Urban chaos in Kuala Lumpur

The streets of Kuala Lumpur are a delight and a trial at the same time. The heat is unbearable, the traffic unforgiving and the pace is relentless. But a perfect refresher for weary feet while traveling is to sample the local food. The capital of Malaysia is a chaotically wonderful mix of Malay, Indian and Chinese which would make for some interesting dishes.

I had read about the cuisine found in Little India, but the small corner restaurants displayed the same level of chaos as I had found everywhere. Often it was hard to tell the difference between road and serving table, or trying to guess who was the staff among the sea of people.

Ready, steady, go!

So we moved on to better pastures. Another tip I had earlier picked up from a Bahrain resident was the restaurants on street Jalan Ceylon, but they turned out to be a disappointing mix of expat joints with a touch of “foot massage”.

When the commercials are more important than the people.

Moving swiftly on to the area I had anticipated the most, the food street of Jalan Alor.

Food heaven at Jalan Alor.

The sun had now set and the temperature was down to non-lethal levels. We strolled down the busy street, dodging for motorcycles and sat down on wobbly plastic chairs for an evening meal.

Food heaven at Jalan Alor.

The street is an uneasy mix of vehicles, sellers and buskers. There is a constant buzz of thousand sounds at the same time and even more different smells. I could smell the Durian seller from a mile away, but it’s all part of the fascinating scenery.