putting the kool in KL

NEIL RAY CHECK OUT THE ENTERTAINMENT IN ASIA'S NEWEST HIP CITY

It’s fast shaping up to be one of Asia’s coolest cities. Even before it was picked to host the world’s hippest sporting event in 2006, the Asian X Games, Kuala Lumpur’s street cred had been rising like Spider Man up the Petronas Towers.

The old buses are now gone, along with their belching black smoke, and the best way around the city is on one of the three urban rail systems.

Kuala Lumpur (KL)’s got the second tallest building in the world, the biggest monorail system, and soon, the biggest tunnel in Asia. It is a city on the go, and at night it gets even better in the hottest clubs, the smoothest restaurants and the chicest wine bars.

HIP HANGOUTS
So where do the hippest people hang out? The most well-known areas are Bintang Walk and Jalan Ramlee.

The city’s snazziest entertainment spot is known as the “Golden Triangle” (covering the streets of Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Ampang). It’s constantly re-inventing itself with new bars and clubs, and during the day it’s the smartest place to shop or simply relax in a streetside cafe and watch the city unfold before your eyes.

Try Lot 10, at the intersection of Jalan Ismail and Bintang. Societe Café is inside, whilst outside, there are fantastic cakes to hit the spot for the sweet-toothed at Secret Recipe and awesome coffees at San Francisco Coffee.

The Dome at the entrance to the Lot 10 Mall is a great place to grab a lunchtime drink and a bite to eat. But plenty of new areas are developing, such as the Asian Heritage Row (AHR), where the restaurants and bars are leading the cool-ward charge.

SOPHISTICATED ALL NIGHTER
Get to AHR by the Monorail station at Mepan Takau or take a taxi to Sheraton Imperial (the AHR runs alongside the hotel). A relatively new part of the scene, it is becoming a seminal stop-off, either for a cool drink in the afternoon or a hot evening of clubbing. On this short street of old converted Malaysian buildings, there is yet another huge range of swish, sophisticated and surprisingly inexpensive dining experiences.

The Atrium is a great place to start. Nod along to cool jazz playing in the bar or sit outside with a beer and chat to the dynamic Migeul De Jan. Likely to be dressed in black and white, he will give you the low-down on KL, welcome you to Atrium and, despite his enigmatic answers, make you feel more like a friend than a customer.

On the other side of the street is The Loft, The Wine Room, The Ivy, Senja Bistro, Mezquite 52 and a dozen more. Catering for every taste, The Row is geared towards the visitor looking for a leisurely night out.

PARTY NATION
At the corner of Jalan Ramlee, the first of the bars you should hit is The Beach Club. If there’s one thing they know how to do at The Beach, it’s how to throw a party!

The Beach Club is a KL institution. It’s easy to find not only because of its beach-hut-style reed roof, but because of the hordes of people thronging their way in.

The beach theme is continued inside with a very large fish tank with a very large fish inside. We can only guess that the fish likes bass (no pun intended) because that’s what you get here – wall-to-wall music: rock and roll, R&B, blues and soul from the ’60s to the noughties, all produced under the guidance of DJ Black. Resident at The Beach for the past six years, the 32-year-old reckons he’s played just about everything there is to play. Except Mozart.

“Come here every night and see how cool it is. It’s so cool, it’s hot!” he reveals. “We finish at three in the morning, which is later than most cities around the region, and by that time, the place is rockin’.”

Black follows the live house band, so he aims to continue the job they’ve done in getting the place moving. Not that it takes much here, with the vast majority of Beachcombers ready to dance the night away, but Black manages the ambience with precision, feeling the pulse of his audience. The early “happy hour” visitors are on their way out when the serious partygoers are on their way in.

“The skill [of DJing] is in the choice and the mix of music. You have to know what people want, and here at The Beach, we give it. Loud and clear,” he says. Some would say this is the less sophisticated side of KL, so if happy dancers are not your thing, there are still plenty of options elsewhere.

Past The Beach Club, down Jalan Ramlee, there are clubs on either side of the road: The Rum Jungle, The Thai, Nouvo, UNOne, and not far away, on Jalan Ampang, Zouk, a nightclub with seriously cool credentials.

