Malaysia: Jalan Alor in Kuala Lumpur

Hawker centres (among other things) in Singapore are clean, safe and sterile places often devoid of any character. A walk along Jalan Alor in Kuala Lumpur fills the nostrils with cooking smells while the ears are occupied with sounds of music, invitations from restaurant staff, the klang of woks, the hubbub of multi-national conversation and the honk of car horns trying to squeeze through tables and chairs.

Smoke belched from rows of rotating chicken pieces, lines of satay sticks sat artistically on blocks of ice trying to keep cool while piles of fish were showered with shovels of ice to ensure freshness in a manner which would not suit those who prefer their food prepared by people in space suits and face masks. Unforgettable – unlike the Malaysian ‘Jaz’ beer.