Chinese Dishes
The unique appeal of Chinese food is its vast menu. Just as the Chinese will eat anything with their backs facing the sun, the cooks will cook it in every conceivable way. For example, there are countless variations revolving on one simple theme of noodles. Give it a little gravy and some salted anchovies, it's called 'Pan Mee'; fry it over a flaming wok with some soy sauce and it becomes 'Char Keow Teow'; marinate the noodles in rich oil with prawns and it's called 'Hokkien Mee'; the list goes on.
Chinese restaurants in Kuala Lumpur can be found just about everywhere, from five-star hotels and resorts, to unassuming streets and residential neighbourhoods. The unique appeal of Chinese food is that there are countless way of preparing a staple ingredient such as rice and noodles. For example, a serving of egg noodles can be served in a simple broth (pork noodle soup), stir-fried in soy sauce and prawns (char kuey teow), or drizzled in dark soya sauce and topped barbecued pork and dumplings (wanton mee).
Traditional Chinese food is mild in taste, but in Malaysia, flavours tend to be robust and spicy due to the heavy influence of Indian and Malay cooking techniques. Malaysia is also a predominantly Muslim nation, so there are restaurants that serve pork-free alternatives using chicken, beef, fish and venison. From decades-old hawker stalls and atmospheric kopitiams to award-winning restaurants and halal-friendly cafes, read on for our list of the most popular places in KL for Chinese food.