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GulaiNya, Bukit Damansara

GulaiNya serves Nyonya cooking in Bukit Damansara, drawing on both Penang and Melaka styles. It is an offshoot of Little Yum Yum in Kota Damansara, and it carries that kitchen's signatures across along with a fairly extensive menu of its own. It fills up — a Sunday night is a full house, so book a table rather than chance it. What to Order at GulaiNya The Gulai Tumis Red Snapper (RM48, small) is the anchor: fresh, firm fish in a gravy balanced so neither the spice nor the tang runs away with it. Paku Masak Lemak (RM22, small) is rich without turning unctuous, and the fern leaves keep their crunch — arguably better here than at the original. The Signature Egg (RM22, small) is the comfort order, though the yolk tends to arrive over-medium rather than runny. Asam Sambal Petai Prawn (RM28, small) glazes juicy prawns in a sambal that is more flavourful than fiery, and the petai stays tender and mild. Creamy Basil Chicken (RM28, small) is worth ordering even though the sauce runs thinner than it should to coat the chicken properly. Itik Tim is a newer addition for anyone who already knows the Nyonya version. For Nyonya food in Damansara Heights, or gulai tumis in Bukit Damansara, GulaiNya is the closer branch of a kitchen people have been driving to Kota Damansara for since 2012. Prices are for small portions, as quoted in the source review.

Thai Spot SS2

Thai Spot is a Thai kitchen in SS2, Petaling Jaya, and an offshoot of Frame Thai in Section 17. The room is plain — no styling to speak of — but comfortable enough for a proper sit-down meal, which is rather the point. It earns its place on the basics rather than on anything novel: the braised pork leg, the curries, the tom yum. What to Order at Thai Spot The braised pork leg is the dish to judge it by — fork-tender, deeply savoury, with just enough cinnamon and star anise coming through, no porky odour, and skin left soft and gelatinous. The green curry is made with chicken as standard but they will do pork on request, which gives it a richer body; either way it is creamy and properly spicy, with a sweetness off the basil. The omelette with minced pork arrives with crisp edges and a fluffy centre, generous enough with the pork that every bite has both, and the chilli sauce alongside it has real heat. Fried kangkung sits on the seasonal menu — light, crisp batter that stays crisp, with a peanut and chilli dip that does most of the work. The red creamy tom yum with seafood carries its depth from the squid, and red ruby closes the meal. For Thai food in SS2 or a braised pork leg in PJ, Thai Spot is the dependable choice rather than the exciting one — which is usually what you want.

Choon Guan Hainan Coffee

Choon Guan Hainan Coffee is a kopitiam in Bukit Raja, Klang — the more modern of its outlets, with food much the same as the original in Port Klang. Expect a queue past 10.30am, though tables turn quickly enough. You browse a menu, then order and pay at the counter. One detail worth knowing: there is a section of pre-paid meals on the board, bought by other customers for anyone who needs one. What to Order at Choon Guan Hainan Coffee The Hainan Bun Set (RM10.10) comes with soft-boiled eggs and coffee — the bun light and crisp, the coffee aromatic. Take it hot rather than iced; the thickness and flavour only really show up that way. The Hainan Kampung Chicken Rice Ball (RM13.10 small, RM25 large) is better than chicken rice usually manages: the rice fluffy but holding its shape as a ball, the chicken firm and smooth with a good bite, ginger and scallion running through it. The chicken chop is the dish people come for — a juicy boneless fried chicken leg under a gravy that is savoury, sweet and tangy, with caramelised onions and Worcestershire sauce doing the work. For a kopitiam in Bukit Raja or Hainan chicken chop in Klang, Choon Guan is the one people drive across town for.

Bangsar Venicia

Bangsar Venicia is a Chinese restaurant tucked inside Bangsar Puteri Condominium, and finding it is part of the experience — the signage is minimal, so look for the entrance marked Lobby, or ask the guard to point you. It has run long enough to be a regulars' place, the sort of room Bangsar residents have been bringing family to for over a decade. What to Order at Bangsar Venicia The Nyonya pucuk paku (RM16, small) is the one to order first: rich with coconut milk, carrying real depth from the belacan, lemongrass and spices, and the fern kept tender rather than fibrous. Sambal petai prawn (RM38) is good enough to convert people who avoid petai — the beans crunchy and tender with barely any odour, the prawns plump, the sambal aromatic and spice-forward. The curry fish head is the crowd order, and you can see it on half the tables; the flavours build gradually rather than arriving all at once. Jiang Nam prawn rounds out the signatures. For a curry fish head in Bangsar or Chinese food in Bangsar Puteri, this is the neighbourhood institution hiding behind an unmarked lobby door.

