Stesen Sentral (Central Station) is convenient for those in transit, not a great destination in itself, although over the past few years there has been development, including a swish new shopping centre connected to the station. At least we found a place in the dingy upstairs Malay food court that serves good roti canai.
The McDonalds is advertising a Durian Crunch McFlurry. Yep, it is possible for Maccas to serve worse.
Caught the LRT to KLCC Station, adjacent to the Petronas Twin Towers. It was amusing to see Japanese duvets at the Muji outlet. Amusing after our difficulties finding a queen duvet at Muji in its home country of Japan and amusing as a warm doona is the last thing you need in Malaysia.
We spotted MiL and Friend across the road and joined them at KLCC Suria. The Petrosains science centre was closed as it's a Monday and MiL decided she wanted Chinese food (as in Southern Chinese food), so we only stayed briefly before returning to the hotel, then heading back out to Petaling Street to eat at Nam Heong.
I thought Nam Heong's famous Hainanese chicken to be tough and disappointing. B does a better job. But MiL liked it. I preferred the apom balik I bought from a market vendor. We didn't spend too much time browsing the ripoff Petaling Markets. There were threateningly dark clouds approaching. Last time we were here the roads around Petaling Street flooded after a tropical downpour.
We made it back to the hotel before the storm broke. I managed to video some of the big lightning strikes outside our hotel room window. I had one of those favourite holiday afternoons with an afternoon sleep with the family while my music played and the storm raged outside.
The weather wiped out a chance at an afternoon swim. After we woke we joined the others and caught a taxi through the jams to SS2/6 in Petaling Jaya where we had a nonya dinner at Tanjung Bunga. Assam prawns, inci chicken, fish, green mango kerabu and some unknown greeny brown dish that only MiL liked.
Unfortunately we didn't have the stomach for the adjacent Original Kayu Nasi Kandar. Their rotis and tandoori chicken are so good. Instead we walked through the dark streets dodging traffic to reach SS2/66, B's old home area and site of a big Monday night pasar malam, or night market.
Little stalls selling fruits and fish, watches and underpants, cakes and kuihs and everything else. We bought lollies, a pair of thongs, some ripoff building blocks, a puzzle, shorts, various kuihs, more apom balik and Alex devoured a curry puff and two skewers of quail eggs. These are fun markets, local markets, not the tourist ripoffs of Petaling Street.
Getting back to the hotel was likely to be a problem. We asked about the location of the nearest taxi rank, but on the way was a bus stop. A bus pulled up with an indicator showing Stesen Sentral, so we decided to hop onboard; RM$6 for the five of us.
After the situation of five passengers plus driver crammed into a small taxi with a wet seat on the way out, the bus was positively comfortable and reasonably fast and direct too.
I look at the photos of friends when visiting places like Malaysia and Singapore and usually see proper restaurants, often with very swish food. I think I prefer the ambience of the local hawker centre or tiny streetside stall. It's something special that Australia lacks. Something I'm going to miss.
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