A Food Lover's Guide to Kuala Lumpur

The Lot 10 Hutong has the best street stalls from across KL, the Klang Valley and Singapore, ensconced by invitation in the mall basement, with the food section of the Isten supermarket conveniently next to it. You'll get everything from Woo Pin famous fish head noodles to duckling BBQ here.

Go Japanese at Tokyo Street in the Pavilion KL mall; where treats like Japanese popsicles at JPop and Japanese crepes at Shimini (the most popular is the fresh kiwi crêpe with ice cream and honey) sit alongside the usual Teppanyaki offerings.

At the opposite end of the Pavilion's Level 6 is a marvelous surprise - Din Tai Fung, famous for its Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings). You lift the dumplings to your lips, delicately bite a small hole in the skin and suck out the flavorful broth. Then attack the filing itself, kept wonderfully moist from being steamed with the liquid.

Close by on Jalan Mesui, Palate Palette has classics with unusual twists and naughty name. Ideal for sharing, The Threesome has 'chick' strips 'wedgies' and calamari rings with three dips, Asam Boi, a cooler with local calamansi limes and preserved plums, and chili shrimp aglio olio - linguini with seed with chili flakes and lemon. All served up in a cool hangout with an eclectic collection of chairs and tables.

If you're a foodie and manage to get yourself to Bukir Bintang, you can't not go to the Jalan Alor food street. Locals flock to Wong Ah Wah ( WAW on the signboard), the last stall on the strip, for the grilled chicken wings. Even vegetarians will find enough to keep them content.

Nirwana Maju in Bangsar is very popular with locals and expats for its banana-leaf meals; you'll find them sitting at basic tables and chairs in suits and cocktail dresses. The basic Sadya (South Indian Thali) is vegetarian with yummy non-vegetarian add-ons like deep fried chicken and fish.

Blue Boy Vegetarian Food Center is an unassuming eatery with just eight items on the menu displayed on the wall. Even carnivores will not miss the meat in the Char Kway Teow (stir-fried rice cake strips), because of the textures of the rice noodles, the tofu strips and the bean sprouts. A bonus is Chung who talks animatedly about why Indians should not eat Indian in Malaysia and why everyone should try local beverages like 'Teh Tarik'. The beverage is usually for roadside stalls (ask them to hold the sugar), the iced version is just one of the draws of the Breakfast at cozy Wondermama at Bangsar. Try the morning Nasi Lemak - with rice, Ikan Bilis (french anchovies), a fried egg, sambal and fried fish or chicken, or the morning Mee Siam (noodles with egg, cucumber, fried chicken and Ikan Bilis in broth). Keep a straight face when you order super Hor Fun - Chinese noodles served with minced chicken and curry sauce and the Malaya Egg Wonderdict - Eggs Benedict with Kaya (cocojam) and crisp Ikan Bilis. We love it when restaurants have a sense of humor, even unintentionally - it makes great food even better!