Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
224
Al Nafourah
LEBANESE Dripping with the magical allure of a desert oasis,
Al Nafourah is pur e Arabian N ights. With Moorish arches, twinkling lanterns, car ved
screens, silken hangings, mosaic tiles, and wo ven carpets throughout, the restaurant also
has booths in private nooks for extra romance. The Lebanese cuisine is some of the best
around, with lamb, chicken, and fish dishes in tangy herbs and warm flatbr eads straight
from a wood-fir e oven. Outside on the terrace, sit back and drink a heady coffee and
smoke fr om a hookah while taking in belly-dance per
formances. A tr uly memorable
evening.
Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, 2 Jalan Stesen Sentral.
&
03/2263-7888.
Reservations recommended. Main
courses RM48-RM128 ($14-$37/£8.65-£23). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily noon-2:30pm and 6:30-10:30pm.
Chynna
CANT ONESE Chynna is pur e dinner theater: F rom the M adam
Wong-style red lanterns to the Old China antique replica furnishings, you'll think you're
in a highly stylized Shanghai of yesteryear. For fun, there's a show kitchen where you can
watch delectable dim sum morsels being pr epared, or you can just sit at y our table and
watch the tea master refill your cup with long-stem tea pourers and acrobatic moves. Pure
genius! The delicious lunch dim sum menu is extensive, with most dishes between RM8
and RM12 ($2.30-$3.50/£1.45-£2.15). Dinner is standard Cantonese fare, but expen-
sive, with an extensive menu of soups and rice and noodle dishes.
Hilton K uala L umpur, 3 Jalan St esen S entral.
&
03/2264-2264.
Reser vations r ecommended. Small
dishes RM28-RM56 ($8.10-$16/£5.05-£10). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily noon-2:30pm and 6:30-10:30pm.
Coliseum Cafe
Finds
WESTERN/LOCAL What can I say about Coliseum? O kay,
the place is 90 y ears old, and so is the staff (seriously , some hav e worked here forever).
Located in the grottiest hotel I've ever seen, with stained white walls, worn tile floors, and
threadbare linens, this is KL's authentic “greasy spoon.” It sounds dreadful, but the place
is legendary, and someday it will be gone and ther e will never be anything else like it. I t
used to be
the place
for the starched-shirt colonial types to get real Western food back in
the day. Now it's a favorite with the locals, who come for enormous sizzling steaks (which
fill the place with gr easy smoke), baked crabmeat ser ved in the shell, and the house
favorite caramel custard pudding. Actually, the food is quite nice, and the prices ar e ter-
rific for the steaks, which I highly r ecommend ordering. You either get this place or you
don't.
98-100 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
&
03/2692-6270.
Reservations not accepted. Main courses RM20-
RM60 ($5.80-$17/£3.60-£11). MC. Daily 8am-10pm.
Feast Village
INTERNA TIONAL I'm one of those people who can nev er
decide what to eat, so this is the place for me. Located in the basement of tarhill Gallery,
an ex clusive shopping mall, F east Village isn't a single r estaurant, but a cluster of 13
arranged like a small Malay village. As you stroll along stone and timber pathways, you'll
pass cafes that ser ve seafood, steaks, M alay, Chinese, Thai, Korean, Indian, and mor e.
Within each cafe, the menu is unique and so is the decor. Shook! stands out for its Japa-
nese, Chinese and Western offerings. Wander, smell the smells, r ead the menus, check
out the sights, and find the per fect food for your mood.
Basement, Starhill Gallery, 181 Jalan Buk it Bintang.
&
03/2782-3800.
Reservations not required. Main
courses vary from outlet to outlet. AE, DC, MC, V. Most outlets daily noon-2:30pm and 6:30-10:30pm.
Le Bouchon
FRENCH This cozy F rench provincial restaurant along the bar-
and-restaurant street of Changkat Bukit Bintang is a long-time favorite with KL's French
community. This place satisfies their discerning palates, so y ou know it's good. Try the
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