KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Food and Street Art at Changkat Bukit Bintang's Alleys

We managed to squeeze in some time for wandering around Kuala Lumpur to see go see the food street and walk around some alleys.

Jalan Alor Street

Jalan Alor is known to be a food street of mostly Chinese food, but there were other Asian cuisines as well. We went here during the early afternoon, so there weren't much stalls that were opened just yet. 

We went around a bit more and found a Vietnamese cafe somewhere in the neighborhood and rested there for a while, because it was a hot day! I browsed through their menu and was saddened that they weren't serving Banh Mi. I missed Vietnamese cuisine so bad, and couldn't let go of the fact that I saw there was a Banh Mi stall in Jalan Alor that I wanted to go back to. 

And so my friend L and I decided to walk back to Jalan Alor, hoping that the stalls would be open by then. By that time, it was around 4PM, and it was raining. The rain wouldn't stop, but it didn't stop me either, because I also wanted to explore the back alleys more.

Alas, I had my Banh Mi fix in a stall named Pho Saigon. It tasted very much like the 20,000 VND / 44 pesos Banh Mi I had in the streets of Saigon. So I ordered two more. I think the shop owner was quite pleased. The moment I arrived at their stall, I asked if they had Banh Mi. I was greeted by a Vietnamese man in probably his late 40s. He had a shaved head and was wearing a polo with banana prints and circular spectacles. "Banh Mi, Banh Mi? Full?" he asked. I smiled and nodded, "Yes Banh Mi full please.".

My friend and I sat down and waited for the rain to fully stop. I observed how the other stalls were slowly coming to life as the shop signages started lighting up and people were bringing out the tents and chairs. I was feeling excited for them and the nightlife that was to come. Sadly we had a flight to catch and we didn't want to get stuck in traffic, so we had to move along. It was for me a memorable experience however, eating Banh Mi while chit chatting with a friend as the rain poured.

Bukit Bintang Alleys

Before it rained, I got the chance to take snaps of the murals around Bukit Bintang. This one was eye catching, because it was an apartment building yet so colorfully painted in light blue. So dreamy, it's as if they brought down the sky and plastered it on the walls of these buildings. 

This reminded me somehow of something I would see in a day care center or a pre-school classroom! But it's cute nonetheless.

The whole street was painted so colorfully, even the ground. I remember slipping here while it was raining. My friend L slipped too hehe. It can get slippery when it rains. It's a playful scene, I would say. These alleys were painted during the middle of 2018 last year and was completed at that same year. 

I think I like this one best. The forest murals feel very much Asian, and I like how there's a river cascade with the steps. If you look closely, there's that zigzag from afar; these are small ramps for wheelchairs. Then there's the cloud neon lights which we weren't able to see while lit. I think it would've been really neat to see that. 

I think it's a great idea to have art murals in alleys because it's the least likely place for it to be there. People would typically avoid passing through alleys as well and would much rather walk along the main streets since it's perceived to be much safer, and there may also be piles of garbage that you might pass along such places. But then most of the time, alleys hold secrets you may not know about, as a mere passerby. Sometimes you can be delighted with what you find, yet at times there may be nothing at all. At least you tried, and that's what matters. : - )

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What do you think about alleys? They're a faster and more interesting route to get to somewhere by foot, most likely!! 

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