Kuala Lumpur in Pasadena being sold

[carter]

abc website indicates that Kuala Lumpur is being sold and a Green Street Tavern will be opening in its place some time after the first of the year.
Since the Green Street location was the second one for KL, anyone know if they plan to move elsewhere or are they just closing for good?
Any good reviews of late?
My experience was good, yet also 3 years ago!

[ausfrench]

Tropika in Tustin on 17th does an excellent beef rendang and mee goreng. Some of the other dishes are slightly hit or miss but it's still far and away the most authentic Malaysian I've had in LA/OC.

[Vince S]

Just found this thread...

Frankly, KL's food ain't that great to begin with. So no regrets that they closed.

[travistarr]

Kuala Lumpur did have the best Malaysian food I have had in this area so it is a shame it is going or already gone. I have been to the aforementioned other spots for such food, including Penang is Covina, but I would ask the assembled if there are any further places to try, as after spending a summer many years ago in Malaysia, I often pine for such food. Espeicaly the dish called Pataya, fried rice wrapped in a thin egg skin, which has yet to show itself in the southland as far as I know.

[bulavinaka]

Belacan Grill in Redondo Beach/Torrance seems to be the only place in the entire western portion of LA County that serves Malaysian food. Fortunately, it's pretty good too. A little pricey if you're used to SGV prices, or even better - prices in ringett! - but the restaurant is pretty nice and the quality of food is very good. And heck - depending on where you're coming from, the convenience if it being in the South Bay is worth it.

Yazmin in Alhambra was our favorite, but we haven't been in about 1 1/2 years, and I've seen some relatively so-so comments about them lately...

[SkyTimeYuzu]

Kuala Lumpur had the best laksa in the LA area hands down. My wife and I had dinner at the Banana Leaf last night and their laksa is just so-so. My love of Malaysian food led me to Tropika (http://www.tropika.com)..their laksa was average as well but their roti and Hainan chicken were quite good.

[slacker]

"Green Street Tavern" sounds boring. I can already picture the menu: maybe some pub-ish food, some sandwiches, maybe some fish, some chicken, a few salads, beer, soda, wine, iced tea. We need more diversity, not more repetition.

[Bon Vivant]

Here's my post re my last 4 meals (during the last two weeks of December before it closed) at Kuala Lumpur.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/360701

[bulavinaka]

I can't read it again - it will make me cry... the recent demise of Malaysian restaurants is reminding me of Star Wars III - is this the beginning of the demise of the Jedi?

[Bon Vivant]

Well, the owner said that he was going to take a few months off and then think about re-opening in Pasadena (not Old Town since the rents are too high for him.) In early December they were set on closing for good but towards the end of December they were having a change of heart; hopefully all of those people who dined there supported them in their last month may have made them realize how much the restaurant was loved.

http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com

[bulavinaka]

Let us hope... do I feel a change in the force?

[bulavinaka]

Someone posted this info about a month ago... sorry to see another Malaysian Restaurant go... what's happening? The choices are becoming fewer by the month...

[arifa]

ACK! I didn't see this thread and was totally unprepared when I went to Kuala Lumpur tonight only to find it closed down. So sad =(

[amandine]

Sounds like Pasadena is in the process of being overrun with pubs/taverns/wine bars... KL was a good alternative to the usual.

[Will Owen]

As nobody posting so far has any input about when KL is closing, I guess we'll just have to bite the bullet, drop in this weekend and see what we can find out. I've had tougher assignments ;-)

It'll be a nice diversion from turkey!

[ozzygee]

No! I hope they're just moving somewhere else in town. That's really too bad. Old Town is losing a gem.

[Will Owen]

Oh, that's just devastating! That has always been our default location, when we just wanted some really good inexpensive food after a Mendenhall opening, or any other time we were in Old Town and didn't want to go elsewhere right away. Always reliable, always friendly, always delicious. Damn. Now what?

[suvro]

That's sad. I loved Kuala Lumpur's food - though I used to go more often when they were in the cellophane building. I loved their Mee Goreng so much that I got LA Times food section to print their recipe in the culinary SOS section. Next time I went in, they recognized me as the person who had asked for the recipe - since I always ordered it. (In contrast Yazmin in its current location proved one of the worst culinary experiences to me)

I hope they find a new location close to Pasadena, even though of late I have been to KL less frequently.