Advisories aside, foreigners dig into Malaysian food

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign visitors to the city are digging into what Malaysia has to offer in terms of culinary delights rooted in the country's various ethnic communities.

German Lena Finkenzeller, 19, reckoned that Kuala Lumpur was a melting pot of diversity, and this multiculturalism was reflected in the local cuisine readily available in all corners of the city.

"Food is everywhere here, you have Indian, Chinese, Malay food and offerings from other communities. We love it all and I personally love curry," she said when met at Petaling Street, a tourist magnet in the heart of the city.

Australian Vincent Roche said he was partial to spicy stuff and had developed a passion for Indian food.

"I just had the best naan (flat-bread) ever, and I could eat Indian food all day. The people and food here are amazing," said the 23-year-old from Wollongong, south of Sydney.

Food aside, the visitors appeared to be taking recent travel advisories issued for Malaysia in their stride.

Roche noted that terror attacks could happen anywhere in the world, but that shouldn't stop people from travelling.

"It's safe to walk at night here, and I would definitely recommend friends to travel to Malaysia," he said.

Another German, Rachel Dalumpines, shared his sentiments.

"Just like anywhere else in the world, you can't be certain of what's going to happen.

“But it would be wise to always be careful in general," said the Munich resident who professed a fondness for Malaysian fried rice.

She said areas deemed to be unsafe could also be found in developed countries like France and Germany.

"But this shouldnt stop people from going there.

“So if our or any government issues a travel warning (for certain cities), we have just got to be a little bit more careful," said the 18-year-old. — Bernama