ULTIMATE CLUBBING
The luxury cars pulling up outside Zouk should give you a clue to its status. Zouk derives its fame from the Singaporean superclub and boasts an ever-changing line-up of international DJ icons.

Another venue with a deserved reputation for class is Zeta Bar at The Hilton. The club has various lounge areas, plush booths and a champagne corner for those special moments. They have a live band weekly and cater for the more discerning guest.

Spotted in Zeta Bar, Angie from Singapore explains: “KL is now the hottest place around. The clubs, the bars, the restaurants – you can get everything you want here, and there’s an easygoing feel to the place.”

Her friend Lynn from KL confirms: “Sure, I’ve been to London, and KL is every bit as good, if not better. And of course, it’s a lot cheaper to party here than almost anywhere else. I love it!”

OUT OF TOWNERS
For those who don’t mind a bit of a journey, Bangsar is attracting the coolest riders. If playing pool is your thing – and the world’s best pool players are from the Philippines – then The Social is the place to go. Chalk up your name and play!

Bangsar itself is in the expatriate community, so it has a wide range of eating options. One of the best seafood restaurants is The Bangsar Seafood Restaurant. Predominantly Chinese, it serves a plethora of seafood – including fish, crabs, lobster and shellfish – in a garden atmosphere.

Other cuisines feature French, Italian, America, Indian, Malay, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese and Indonesian. KL’s dining is launching itself onto the world’s stage and beginning to rival the great culinary capitals of Hong Kong and Singapore.

RESTAURANT RETRO
One of the newest entertainment areas is Starhill. As well as a magnificent mega mall, or shopping “concept”, Starhill’s added-extra is its 16 restaurants from Korean to Mexican; Malaysian to Thai; Japanese to Cantonese; and the list goes on.

Shook restaurant – part of the adjacent JW Marriott hotel – is designed by funky Japanese company Super Potato as a smaller version of the food court idea with a “walk-in” wine cellar of 3,000 bottles. Chef Aidy is freshly back from working for 23 years in New York (you don’t get much cooler than NYC!), where he was head chef at a top city hotel.

So does his return to Malaysia signal that the vibe is coming East?

“KL is on the way!” Aidy declares. “This is a city where you can live life to the fullest.”

Events in KL

December 2-10
KL International Buskers’ Festival 2006
The first ever Kuala Lumpur International Buskers’ Festival (KLIBF) will be held at selected venues in the city from 5:30pm to 10:30pm daily. Celebrated street performers will range from singers and tap dancers to stilt-walking fire-eaters!

December 25
Christmas
Malaysia is very multi-cultural, so don’t worry about missing the big event of Christmas Day! KL will have special events, Christmas lights and ceremonies for the period.

December 26
The Malay Mail Big Walk
The 2006 charity walk draws crowds and will be held in Dataran Merdaka.

February 18
Chinese New Year
CNY is celebrated all over Malaysia, as the country has a massive Chinese community. Street events, lion-dancing and firecrackers will usher in the Year of The Pig.

April 6-8
Formula One Grand Prix
The third race of 2007 takes place at KL’s Sepang Circuit. Be sure to book flights early, as this is bound to be a huge event as always. The circuit is very close to KLIA.

HELPFUL WEBSITES

www.tourism.gov.my
www.asianheritagerow.com
www.starhillgallery.com
www.mmail.com.my

See our brand-new Destination Guide on page 72 for information on how to get to and around KL.

girls’ night out

LOCAL KL NIGHT-LIFE EXPERT, LIZ THANG SHARES SOME OF HER FAVORITE HAUNTS

Arrive and Settle
KL is a great place for a weekend with friends. When friends visited recently, we steered them to a chic little guesthouse in the heart of the city.

Number Eight is hidden down a back alley of Bukit Bintang, the town’s busiest shopping area — but it’s a hip and friendly hotel in an old converted shophouse. A mere RM30 (PHP408.20) gets you a spot in the six-bed dormitory with breakfast included.

