Look up any list with suggestions of places to visit for delicious Malaysian food and Jalan Alor would surely have made the cut.
Taking on the appearance of an unassuming typical alley in Malaysia during the day – dingy with some open restaurants lining the edges, the entire perimeter lights up with a surge of activities at night, to become a place where vendors, locals, and tourists alike come together in the name of food (and durian).
Stretching close to a kilometre, the once-famous red light district (you can still find hourly-rate hotels in the last leg of their lives in the area) is now a family-friendly foodie paradise.
Nonetheless, in an effort to wipe away Jalan Alor’s dodgy past entirely, lawmakers changed the name of the street to Jalan Kejora in 2008.
Thankfully, this short-sighted decision only lasted for a few weeks and the street quickly regained its original following in the midst of a public outcry.
Although most of the food sold in restaurants and at stalls here are traditionally Malaysian, in recent years some novelty snacks have found their home along the street too, enticing both tourists and locals.
Lollipop Chicken
Kicking-off the list is the basic lollipop chicken, which is essentially chicken meat attached to its bone. Part of Indian-Chinese cuisine – which according to Wikipedia is “the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques to Indian tastes” – the lollipop chicken sold in Jalan Alor is seasoned to perfection and best eaten piping hot.
Fried Durian
No matter how much we love durian, how many of us could actually attest to having eaten fried durian? Invented in Thailand as a preservation method in the late 80s, fried durian has yet to gain the momentum it enjoys in our neighbouring country.
Passion Fruit-Sugar Cane Juice
Although this may sound like one of the curated juices served in fancy restaurants, the sugar cane juice stall at Jalan Alor makes this fusion drink right in front of your eyes from freshly squeezed sugar cane and passion fruit.
Grilled Frog
Sold among other skewered meat and vegetables, the frog is presented skinned, its white flesh and muscle oddly appetising.
When ordered, the frog is first deep-fried till it turns golden before being grilled over charcoal with a special sauce coating it.
Mochi stuffed with ice cream
Not your ordinary mochi, this ice cream mochi is the perfect dessert to end this interesting food trail.
Unlike the traditional forms of mochi stuffed with peanut or red bean, this ice cream variety was actually invented in the United Stated by a Japanese American in 1993.
The stall sells the mochi in a variety of flavours, from staples like chocolate and vanilla to blueberry and melon.
All images by UPPRE unless stated otherwise.
This article first appeared in uppre.com