MALAYSIA
KUALA LUMPUR •• Drinking lonelyplanet.comoWong Ah Wah^ (Map p444 ; Jln Alor; meals
RM15-20; h4pm-4am) At the southern end of
the street, and justly famous for its seriously
addictive chicken wings, an ideal late-night
snack with a beer.DRINKING
Drinking in Malaysia is definitely no budget
activity and drinks at ‘proper’ bars are
nearly double in price. The cheapest places
to imbibe are Chinese eateries or open-air
hawker stalls.
Meat-market bars congregate along Jln
P Ramlee while sophisticates and the indie-
inclined heat up at nearby CapSquare. Head
to Bangsar for classy expat bars and cafes.
Check out the latest club news in KLue
(www.klue.com.my; RM5). Clubs are typically open
Wednesday to Sunday and usually charge
a cover (including one drink) of RM20 to
RM40 Thursday to Saturday.
Finnegan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant (Map p444 ;
%2284 9024; 6 Jln Telawi Lima) This is a first-rate
place for a knees-up with live ESPN sports
coverage, enthusiastic staff, stout and a
decent menu.
oPalate Palette^ (Map p444 ; %2142 2148;
http://www.palatepalette.com; 21 Jln Mesui; hnoon-midnight
Tue-Thu, noon-2am Fri & Sat) Gotta love a place
that offers a drink called Kick in the Nuts.
Colourful, creative and quirky, this cafe-bar is
a great place to eat (mains RM10 to RM30),
drink, play board games, and check out KL’s
boho crowd.
Sixty Nine Bistro (off Map p444 ; %2144 3369; 14 Jln
Kampung Dollah; hnoon-midnight) Worth checking
out for its eclectic junk-shop-chic furnishings,
milk and fruit shakes and resident fortune
tellers and tarot card readers.
Zouk (Map pp440-1 ; %2171 1997; http://www.zoukclub.com
.my; 113 Jln Ampang) There’s a theme for everyone
here from the small and edgy Loft Bar to a
plastic palm-fringed main venue and sophis-
ticated Velvet Underground (RM45 including
entry to Zouk).
Maison (Map pp440-1 ; %2381 2088; http://www.maison
.com.my; 8 Jln Yap Ah Shak) Five shophouses have
been knocked together to form a great space
for this club where house music, in all its
forms, rules.ENTERTAINMENT
Tanjung Golden Village (Map pp440-1 ; %7492 2929;
http://www.tgv.com.my; 3rd fl, Suria KLCC Shopping Complex) Thelatest Bollywood and Hollywood blockbusters
are shown at this arctic multiscreen cinema.
Regular cultural performances and shows
are held at the Malaysian Tourist Centre (MaTiC; Map
pp440-1 ; %2164 3929, 2163 3667; 109 Jln Ampang; adult
RM5; h2-2.30pm Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun) and the Central
Market (Map p442 ; %2274 6542; admission free; havail-
able from information desk).SHOPPING
Jln Petaling in the heart of Chinatown is a
noisy, writhing mass of people and outdoor
stalls selling cheap clothes, fruit, pirated
DVDs and a smattering of crafts; bargain
very, very hard. More everyday items can be
found at the tightly jammed Chow Kit Market
(see p445 for details). For produce and weird
meats – from stingray to pig’s penises – go
to KL’s largest wet market, the frenetic Pudu
Market (Map pp440-1 ; h6am-2pm). The best pasar
malam are on Saturday nights along Lorong
TAR in Little India (Map p442 ) and Jln Raja
Muda in Kampung Baru (Map pp440–1 ),
southeast of Chow Kit. Jln Masjid India in
Little India is the place to shop for saris,
Indian silks, carpets and other textiles.
Low Yat Plaza (Map p444 ; %2148 3651; 7 Jln 1/77 off
Bukit Bintang) Go here for all your digital and
electronic needs.
Kompleks Budaya Kraf (Map p444 ; %2162 7459;
Jln Conlay; h9am-8pm Mon-Fri, to 7pm Sat & Sun) This
place has a large selection of handicrafts.GETTING THERE & AWAY
Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia’s principal interna-
tional arrival gateway and it forms the cross-
roads for domestic bus, train and taxi travel.GAY & LESBIAN KUALA LUMPUR
Check out http://www.utopia-asia.com and www
.fridae.com for the latest on KL’s small but
friendly gay scene. Prince World KL (www
.princeworldkl.com) organises big gay dance
parties several times a year.
Oblique (Map p444 ; http://www.princeworldkl.com;
Jln P Ramlee; cover RM25; h10-3am Sat) Non-
straight club that sees a twinky crowd fever-
ishly juggling its stuff to hard house and
techno. You’ll find it beneath Modestos.
Blue Boy (Map p444 ; %2142 1067; 54 Jln
Sultan Ismail; h5pm-3am) Malaysia’s oldest
gay club is a gritty pick-up joint with karaoke
-singing lady boys.448