Address: 8-10 Tengkat Tong Shin Tel: +60 (3) 2144-2050 www.numbereight.com.my

Lunchtime Bite
Step outside Number Eight, and you will never be hungry again. Although Jalan Alor can be a tourist trap with infl ated prices, it is still the place for top-notch local fare. This side street of hawker stalls dishes out the most amazing fried noodles — or anything deep-fried.

Spa Space
Before hitting the town, relax with a good spa treatment. There is an unpretentious place tucked in the corner of the Pacifi c Regency Hotel. It’s so small they only have room for three customers at any one time. No wonder they call it Massage Corner! Get the knots out of the most stressed spines for RM80 an hour (PHP1,088.50) before 5pm and RM100 (PHP1,361) after.

Address: Pacific Regency, Menara Pan Global, Jalan Punchak off Jalan Ramlee Tel: +60 (3) 2332-7777

5pm: Sunset Cocktails
Above the spa is Luna, a swanky poolside bar that opens from 5pm so you can catch the sunset. Go early to bag the bay-window seats. A few post-massage cocktails go down well — expect to pay premium prices for the chic surroundings — and sip on Cosmos, with Hotel Costes playing in the background.

7pm: Fabulous Burgers
Head for Relish at Changkat Bukit Bintang — a specialty burger joint and a bar. The setting is an über-cool shophouse with pure white walls, plush seats and crystal chandeliers.

Owners Daniel and Ross are usually there to greet you with their dashing smiles — and they serve mean Aussie burgers with beetroot and a fried egg as well as a range of vegan burgers.

Wash it down with a bottle of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc at the plush bar. A meal with a starter and six-ounce burger is about RM20-30 (PHP272-408).

Address: 22 Changkat Bukit Bintang
Tel: +60 (3) 2145-03321 www.relishworld.com

One-Stop Shop
Just across from Relish is the posh dance club, Frangipani. The club is above the restaurant with the same name, where you can enjoy fi ne dining in an intimate setting. Expect to shell out about RM150-200 (PHP2,042-2,722) for a three-course meal with wine per person. Both restaurant and bar are housed in a white art-deco building. The club pumps out heavy dance music and is usually fi lled with beautiful people. There is no cover charge except when they host special DJ events. Address: 25 Changkat Bukit Bintang Tel: +60 (3) 2144-3001

9pm: Live Music
If it’s too early to party at Frangipani, No Black Tie bar is the place to be. For first-timers, look hard as it has poor signage, but persevere — the shophouse’s impressive front door is behind a small, lush garden and opens onto a brightly lit bar.

Through heavy velvet drapes, get transported to a place designed solely for the enjoyment of live music. Enjoy great jazz and blues sessions almost daily. Warm tones and dim lighting give the impression of entering a cozy log cabin. Drinks prices are reasonable, and the place also serves Japanese food.

Address: 17 Jalan Mesui, off Jalan Nagasari
Tel: +60 (3) 2142-3737

11.30pm: Glittery Grooves
Nearer midnight, head for Heritage Walk, a row of clubs and bars along Jalan Sultan Ismail. The first one on this row, Bar SaVanh heaves with clubbers on weekends. The oriental decor features opium beds and koi ponds, and prices are fair. Everyone fi nds a space on the dance fl oor among the low chairs and columns of Buddha heads and jives away to music from the ’70s and ’80s.

Address: 62-64 Jalan Doraisamy
Tel: +60 (3) 2697-1180

1.30am: Retro Heaven
Further down the street is a retro heaven called Loft, complete with dancing light squares ala Saturday Night Fever. Drinks are quite cheap, and the waiters friendly. Boogie the night away while singing along to ABBA tunes!

Address: Asian Heritage Row, Jalan Doraisamy
Tel: +60 (3) 2691-5668

3am: Post-Clubbing Eats
At the end of the long night, feed famished souls back at Jalan Alor, where you can order a wide variety from different stalls. The vendors bring the plates of steaming delights to your table; a filling supper for four comes up to about RM40 (PHP544.35) for a delicious assortment of satays, fried spicy noodles and drinks.

4am: Foot Massage
After supper, someone wanted to get a foot massage, so we piled onto Bukit Bintang, just one street behind Jalan Alor — and there, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Prices are standard; a half hour treatment costs RM25 (PHP340.20).