sentral, travelers still dragging suitcases from the KLIA Express encounter a plate of flooded curry, a child-sized roti tisu, and a glass of teh tarik. The shop is an ordinary, often overpriced chain by local standards, yet it sits at a precise threshold between the cold station and Kuala Lumpur outside.
Notes on Nasi Kandar Pelita at KLCC
Beneath the Petronas Twin Towers, a semi-outdoor hall stays busy with rice, curry, fried chicken and sweet tea long after the offices and shops around it have gone quiet. At Nasi Kandar Pelita, the skyline suggests one Kuala Lumpur while the plate and the people around it belong to another rhythm.