malaysia: Kuala Lumpur

SEE

KL Bird Park: One of the world's largest covered bird parks. Birds walk and fly around here freely, and you'll likely get to see some neighboring cheeky monkeys breaking into the nets to steal the fresh fruit intended for the birds. Don't miss the cool photo opportunity midway through the park where your group can hold exotic birds and get a photo taken together (and printed with a cute frame) for a nominal price. 

Benns Ethicoa Chocolate Factory + Store: Our favorite chocolate factory, located a bit outside of KL. We take all our visitors here. The company champions the farm to factory model, which ethically supports the cocoa bean farmers. Take a tour of the factory by reserving online or messaging via WhatsApp (+60 12 613 0075). The tour is an educational experience, but also includes delicious chocolate samples and a generous discount at the store. This brand of chocolates is not available to purchase in regular grocery stores, so best to stock up while you're there. 

SHOP

Tudung baskets: Gorgeous, colorful baskets. Perfect for hanging on the wall to bring in pops of color and happiness to your home. Baskets are available at random spots throughout KL (Tokyo Street at Pavilion Mall, Central Market, etc.) but best to reach out to them directly on WhatsApp (+60 16 617 5385)  to have the best choice of colors and patterns. They ship to KL for a small fee.  

Nala Designs: Cute + colorful patterned goods, designed + made in Malaysia. Dresses, bags, home accessories, etc. Multiple locations throughout KL, but the shop at Central Market is the largest. The Central Market location also offers custom dresses made with their fabrics. 

Central Market: Iconic KL landmark, great place for Malaysian souvenirs. One of the batik shops on the top level makes beautiful stitched patchwork-like tapestries with batik fabric. Across from this shop is a cool place that sells little batik items. Perfect place for gifts. 

Chinatown Party Shops: There is a cluster of colorful shops in Chinatown outside of the Petaling street gate that carry great party supplies, decor, and favors. Shiok carries a ton of ribbons and packaging supplies...it's a literal dream. 

1.12 Space: Cute miniature versions of traditional Malaysian foods and icons as earrings, pins, and keychains. I love the teeny tiny nasi lemak earrings. So detailed, hand crafted, and just super cute. Follow them on IG to learn about future popups.

Artisan Haus (LINC): Great selecttion of fabric goods by the brand Pattern Sutra. Love the big totes, bright colors, and tiger patterns. 

SAVOR

Beta: Michelin Star. Beta offers a "Tour of Malaysia" multi-course meal. Vibes are cool, food is amazing, service is great. The price for the set menu is RM 550; quite fair for the quality and quantity of food you're served. For an added fee, you can also enjoy a 5 glass mocktail pairing with each course. The menu changes every quarter, which gives us the perfect reason to go often. This is where we take our friends and family when they visit us in KL. Great way to sample the unique and tropical flavors of Malaysia. 

DC Restaurant by Darren Chin: Also a Michelin, but a bit pricier than Beta. Set menus start around RM 1198 but the food in incredible. The restaurant is several levels and offers private dining rooms for large parties. Don't miss the cool moon bar at the top level. Also, there's a cheese cart. 

GU On Korean BBQ at TRX: Incredible Korean bbq, fresh + unlimited sides/sauces, and amazing service. We always order the GU On Feast for our family of 5, and sometimes we'll add on a seafood pancake, too. 

Kanbe Ramen at TRX: Known as the best ramen in KL, and it absolutely lives up to its reputation. There will usually be a queue out the front of the restaurant, but it moves quickly. They have hot menu items from the kitchen, but the ramen is most popular. It took me a few months to figure out how/what to order, and now it's my absolute fav. In case you'd like a recc, this is what I order: ramen, shiro, normal strangeness of taste, light porky oil, heavy garlic (lol), pork chasu, green negi, normal black fungus, mild spice, hard firmness, flavor egg. 

Oriental Kopi at TRX: A real locals spot with traditional Malaysian food. Multiple locations throughout KL. The menu has photos and is easy to order from, though the real star of Oriental Kopi is their mango sago dessert. 

Donkai at TRX: Japanese hamburger restaurant. The line is always long (except for at Ramadan, when we went 6 times in one month haha!). You basically pick what type of meat you want (Angus or Wagyu), how many patties you'd like, and then extra sauces, cheese, etc. The truffle sauce is so good. Every seat has their own little grill to brown the patties and roast the vegetables. All the meal sets come with unlimited rice, vegetables, and miso soup. 

