la.foodblogging

On my way to a particular restaurant, I walked by a Malaysian restaurant in Pasadena. When I got to my destination, it looked rather dodgy. The menu, not that appealing. Not a diner in sight at 12pm. I turned right around and walked in Kuala Lumpur, a small restaurant that hold only about a dozen tables. When I entered, more than half of the tables were filled with happy customers. The ones who were finishing up had nothing left on their plates. On top of that, people were coming in for take-out orders. All that was a good sign. When I sat down, I noticed the music being played was Chinese. That was not a good sign. I figured this dining experience can go either way.

I don’t know much about Malaysian food, but I always figured that it would be a juxtaposition of Chinese and Thai. I wasn’t far off in my guess at Kuala Lumpur. You can find a lot of curry, coconut milk, and rice noodles dishes on the menu. Some items sounded more appetizing than others. I was definitely craving something soup related, so I went ahead and ordered Wonton Laksa ($6.50 on the lunch menu, usually $7.95). Laksa is rice noodles served in coconut curry soup, served along with chinese broccoli and deep fried tofu. While the pork and shrimp wontons were totally unimpressive, the flavor of the soup was excellent. In fact, the only thing I did not enjoy about my order was the wonton. The rice noodles were at the perfect texture and the tofu soaked up the flavor of the curry soup. I think next time I’ll stick to plain Curry Laksa instead. Even though this is a curry dish, it is not very spicy at all, though when you order it, you can ask them to make it hot or mild.

My companions seemed content with their orders as well. One had the Indian Claypot Curry ($11.95), which is filled deep fried filet of snapper, eggplant, cauliflower, okra, and green beans soaking in slightly spicy curry. When served, the curry was still bubbling! The curry was delicious, but just a bit too salty for my preference. There is also a separate plate with rice and veggies. The claypot is an individual portion, unlike the ones you find at typical Chinese restaurants. If you intend to share this dish, you might want to order an additional entree.

I typically skip desserts at Asian restaurants (unless they come with the meal), but I was dining with someone with a really sweet tooth. The three of us shared the sticky rice with mango. I’ve had this at a couple of Thai restaurants before and the only difference between the others and the one at Kuala Lumpur is in addition to the sweet cream served on top of the rice, a paste the chef calls “brown-sugar custard” is added. This is very sweet, but not unpleasant. I can’t say I loved it, but I did like how the brown-sugar custard added a rich aroma to such a simple dish.

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian Restaurant
69 W. Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 577-5175

Closed on Mondays
Tues-Thrs: lunch - 11:30am-2:30pm, dinner - 5:30pm-9:30pm
Fri: lunch - 11:30am-2:30pm, dinner - 5:30pm-10pm
Sat: lunch - 12pm-3:30pm, dinner - 5:30pm-10pm
Sun: lunch - 12pm-3:30pm, dinner - 5:30pm-9:30pm

By Pauline (see more of her posts).