An Early Bird's Take on Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur

Petaling Street has gotta be one of the most famous spot in Kuala Lumpur. Dubbed the Chinatown of KL. Its rich history stretched almost a century ago. But rest assured you won't be bored to death by a historian's lecture here.

After a major revamp few years ago, the whole area is covered with roof, providing shelter from the sun and the rain. (But admit it, who wouldn't want to see if the vendors' claim of "waterproof ORIGINAL handbags" at rockbottom price, really rings true? LOL)

Raw Fish Porridge (RM5)

The densed "shopping area", selling various fashionable bags/shoes/clothes are intermittently parked among some pretty good find for interesting food & beverages. If you're visiting at night, the place is a hive of activities, customers (mostly tourists/foreigners) bargaining at peak volume, and locals hanging around for some food and relaxation.

Hon Kee Porridge Stall @ Jalan Hang Lekir (Nvm the shoes temptation)

But strolling around on a fine morning does not promise boredom either, eventhough most stalls are closed. Hon Kee Porridge Stall is one of the rare finds, though adequately covered in the media, from TV shows, to newspapers and blogs. Their signature porridge include the one with raw fish slices in sesame oil, garnished with julienned ginger, spring onions and coriander.

No, you DO not eat the fish ala sashimi style, but rather dip them or 'swish' them for a while in the hot porridge, and cook them freshly on the spot. Delicious, and this coming from someone who refrains from ordering porridge on most days. =)

Koon Kee Wantan Mee Stall @ Jalan Hang Lekir

Right next to the porridge stall is this wantan mee shop/shack (Koon Kee) that has been in business since forever. This stall has been in the limelight for an enviable amount of times, and most KL-ites would know this place for good wantan mee.

Char Siew Wantan Mee (RM4 for small)

A bit on the pricey end, the serving is quite generous for a small portion. The Char Siew (Barbecued Pork Slices) were passable, definitely not on par with some of the best, but the noodles are good. Very fine, and springy. However the wantan (pork+shrimp dumplings) are forgettable. So much for a WANTAN mee. Hehe ....

Scoop your own pickled green chillies for added kick ... not spicy.

Still hungering for more, I jaywalked around and came to this curry puff stall, with sizeable number of patrons, and a few assistants kneading the dough and frying them on the spot! And the sheer number of puffs being freshly made persuaded me to walk over, and embrace the hype.

Old Lim Curry Puff - A contender for Old Chang Kee?!

They sell curry puffs with or without eggs. RM1.30 and RM1.10 respectively, I think. The stall was interviewed by Ho Chak, a local programme on 8TV promoting good food across Malaysia. (Both the porridge and wantan noodles stalls were on the show once, btw).

Hot, spicy, curry puff with potatoes and egg (RM1.30)

Tastewise? Not bad, as I had them while they're still HOT. Crisp on the outer layer, and savoury fillings. Great with tea, though you can't really find a spot for teh tarik around the area. On normal days, right beside this stall is the famous lady selling deep-fried sweet potato balls, also a perennial favourite of mine, and the stall was 'licked' by the media as well. However, as luck would have it, the lady went for holidays on that very day. Hmm .... *_*

The simple, yet divine stall serving Air Mata Kucing (Longan Drink)

To down them all, hop over to this very famous stall selling a beverage named Air Mata Kucing, or Winter Melon with Longans (RM1.20). Perfect for a hot day, refreshing and sweet. Sooth that battered throat anyday! This simple stall has evolved into a small entrepreneur of some sort, opening a branch in Midvalley. Though the price is scaled accordingly. =)

Regurgitating aliens?

And last but not least, I ended my breakfast crawl with some durian puffs from Kafe Happy Meal, on Jalan Tun HS Lee. Refer my old post HERE for directions and such. But sadly, an unfortunate event happened, that prevented me from raving a second time about these babies. No, not that the price has increased to RM2.80 for 4, as I still find them reasonable.

But rather, by the time I took a bite, a good 5 hours after purchasing and left to bask in the sun, the puffs rebelled and decided to transformed into inedible materials. In short, they were spoiled. >o<

Do take note, if you're not placing them in fridge, consume within 2 hours or so. The fresh durian cream is indeed, FRESH, and no preservatives added.

Location : The porridge, wantan mee, curry puffs and air mata kucing stalls are all located in the same area, a short walk from each other. Jalan Hang Lekir is a road parallel to Jalan Petaling, and also infested with various stalls. Pretty easy to locate. Coming from the huge entrance arch of Petaling Street, walk into Jalan Petaling until you reach a crossroad. Turn left, and you'll find the Air Mata Kucing stall on your left, and the porridge/wantan noodles stalls on your right. The curry puffs stall is further down on your left.