Kuala Lumpur - Saturday morning from atop the HopOn-HopOff

I've recently got myself an SLR camera. Last Saturday, I joined Agip and Pot to go on a photo hunt of KL. Meeting place, Pertama Kompleks - I wanted to check out some filters for my camera.

While waiting, I saw this kiosk operator sweeping fallen leaves from the top of the kiosk.

A crashing noise, I turned around to find that the girls had dropped the accessories they where hanging up to display.

A lone cyclist, back from the Chow Kit market.

Every time a bus stops, many sales assistants and the like will be getting off and crossing the street.

I suppose that the 9 0'clock hour is when many go to work even on a Saturday.

Construction workers at the nearby MARA building under construction.

Washing away the dirt every time a lorry leaves the site.

Unloading fresh goods, probably for a food outlet at the Kompleks.

We were supposed to walk along Jalan TAR, photographing people, but we saw this stop and decided to take the Hop On Hop Off bus instead.

Worker trowing debris from some renovation going on inside the building.

Another worker doing the same.

A security guard looking after the parking in front of a hotel along Jalan Raja Laut.

It's good to start business on a clean slate... or a clean side-walk.

Bus stop opposite the Federal Theater. Going to work, shopping or visiting?

Another bus stop along Jalan Ipoh.

Waiting at the entrance of the Perkim Building, Jala Ipoh.

Stunt to impress his son or adjusting his mirrors in traffic. Along Jalan Ipoh.

Agip taking photo of me taking his photo.

Pot posing....

Keeping Titiwangsa Lake Gardens clean.

Taking a break...

Exercise in the morning is good...

Repairs to the pavement. Near the KLCC Park.


Guess we were not the only photographers that morning....

...near the KLCC Park.

Security guards at MATIC, Jalan Ampang.

A red light is a good time for a quick chat with a friend....

....and a little bite to eat. At the Jalan Ampang / Jalan Sultan Ismail junction.

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.

Sogo Onwards

The Pernas Sogo Complex

Across from Pertama Complex is Sogo, which can be considered an up-market department store cum shopping complex in Jalan TAR.

Before this complex was built, this was the site of one of KL's earliest low-cost housing flats, Sulaiman Court. On top one of the flats was a neon advertisement for a brand of watches - Mido. That's why some know it as the Mido Flats.

This now abandoned corner restaurant was known as Odeon Cafe.

With it's large glass windows, it was considered an exclusive hangout during it's heyday. This was one of the few places where you could enjoy a meal or a drink and watch KL go by.

This is what was once the famous Globe Silk Store.

Globe started in Jalan TAR in the late 1940's. At that time it is said to have already established itself in Segamat, Johore. It was well known for it's quality clothing at cheap prices. It could be said that your festival shopping was not complete if you had not visited Globe.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, it was forced to close in about 2005.

This Bata outlet has been at this location at least from the 1960's.

With their tag line 'First to Bata, then to School' most of my generation would have gone to school in Bata shoes. Mine always used to be their Badminton Master.

As Bata outlets are all over the country, I used to think that it was a local establishment.

The company was founded in 1894 in what is now the Czech Republic by Tomáš Baťa (pron. toh-mahsh bah-tyah) whose family had been cobblers for generations. A large order from the army during World War I turned the small manufacturing concern into a modern industrial mass producer of shoes. The company is currently headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In 2007, according to Bata, the company served 1 million customers per day, employed over 40,000 people, operated 4,600 retail stores, managed a retail presence in over 50 countries and had 40 production facilities across 26 countries.

(source: wikipedia)

Another old shoe establishment along Jalan TAR. Beside it is the Kowloon Hotel that's been here for at least as long as Central Shoes.

If Bata was where I got my school shoes, it was to Central for Hari Raya.

For school books and exam reference guide, go to Minerva's.

If you don't find it there, there's always Mukmin's right across the road.

These book stores are later additions to Jalan TAR. In the 1960's I used to get my books from Pustaka Antara, Merican's, Jubliee's and a host of smaller bookshops, most of which went out of business when the Government started standardizing school text books, and also started book loan and other schemes.

GS Gill, agents for Adidas and other sports goods have been operating here for as long as I can remember.

Of course it's gone from the original pre-war shophouse to this multi-story Wisma Harwant.

The Coliseum Theater.

Recently there was some bickering when the Ministry of Culture wanted to take over this building and turn it into a Museum or something. I think that the fact that this is the only cinema in KL still screening films should be of historical significance and a tourist attraction in itself.

There's always a 'SALE' going on somewhere along Jalan TAR.

This is where the once famous Emporium Selangor outlet used to be.

This is also where thee first Burger King's outlet was, before they packed up and left the country. Of course they have made a very succesful comeback.

Sharafali's, well known as the place where you can shop for your winter clothing.

Just imagine, winter clothing in Tropical Malaysia???

Only the facade is left of PH Hendry, Royal Jewellers at the end of Jalan TAR.