Solh: Healthy, Mediterranean food. Lovely place to dine with friends, but also super easy to order via Grab. It's probably the quickest delivery to Ampang that you can find on Grab. We order the same dishes on repeat: Persian saffron chicken skewers, pan seared cauliflower on beetroot hummus, Greek meatball stew with ricotta, and Greek salad. 

Isetan at KLCC: I love the Istean food market on the LG level. The little restaurant in the market is so good (love the bento box!), you can find great Japanese brand groceries, and the bakery is so, so incredible. 

Din Tai Fung (multiple locations): According to the Axis DTF Dumpling Index, Din Tai Fung in Malaysia has the least expensive dumplings in the entire global franchise. The price, coupled with the multiple locations and ease of getting a table, is reason enough to get your DTF fix while in Malaysia. Our favorite dishes are: green beans with pork, spicy shrimp wontons, fried rice with prawns, chocolate bao, and chocolate pandas. *Note: The restaurant "Din" is the halal version of Din Tai Fung. It's still very good, but you won't find menu favorites like the green beans with pork. The non-halal DTF restaurant is located at the Pavilion Mall + can also be ordered via Grab. 

SELF-CARE

Lyla Beauty: My favorite place for all things beauty! Lyla is super clean, has a cool Balinese-themed aesthetic, and has the kindest employees I've ever met. I do everything at Lyla: laser hair removal, pico lightening, facials, gel mani/pedi, lashes, etc. I often do lashes and nails simultaneously, which is incredible and saves so much time. Also, they offer generous special promo prices for first time trials of every service. Lyla is conveniently located across from the US Embassy. 

Erawann at Avenue K: Incredible foot massages, $20 for 60 minutes. You stay fully dressed and can enjoy together with friends.

Bie: Incredible personal trainer. I've never been stronger in my life, thanks to Bie. She also gives amazing at-home massages. Contact her via WhatsApp: +60 12 793 9959

Dr. D Clinic: Botox + facials. Dr. Sarah is wonderful. The clinic does a high tech scan assessment of your face and Dr. Sarah shares custom recommendations of what treatments would work best with your skin. 

Sephora (multiple locations): Sephora Malaysia often has 20% promotions + tourist discounts. Note that if you use the tourist discount, you cannot accumulate points to your Sephora Malaysia Beauty Insider account (different than Beauty Insider USA account). 

Dr. Kenneth Kok at Prince Court: Cosmetic procedures. Absolute best doctor, highly recommend. Private message me if you'd like more info. ;) 

*Note: Many salons will offer package deals in "credits" where you pay a certain amount upfront and they give you a bonus amount of credits for free. For example, a nail salon may offer a package for RM 2,000 but in turn, they give you RM 2,500 credits to spend on services. It can be a good deal if you plan to visit an establishment on multiple occasions. 

Malaysia ETC: 

Touch + Go: If you don't have a Malaysian bank account, you may run into a few issues when you need to pay a vendor but they don't accept Venmo/PayPal. Download the TNG eWallet, create an account, and add money to the account. The best way (although a bit tedious) to add money to the account is by bringing cash to a 7-11 store or the customer service desk at Mercato and asking to pay for a "TNG Reload Pin". You'll give them cash and they'll give you receipt with a unique PIN code. Enter that pin code into the app and voila! 

Grab: Grab is a super convenient app that is similar to Uber/Door Dash/Instacart. To order a 6 person van, request a Premium Exec ride. I recommend not using the Standard cars as they are a bit bumpy and not so comfortable of a ride. If it's raining, Grab Food deliveries are difficult to order as the scooters are not able to drive in the weather (and often they stay under the overpasses to keep dry). A few Grab transport tips: 

1. If you order a Premium Exec van, don't reach for the handle when the car arrives. The drivers prefer to open the door for you. 

2. At Pavillion Mall, the best places to get picked up/dropped off is at the Porte Cochere location (bottom floor of center court area) and the Raja Chulan location (near Mercato). Avoid Bukit Bintang at all costs: the traffic is always horrible here and can often delay you up to an hour.

3. Sometimes Grab pay will block foreign credit cards for payment. Email Grab support at help@grab.com to have them unblock your card. 

Driver Recommendation

For trips to KLIA, Cameron Highlands, Genting, etc, contact:

Felix | +60 12 314 2911