Photo courtesy of Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

Describe a place to get a great cup of coffee. What's cool about it?

Kuala Lumpur has so many interesting places for a cuppa but my favourite is a spot 421 metres above the ground – at the Simply Café on the observation tower of Menara Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur Tower), the fourth tallest telecommunications tower in the world. From here, you have a bird’s eye view of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, Bukit Nanas Forest (the only oldest gazetted forest reserve in Malaysia) and the vast expanse of Kuala Lumpur and its numerous beautiful buildings.

Describe a time of day, a spot to sit, and a view that will break your heart.

Early evening. At the Taman Jaya lake in the suburb of Petaling Jaya. The view will not actually break my heart, but it makes me feel at peace with the world, sitting amid the greenery, listening to the birds and doing some fishing if one feels like it.

One neighbourhood venue, which gets people into the flow of your place.

The Lake Gardens. This botanical garden in the heart of the city is a favourite place for KLites to exercise in the early morning or after work and relax amid the sprawling green lawns, rolling hills and blooming gardens. Or just sit on the grassy lawns and people watch.

Describe a place that holds a strong memory for you when you first arrived.

When I first came to Kuala Lumpur I had to put up with my sister at a cramped apartment block in Jalan Imbi, which is famed for its food and, now, also home to some deluxe hotels. Coming from a small town where I stayed in one of those old town houses with lots of space and privacy, it was thus a surreal experience for me to have neighbours from opposite apartments staring into your kitchen while you cook or wash in the open areas. And they are not the smiling neighbours I was used to.

But it was a good introduction to the “big bad city” and showed me how different life was from my up-to-then cloistered life. Helped to widen my view of life and ease my transition to living in Kuala Lumpur. I still have fond memories of Jalan Imbi where I often visit for its great food, and pop by to look at the apartment block that was my first home.

An unforgettable excursion.

The Kuala Lumpur Heritage Tour. This is the best way to get close and personal with the city and, at the same time, learn the history behind some of its famous landmarks and buildings. This is a leisurely three-hour walk, with part of the journey on the Light Rail Transit. Some of the places you visit are the Masjid Jamek (one of the oldest mosque in Malaysia), Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Dataran Merdeka (Freedom Square), Cathedral of St Mary and National History Museum,

A restaurant dripping with atmosphere.

Kuala Lumpur is a food paradise, from its hawker centres, street food stalls to restaurants that serve literally cuisines of the world. But one restaurant that best fits the “dripping with atmosphere” description is the Hakka Restaurant along Jalan Kia Peng. It has served both locals and tourists alike for more than 40 years and has maintained its same décor despite the mushrooming of highrises and the Petronas Twin Towers all round it.
You can dine in air-conditioned comfort or in the open area, with a retractable roof that closes when it rains.

There’s nothing fancy about the restaurant but the food is good and reasonably priced. The “yong tow foo” buffet is the highlight of the lunch menu, while its steamboat is popular at night. Must try dishes are the stewed port with mantou dumplings, chilli crabs, Hakka noodles and Sabah vegetables. But a dish I “die” for is “Beggar’s Chicken”, wrapped and baked with herbs and the meat literally melts in your mouth.

One of your favourite shops. Why?

Apart from the small shops where you can find surprisingly beautiful things the ones drawing the crowds are the huge shopping malls that have sprung up recently such as the immense modern Pavilion, Mid-Valley Mega Mall and the expanded Sunway Pyramid.

For me my favourite is still Suria KLCC, which is part of the huge KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre) development. This is a great place to shop for it has all kinds of everything, from designer brands to affordable items, bookshops and lots of electronic stuff. It has numerous eateries too, from the two huge food courts to classy restaurants and kopitams. A lovely place to taste delicious local food is the Aseania Café that is part of Aseania, a special area selling beautiful and exquisite stuff from the ASEAN region.

What I love best about Suria KLCC is its adjoining 50-acre public park with its symphony fountains, wading pool, jogging track, shelters and benches, patterned foot-paths and sculptures. It’s so soothing just sitting at the Dome Café in the evening with a cup of coffee and watching people just having fun in the park.

A bar with attitude, and a drink to order there.

The SkyBar, Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur – the most happening bar in the city. This is the ultimate in cool drinks and intoxicating views as it is located on the hotel’s 33rd level with the Twin Towers right in your face and the entire view of the KLCC park below. What also gives this bar “an attitude” is its pool that serves as the centrepiece, with sofas, loungy cushions and bar stools set around it. During the day the glass-panelled ceiling allows natural sunlight to penetrate. through. Funky club music by a deejay and a large variety of drinks.

A word of caution: watch your steps if you have one drink too many or you may just end up in the pool as the seats are very close to it!

Where would you send someone to see a good gig or live show?

The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) touted as “Home of the Performing Arts” in Malaysia. Part of the Sentul West regeneration project, this modernist performing-arts complex puts on a wide range of progressive theatrical events. You can combine a night at the theatre with a stroll in peaceful 35-acrea Sentul Park and dinner at the Sentul Koi Carp Breeding Centre.

One thing you'd change about the destination if you could.

Two things really - fewer traffic jams and taxi drivers using meters. The first is already becoming a reality as the recent 40 percent fuel hike has kept many cars off the roads. The second may be wishful thinking, unless the authorities concerned seriously take strong action against the errant cabbies. Other than these I love Kuala Lumpur as it is.

Author's Note:

Corinne Wan is a freelancer writer/editorial consultant based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She “migrated” from a small town in Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur, fell in love with it and now calls this city of the Twin Towers home. She loves nothing better than to hang out in this city, and has yet to tire of its sounds, sights as well as its infamous traffic jams!