But just before sunset, this area – once reputed to be a red-light district – begins to change. Hawkers start setting up their stalls, bright and colourful neon lights illuminate the place, and visitors gradually arrive in droves.
The transformation is almost magical as tourists flock to indulge in a variety of local delicacies, especially seafood, at reasonable prices. It’s no wonder Jalan Alor is known as a seafood paradise.
With 100 stalls and 50 restaurants lining the street, Jalan Alor draws up to 10,000 visitors every night. In addition to its oceanic offerings, durian sellers hawk Musang King and vendors tout a delectable range of savoury and sweet treats.
Ah Ling, who has been operating for 32 years, is one of the longest-serving seafood traders here. She told Bernama there have been numerous changes in the area since she started her business in 1992 – the most noticeable being the condition of the streets, its cleanliness, and the number of visitors.
“Jalan Alor was quiet then; there weren’t many shops when I started,” said the 55-year-old, who is usually busy from around 8pm when customers patronise her stalls – she runs six businesses on Jalan Alor – to savour seafood dishes like grilled fish, crab, and black pepper squid.
“The roads here used to be very bad with many potholes, but now they are much better as they’ve been repaved, along with the addition of streetlights.”
She noted that the number of restaurants and stalls in the area has increased, with street entertainers such as buskers enlivening the night atmosphere.
“Since about 20 years ago, people from all corners of the world started coming,” Ah Ling said, adding that her regulars include a man from Holland who has been a devoted customer for 28 years.
One tourist, Firma Winda from Indonesia, shared that she had learnt about Jalan Alor through TikTok and had come to experience the excitement herself.
The 24-year-old from Riau, who was here on holiday with her best friend, said she was on the lookout for unique street food, such as the viral South Korean fruit-based food known as “tanghulu”.
“This is my first visit here,” Firma added, while her friend Sri Maharani said she was keen to have her fill of Musang King.
Safety and more upgrades
Elsewhere, Jalan Alor Hawkers Association secretary Simon Ang told Bernama that safety in the area is paramount, especially when it comes to pickpockets.
“Pickpocketing can be reduced with the installation of closed-circuit cameras and Rela presence, but we need proper documentation from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall,” he said, adding that an application had been submitted to DBKL last August.
Ang, who also runs a food shop, said various community activities such as the recent Chap Goh Mei celebration parade are regularly held here.
He also shared that an archway will soon be built across Jalan Alor to make the place even more vibrant.
“We received approval from DBKL to build it in 2020, but are now thinking of upgrading to new technology in the form of LED lights to make it even more attractive,” he concluded.