* This place is no longer open.
Words and Pictures
by Kirsten Durward
Mention street food in Bukit Bintang and nearly everyone immediately jumps in with Jalan Alor. But if you want to escape the tourist hordes and have a truly local seafood experience in the heart of the city, best to head to Jalan Pedang, behind Fahrenheit and Lot 10, two streets away from Jalan Bukit Bintang itself. There you will find an array of fast-paced food stalls sited under a simple tin roof, a cacophony of Chinese men watching TV in the centre as hawkers cry their wares and jostle past with platters of steaming fresh food.
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| The Queen of Crabs |
I usually come here with a Chinese friend, Yan, who helpfully orders our favourites as the hawkers press around. However, I have found that pointing and gesturing work pretty well, though now we plan to save the pics of these yummies for future use. I love seeing food being prepared from start to finish, though here you have to be quick as these street food demons work at high speed. As I peer over to see what’s happening at one nearby stall, the smiling, sweating cook assures me his garlic prawns are the best in the world. As they flash in the pan, a great flame of fire shoots, out, and I have to jump back, to great laughter, no one else is the least concerned. I’m asked if I can take chilli and on receiving a ‘yes’, in goes a great handful, with a whacking whoosh and crackle.
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| from this |
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| through this |
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| to this…. |
Food starts arriving very rapidly, it must be the fastest service in the city. I struggle to get some photos off before hands dive in to grab the shiny pepper crab and glistening crispy prawns. But they might as well have waited, as shouts of ‘hot,’ ‘ouch’ and ‘ow’ abound around the table.
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| Garlic Chili Prawns |
First up is la la in ginger and rice wine, or what Yan calls ‘drunken la la.’ Drunken la la is best eaten hot and be sure to spoon up a lot of the delectable sauce. It’s hot, sweet and gingery, and the little shellfish are soft and chewy nibbles.
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| Drunken La La |
Slippery noodles, stuffed with all sorts of seafood, are quickly forked up; while some are calling for chopsticks, the rest of us, not proud, are simply getting started. The noodles are really tasty; fresh from the pan, and perfect washed down with a mouthful or two of Carlsberg.
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| A loaded table! |
Prawns are lightly battered and fried with tons of garlic and chili. There’s a woman at a nearby stall frantically chopping more and more of both into tiny pieces, ready for more and more hungry customers. We whip off heads and tails, and bite into the juicy sweet flesh. They’re plump and plentiful, and as usual we fear we’ve over ordered.
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| Garlic Chili Prawns |
Crab arrives next, slippery with black pepper sauce. All the best bits with the most meat are quickly snaffled and people are soon sucking at spider legs to get the final vestiges of taste out of this delicious dish.
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| Black Pepper Crab |
Plentiful fried rice and a hint of healthiness from stir-fried greens complete our set. Along with frequent replenishings of cold Carlsberg.
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| Sizzling Side Dishes |
We forget we’ve ordered a barbecued fish, and groan when it arrives. But the crispy coating and enticing barbecue colour soon overcome our full bellies and we dig in once again. A fresh chilli-tomato relish rests on one side, and a sticky black tamarind sauce on the other. Fish is cooked perfectly, we argue over which type it is but no one really cares as both sauces prove the yummiest of the night and soon there is nothing left but bones.
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| Barbecue Fish Malay Style
We’ve feasted, had fun, laughed a lot and loved the food. The bills total around RM350 RM for five people. That’s RM70 a head. A total bargain for such an amazing meal. My overseas visitor is in raptures; this is a great place to bring out of town guests. It’s really some of the best seafood in Kuala Lumpur. Every time I come here, I ask myself, “Why I don’t come more often?” The answer comes; I need to make a habit of it. Hmmm, at least once a month should do it.
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Reason to visit: Fresh and tasty seafood, quick service, local experience, incredible value
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All these hawker's fare really make a perfect supper! OMG~~
It really was a perfect experience, particularly for KL guests who are always esctatic here!
Now that's what I call a FIRE! haha.. nice one. I would like a double helping of prawns please!
It really grabs you when it happens for sure! And those prawns are so delicious!
That's quite a big fire there. The cook must have loaded the wok with Shao Shing wine. =D
I love seafood, especially those prawns.
MMMhhh! me too. Seafood is great, but prawns are the greatest! Drunken la la pretty good too though.
You can not say that they don't know how the flambee
Greetings,
Filip
Filip you are right! They certainly know how to flambee in style!
Ooooo…looks so good! Ahhhh…the ikan bakar, slurpsssss!!!! I am familiar with BB but can't say I know where Jalan Pedang is. Will have to google… Sounds like that back lane behind Starhill – where there was a night spot where Joanne Kam Po Po used to perform? Must drop by first opportunity I get.
Absolutely, if you go down between sephora and Uniglo, keeping Starhill on your left, you'll come to a big chinese temple. Turn right. It's the second on the right, keep straight, you cannot miss it. Big tin roof, very bright and noisy 🙂 Enjoy!
Very interesting post Kirsten! I look forward to eat here very soon
Thankyou! On your return from Venezuala and mine from Europe I shall invite you both!
I just went to this store last weekend with a few frens…we also had a feast…we ate almost the same dishes as you…except that we ordered kailan and minus the grilled fish.
YUMMY!!!
good chef there..
Recently i when to this stall however it had no longer there, any one know its new location.
Hii… do you know where they have shifted too?
So Eddie. I don’t. If you find out, do leave a comment here and I’ll add it to the article.
Kedai pindah dimana ?
I don’t know. Let me know if you find out.
Its Nov 2021 already. Has anyone got any info yet on their new location? Pleaseeeeeeee I’m craving for the garlic prawn & fried rice
Sadly, I haven’t heard anything.
Did anyone found where they move
Not that I know of.
The best crab in town….. where do they shifted to? Anyone…
My curiousity brings me here hoping to find the answer or where the stall moved. I only eat once there but I can still remember the taste. Best seafood I have tasted. Please leave a comment if anyone knows the name of the stall and where they have moved