Instructions
I never really understood modern Asia until I went to Kuala Lumpur. As a city it summarises all of the major themes of the region.
Opportunity and growth. Economic discipline. Traditional culture.
But the most striking parts of KL are its contrasts. The old and the new; the dirty and the clean; the impossibly rich and the depressingly poor. Malaysia’s economy is largely built on oil and gas, and that industry is wholly owned by the government. This national corporation is called Petronas, and it generates a massive 20% of the Malaysia’s GDP.
Petronas is one of the 50 biggest companies in the world, and importantly is the most profitable company in all of Asia. As a demonstration of their extraordinary power and wealth, Petronas built their eponymous joined towers in 1998, reaching high into the clouds above the city. They remained the tallest buildings in the world for nearly a decade.
Lit with a pearlescent glow, the massive Petronas buildings completely dominate Kuala Lumpur’s skyline, shining at night like the proverbial ivory tower.
But 88 floors below, amongst the backstreets of the city, is where you’ll find the real Malaysian experience. Nestled uncomfortably close to the city centre is Kampong Baru, a traditional Malay neighbourhood complete with street markets and satay hawkers. Rundown, cramped, noisy and nonchalantly old-worldly, this is where you can actually taste Asia.
The local chefs cook a style known as ‘nyonya’, and it is their claypot chicken rice that summarises the simple effortlessness that makes Malaysian food so remarkable. Delicately-fresh ingredients are treated simply, and allowed to conjure up a flavour all of their own. Rice, chicken, shallots, garlic, a little soy sauce. Not much to speak of, but combined with deft hand they take on a personality so much bigger than the sum of these parts.
You’ll need a good claypot, and it takes time for it to become truly seasoned. I like to think that a little bit of the personality of the dish is absorbed into the porous bowl each time you use it, making for a more delicious meal every time you cook.
Maybe that’s the thing. The ancient bowls of Kampong Baru are serving an even more ancient food that lets you taste the history of their culture in a single bite.
Who needs the big towers? This perfect meal is the best monument to the wonder of Malaysia.
Malaysian claypot chicken