Pusat Makanan Peng Hwa

KL has dozens of intriguing, off-the-beaten-track places to eat - our favourite is the permanent hawker court at Pudu Market, known locally as Pusat Makanan Peng Hwa. This congregation of cooks sprawls beneath a gigantic tin roof behind the wet and dry market. The pavilion is as big as an aircraft hangar - fans on the ceiling whir ineffectually, failing almost completely to drive away the tropical fug. Nevertheless, as the sun sets, this is the place to be.

The hundred or so plastic tables and chairs fill suddenly with locals ordering big bottles of ice-cold Tiger beer and bags of Chinese marinated sunflower seeds. Waitresses in matching T-shirts fight their way through the crowds, crunching over the discarded sunflower husks with trays of beer and mugs of teh tarik. Foreigners are a rarity here - diners at the surrounding tables cast curious looks but raise their glasses in greeting as soon as you make eye contact. Come with some friends and make a night of it.

The food stalls around the edge of the hanger serve excellent noodles, wanton soups, fried rice, stir-fries and grilled seafood, all at bargain prices. Finish with a huge mound of ice kacang (shaved ice, syrup, sweet beans and fruit) then jump on the last LRT train home.