Most of the articles written on this website highlight the shiny, modern new eateries and places that have been sprouting up in the city of Kuala Lumpur in recent times. In spite of that, it’s nice to sometimes sit and look back upon the classic places we used to go to eat or hang out way back when, especially since most of these places have been around for decades. Even our parents might have fond memories of these places growing up! Grab the chance to visit these nostalgic places before they might close down someday:
Restoran Bilal, Jalan Ampang
This unpretentious restaurant has been around for years and years, and they serve up a mean roti canai and nasi biryani that have kept the same crowd coming for a long time. They mostly specialize in serving authentic Indian food, their most popular dishes being their nasi buhara and nasi biryani. Chow down with the regulars at this age-old establishment and their hearty, favourite dishes.
Restoran Bilal, No. 39 & 41, Jalan Ampang (Hingga Km 6.5), Kuala Lumpur, 50450
Hours: 10am-10pm daily
Tel: +603-20260842
Ampang Park Shopping Centre
Ampang Park was the first ever (!!) shopping mall built in Malaysia in 1973, and I’m sure both you and your parents have fond memories of strolling along it’s floors. Nowadays, most people go there to shop for Raya clothes, seeing as the mall is chockfull of stores selling baju kurung, shawls, shoes, and tons of other clothing items for men and women alike. Also, don’t forget to have a bite at Cozy Corner, a restaurant serving up the best in nostalgic local and Western dishes (their Hainanese chicken chop is arguably the best in KL). Some of the waiters have been working there since my parents were young! This applies to lots of other stores in Ampang Park, where you’ll be greeted with familiar smiles and sights every time you visit. Unfortunately, this iconic mall will be closing down soon, in spite of strong protests from the community, so make sure to pay your last visits before they close up shop.
Ampang Park Shopping Centre, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
Hours: 10am-10pm daily
Coliseum Café & Grill, Jalan TAR
Established in 1921, this restaurant, cinema, and hotel has been around since the 1920s! It’s nostalgic atmosphere and food evokes sentimental memories, as I’m sure most of us have been here at least once in our lives. Their classic Western dishes like sizzling lamb chop, chicken cordon bleu, and tenderloin steak have remained the same throughout the years, so most people know exactly what they want to order the moment they’ve sat down. Don’t forget their desserts, including the crème caramel pudding or apple pie.
Coliseum Cafe & Grill, 98-100 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 50100 Kuala Lumpur
Hours: 10am-10pm daily
Tel: +603-26926270
Website: http://www.coliseum1921.com
Yut Kee Coffee Shop, Chow Kit
Yut Kee has become the go-to place for tons of people in the area, both old and young. Their timeless roti bakar with homemade kaya is undeniably tasty, while their bright yellow butter cake will bring a smile to anyone’s face (and their belly too). Other popular dishes that keep people coming back for more are their belacan fried rice, Hainanese-style pork chop, and mee hailam, all well-known local favourites. This place gets quite busy during lunch hours as it accommodates office workers from the surrounding buildings, therefore make sure to avoid coming here at those times.
Yut Kee Coffee Shop, 35 Jalan Kamunting, Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur 50300
Hours: 8am-5pm daily, closed on Mondays and last Sunday of the month.
Tel: +603-26988108
Panggung Bandaraya
Back during our grandparents’ youth, they didn’t have TV or the Internet to tide them over during particularly boring days, so what did they do instead? Go to the theatre of course! Panggung Bandaraya is the oldest theatre in Malaysia (it was built over 100 years ago!), and they are currently the home of MudKL, the musical play illustrating the colourful history of our beloved city of Kuala Lumpur. Catch a show with your family, as they’re performing the play twice a day, and learn a little more about how we came to be about here in KL.
Panggung Bandaraya DBKL, Jalan Raja, 50050 Kuala Lumpur
Hours: 10am-8.30pm on show days
Tel: +603-26023335
Valentine Roti, Jalan Semarak
One of the best places in the city to get your roti fix, Valentine Roti, that has been around for over 2 decades, is constantly busy and bustling for a reason. The shabby exterior of simple zinc and metal doesn’t deter their patrons from stepping in for some paper-thin roti canai, as well as their signature roti valentine (filled with spicy sardine, onions, crunchy vegetables, the works). Their classic, nostalgic pairing of roti canai and sweet teh Tarik is a combination that has been working for years, and continues to do so till today.
Valentine Roti, Stall 1 Jalan Semarak, Semarak, Kuala Lumpur 54000
Hours: 4pm-2am daily, closed on Sundays.
Tel: +6016-2322275
Jai Hind, Jalan Melayu
If you’re a fan of tasty Indian sweet treats, then I’m sure you’ve been here before already. 60-year-old establishment Jai Hind hand-makes its various Punjabi desserts that have attracted us into buying one too many sweets (even though we know we won’t go through them all at once), like their sticky-sweet gulab jamun, round balls of ladoo, and sweet barfi. Don’t go too overboard and fall into a food coma!
Jai Hind, 13 Jalan Melayu, 50100 Kuala Lumpur
Hours: 8am-9pm daily
Tel: +603-26920041
Now you know where to go and what to do for your #throwback for the week. Let us know of any other nostalgic places that we missed!