Yang Yang Hong, Sitiawan

Song Lim Restaurant

Song Lim Restaurant is a Chinese kitchen with an extensive menu and a reputation built on its creamy butter loh shi fun. The room splits into an air-conditioned section and an open-air one — the regulars tend to sit outside. Worth being straight about: the dish it is known for is the one that disappoints. What to Order at Song Lim Skip the creamy butter loh shi fun (RM19, small). The gravy arrives watery rather than golden, with a curry-powder aftertaste and a strong dried-shrimp note doing more work than the butter — not the decadence the name promises. Order the creamy butter chicken (RM34, small) instead. Same idea, executed properly: the gravy thick and fragrant with curry leaves, the chicken still crisp under it. The special sauce steamed tilapia (RM8 per 100g) is the other one to get — fresh fish in a garlicky, savoury gravy with a light heat off bird's eye chilli. Threadfin and garoupa can be cooked the same way if you would rather not have tilapia. For steamed fish or butter chicken in a classic Chinese restaurant, Song Lim is worth the trip — just not for the dish it is famous for.

Teng Haw Kedai Kopi, Kuantan

Teng Haw Kedai Kopi serves what locals will tell you is the best curry mee in Kuantan — and Kuantan curry mee is its own thing, distinct from the Klang Valley version. Go early. By 10.30am the brinjal yong tau fu is typically gone, and that is the piece worth queuing for; what remains tends to be ladies finger and tofu puffs. What to Order at Teng Haw Kedai Kopi The curry mee (RM6 small, RM8 large) is the order. The broth looks deceptively light, but the flavour arrives immediately — there is a layer of orange-flecked oil on top from the pecah minyak process, where the spices are fried until they split from the oil and turn aromatic. It is not the thick, heavy style; it carries its weight through santan and spice instead. Yong tau fu is picked from what is left by the time you arrive, and there is konlo (dark sauce) noodles for anyone at the table who cannot take the curry broth. For curry mee in Kuantan, this is the one people send visitors to.

Yi Ding U Cuisine, Pudu

Yi Ding U Cuisine is a Cantonese roast specialist in Pudu, known first for its Hong Kong-style roast goose. Two private rooms seat 10 to 12 each, with a minimum spend — call ahead if you want one. A practical warning before you go: it sits on the main road with no parking out front. You park behind and walk in through the back, which means entering through the kitchen. If that is not for you, get dropped at the front instead. What to Order at Yi Ding U Cuisine The roast goose (RM198, whole) is the reason to come and it delivers. Char siew (RM40, medium) has a properly sticky-sweet glaze, but ask for half lean and half fat — order it blind and you may get a lean cut that eats dry, where the right cut melts as you chew. Skip the siew yuk (RM75, large). The meat runs dry and the five-spice is heavy enough to flatten everything else on the plate. For roast goose in Pudu or Cantonese roast meats in Kuala Lumpur, Yi Ding U is worth the awkward entrance.

SS Spicy Food, Kampung Attap

SS Spicy Food is a South Indian kitchen in Kampung Attap — a humble shopfront most people drive past without registering, which is the usual sign of somewhere worth stopping. It opens at 6.30am, and mornings bring the breakfast staples: poori, thosai, idli. What to Order at SS Spicy Food The chicken peratal (RM6, small) is the dish to judge it on: the gravy balances its spice against a deep caramelised-onion sweetness, the chicken comes in decent-sized pieces, and the whole thing tastes homestyle rather than restaurant-tuned. Pair it with chapati (RM5 for two pieces), even if it arrives at room temperature. Mutton varuval is the other order to know about. Takeaway portions run generous — a packet of rice with mutton varuval, chicken peratal and a vegetable will comfortably feed two. For South Indian food in Kampung Attap, or an early breakfast of thosai near KL city centre, this is the one locals send you to.

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