TAR Eats

You know you're truly Malaysian when food happens to be one of your loves in life.

Like every street in KL, Jalan TAR also has its many eating places. Those listed below are by no means the only ones there. Every hotel has its own coffee house and drinking hole. There's a whole lot of stalls along the road and every shopping complex and mall have their own food courts and restaurants.

These are just some of the places I have patronized over the years, arranged in a sort of geographical order.

Located at the Junction of Jalan TAR and Jalan Ipoh. South Indian food served here. It's been around since the 1980's although there's been several changes in management since then. Banana Leaf lunch is available.

A few shop-lots away from Sri Shalimar, this is a relatively recent addition to the area. An Indonesian restaurant, its indicative of the large Indonesian population in the area. I have not personally eaten here, but judging by the crowd, the food must be good here.

Pizza Hut is located at the junction with Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman.

A little way down from Pizza Hut, is this Nasi Kandar place. It's popularity has required the proprietor to rent the next shoplot.

Its just after 3.00 p.m. on a weekday (I so happened to be on leave that day), but the crowd has not abated.

Another popular restaurant across the road from Tune Hotel. It was just a stall occupying a tiny space in a Chinese Restaurant, but has now taken over the whole restaurant.

A row of restaurants along Medan Tuanku, on your way to Loke Mansion.

Although it advertises as Nasi Kandar, they serve a mixed Western and Malaysian fare. This is where Shiraz, the once popular Mogul restaurant used to be. Omar Kayoom, Shiraz's competitor is still there though.

Next to Omar Kayoom is Hanifa's, once famous for its biryani.

Then comes this Pakistani restaurant. They serve a few varities of biryani, which changes daily. It's a little on the pricey, but I think it's worth it. Their naans (served in the evenings) is crispy and I just love their fried dhall.

A real symbol of what Malaysia is, but unfortunately, this type is a dying breed, as far restaurants go. Located across the road from Sogo. The Chinese owner only sells the drinks. There's a Malay tenant selling Nasi Padang, a Mamak selling Rojak and a Chinese selling a varity of fried noodles.

Used to be one of the best places for biryani (like I said - used to be), it still serves good fresh mango juice.

Finger lickin' good - needs no introduction, Insaf's neighbour.

The first American fast food restaurant in Malaysia, been here since as far back as I can remember.

They say that this is still the best place for a steak. The last I was here was in the mid 1990's. The waiters then looked like they had been with the restaurant since it first opened, so you can imaging how slow the service was. It does have a certain romantic colonial charm about the place though.

The food here is said to be good, but I've only stopped here for teh tarik.


What can I say. In the 1960's Bilal's was 'THE' Indian Muslim restaurant in town. The food is still good, but the menu has never changed in all these years, so its popularity has waned.