Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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terrine de fois gras
and ox tongue. The wines are excellent and reasonably priced, consid-
ering the quality. The restaurant is French owned and managed, and while the food and
wines are first class, there's still a nice unpretentious ambience.
14&16 Changkat Bukit Bintang.
&
03/2142-7633.
Reservations recommended. Main courses RM40-
RM120 ($12-$35/£7.20-£22). AE, DC, MC, V. Lunch Tues-Fri noon-2pm; dinner daily 7-10:30pm.
Sao Nam
VIETNAMESE One of Asia's great restaurants, Sao Nam has color ful
decor with r evolutionary posters on ochr e walls. The power tables ar e at the cour tyard
entrance. The food is authentic, fr esh, and full of twists and surprises. Try the man-
gosteen and prawn salad, but order when you book your reservation, as they sell out fast.
For starters, try the sample plate and move on to curries, noodle soup, and crispy pancake
and duck in orange sauce. G ood, reasonably priced wines.
25 Tengkat Tong Shin.
&
03/2144-1225.
Reser vations essential . M ain c ourses RM22-RM32 ($6.40-
$9.30/£3.95-£5.75). AE, MC, V. Tues-Sun noon-2:30pm and 6:30-10:30pm. Closed Mon.
Top Hat Restaurant
Finds
ASIAN FUSION Top Hat has a unique atmo-
sphere. In a 1930s bungalow that was once a school, the place winds through room after
room, its walls painted in bright hues and furnished with an assor tment of mix-and-
matched teak tables, chairs, and antiques. The menu is fabulous. While a la car te is
available, Top Hat puts together set meals featuring N yonya, Melaka (Malacca) Portu-
guese, traditional Malay, Thai, Western, and even vegetarian recipes. They're all brilliant.
Desserts are huge and sinful. There's a sampler dish for those who can't decide.
No. 7 Jalan Kia Peng.
&
03/2142-8611.
Reservations recommended. Main courses RM30-RM65 ($8.70-
$19/£5.40-£12). Set meals RM30-RM100 ($8.70-$29/£5.40-£18). AE, DC, MC, V. Lunch Mon-Fri noon-
2:30pm; dinner daily 6-10:30pm.
13
ATTRACTIONS
Most of Kuala Lumpur's historic sights ar e located in and ar ound the Merdeka Square/
Jalan H ishamuddin ar ea, while many of the gar dens, par ks, and museums ar e out at
Lake G ardens. Taxi far e betw een the two locations should r
un y ou about RM8
($2.30/£1.45).
KL Hop-on Hop-off City Tours
(
&
03/2691-1382;
www.myhoponhopoff.com) is
the best way to see the city attractions. D ouble-decker buses cir cle the inner city daily
from 8:30am to 8:30pm at 30-minute inter vals; commentaries are in several languages.
It costs RM38 ($11/£6.85) adults and RM17 ($4.95/£3.05) childr en.
Central Market
The original Central M arket, built in 1936, used to be a w et
market, but the place is no w a cultural center (air-conditioned!) for local ar tists and
craftspeople selling antiques, crafts, and curios. I t's fantastic for buying M alaysian and
Asian crafts and souvenirs, with two floors of shops fr om which to choose.
Jalan Benteng.
&
03/2274-6542.
Daily 10am-10pm. Shops open until 8:30 or 9pm.
Cosmo's World Theme Park
Kids
I don't car e if y ou hav e kids or not,
Cosmo's rocks. The world's largest indoor amusement park is literally built into the walls
of this 900-outlet shopping mall. You don't even need to ride the looping r oller coaster
to feel that thrill in the pit of your stomach. Just stand and watch it overhead as it flashes
by. It really takes your breath away. There are saner rides, too, plus a host of kiddie rides.
Highly recommended for families with active kids.
Berjaya Times Square Shopping M all, No. 1 Jalan I mbi.
&
03/2117-3118.
Adults RM32 ($9.30/£5.75),
children RM28 ($8.10/£5.05). Daily 10am-10pm.
