Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia Stays Winning

I arrived in Kuala Lumpur riding the high of Georgetown. Kuala Lumpur sealed the deal and sent Malaysia skyrocketing in my country power rankings. KL is one of my favorite cities I have ever been to. It is strikingly modern, and yet surprisingly cheap. On top of that, it is small enough to be entirely walkable and then of course Kuala Lumpur had incredible food. Just amazing.

This is the view of the city skyline out of my AirBnB window. I had no idea Kuala Lumpur was this modern.

I had a spacious apartment in the heart of the city and yet was still on budget.

And it had lightning fast WiFi - always a blessing.

Georgetown solidified the power of the Michelin Guide. KL introduced an arguably even more powerful force: the Instagram Reel. To my older viewers, Instagram Reels (or "Reels" as they are more commonly referred to) are extremely short Tik Tok - esque videos meant to be consumed in bulk. I learned in Kuala Lumpur that you can search for things like "best food in KL" and scroll through ten videos showing local picks complete with video reviews of the food. Amazing.

I set out on my first day and took in the modern beauty of the city.

I had my first Reels - recommended meal, a delicious chicken chop floating in a pool of gravy with potatoes and a sprinkling of veggies. This dish was delicious and was an auspicious beginning to my Kuala Lumpur food tour.

I continued immediately to my next food spot from Reels, a Chinese noodle shop.

This bowl of homemade noodles with a runny egg, ground pork, ample chili crisp, a splash of broth, and a few pork wontons was easily a top ten probably top five best meal of the trip. A league of its own when it comes to flavor bomb status. I was drenched in sweat and having the time of my life. Truly an incredible dish that I never would have found without Instagram Reels.

The owner explained to me that the restaurant has been serving the same recipe for over fifty years. And it showed.

I wandered through the much more village-esque streets of Kampung Baru with the KL skyline looming over the small assorted shops, restaurants, and homes.

I grabbed a bag of fried kaya and chocolate balls as a palate cleanser.

I then took the longest single span steel structure elevated walkway in Malaysia from the small village feel of Kampung Baru to the booming clean modern heart of KL.

The modern architecture felt foreign after so many weeks in let's just say less than cutting edge cities.

The aftermath of the 2025 ASEAN summit (which Trump briefly visited) was visible.

I also learned that Kuala Lumpur laid claim to the tallest buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers, from 1998 to 2004. AND KL currently has the second tallest building in the world. I truly did so little research I had no idea Kuala Lumpur was such a vibrant hub of economic power in Southeast Asia.

I then went into the nearest mall because as Jake and I learned in Bangkok, they are air conditioned and have free bathrooms and essentially infinite food.

I hit the classic look but don't buy, including trying on this ~$8,000 watch.

I guess Bain Capital hasn't made it to Malaysia yet because Toys R Us seems to be not bankrupt.

Post-mall I had some amazing beef pho courtesy of the Michelin Guide.

I couldn't help but listen to this guy next to me as I think he genuinely was planning his flight from the country after a court ordered him to pay some $50,000 in fines for who knows what. I thought he was joking until he pulled out an envelope full of passports? He seemed very much serious.

I grabbed some roti for dessert. I actually can't get enough of roti - it is so flaky and oily.

I then bought what I thought was marinated chicken pieces but was actually just straight chicken gizzard.

I began my second day with a double patty smash burger for breakfast courtesy of Reels. It was juicy and crispy and absolutely fantastic. Thank you Instagram.

Ice cream for dessert after breakfast.

I swung by the Petaling street market.

And grabbed a bao bun and dumpling to snack on.

Then I tried these peanut dusted gelatin cubes. They were not good.

The area was beautiful and the towering silhouette of Merdeka 118 (second tallest building in the world) inspired me to get as close to the building as possible.

Along the way I saw some more gems.

And then I went to the base of the second tallest building in the world, a staggering 2,227 foot glass and steel behemoth.

Then I went to an 8 story mall dedicated to various local art and food vendors.

I wandered through this niche photography exhibit on predatory plants.

I had some more ice cream (but it had algae in it so it was healthy and exploratory).

Next I went to the rare Reels and Michelin Guide overlap - Huen Kee claypot chicken. They cook each bowl fresh on the hot coals out front. I learned when I went to pay that without asking for it they assumed my fat American ass wanted the double portion of chicken, which of course I ate all of. The rice was deliciously burnt and crisped on the edges. This meal was another fantastic Kuala Lumpur food victory.

Then I walked to yet another mall.

And I had ice cream number three on the day.

Along with more roti for dessert.

I started out my third and final full day in KL with a Reels - recommended bird's nest roti. I ordered two of course (one chicken one beef). They were fantastic.

Then I made my way over to the Batu caves, a series of limestone caves filled with Hindu temples.

The complex was full of some of the most mischievous monkeys I've ever encountered. This guy stole this bottle of soda from a lady, unscrewed the cap and chugged the whole sugary drink.

I especially appreciated this wise monkey who seemed so refined amidst the chaos of his brethren.

When I climbed the stairs to the top I was greeted with various colorful presumably ancient temples.

However when I got to the next temple it was actively being destroyed?

I looked back five minutes later and that worker had upgraded to a jackhammer.

Nice.

Overall the caves were quite touristy but they were beautiful.

I enjoyed a post-caves dip in my AirBnB's building pool and then set out for dinner.

I finally achieved my Indian food flavor bomb with a bowl of murgh jahangir which may be the heaviest dish I have ever consumed. I could barely eat half of it.