Bukit Bintang is the heart of tourist activities in Kuala Lumpur with a number of classy bars, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs. The popular food street Jalan Alor is also located in Bukit Bintang which attracts hundreds of tourists and foodies looking for some unique foodie adventures with Malay food. I visited Bijan in 2014 for the first time celebrating a get-together with friends.
Bijan Bar & dining won the best Malay restaurant of the year award in 2013 and received great reviews online and in foodie magazines across KL. The restaurants got some impressive reviews on travel catalogues (including Lonely Planet) and food blogs and attracted my interest.
During my visits to Kuala Lumpur, I prefer to stay around Bukit Bintang when visiting Kuala Lumpur, therefore, walking down the Changkat, Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Ramlee is a regular routine. I would occasionally stop to browse through menus of Middle Eastern restaurants serving a good mix of popular Middle Eastern dishes.
Bijan is a modern Malay Fusion Restaurant with a good mix of vegetarian and meat dishes. The atmosphere of the restaurant is quite cozy and ideal for birthday parties or any other special occasion.
Start your meal with a snack of popiah goreng or satay chicken on the skewer get into the mood to try other creations on the Bijan menu. Other popular options include Nyonya styled appetizers.
The chefs at Bijan constantly challenge themselves to come up with new ideas for traditional Malay dishes including Duck and beef. The roasted beef is tenderised in a special sauce to give a rich texture and juiciness to compliment the Malay palate. The duck is also cooked in its own fat, similar to the French cooking style to render juicy and soft meat while retaining crispiness on the skin.
The use of bitter fermented durian gives a distinct kick to Udang Masak Lemak, a very popular Peranakan dish.
I wanted to try out some traditional Nyonya-styled Malay dishes including an Eggplant dish in Belacan sauce, prawns in spicy coconut curry and lamb shanks. The seafood dishes include a mix of seafood platter as well as deep-fried fish (sea bass) cooked in tangy tamarind sauce.
Beef dishes with potatoes are also very popular. The meat is cooked to perfection with potato curry and is consumed with aromatic rice.
A recent visit in July 2022, was a trip back in time as the place has not changed much in layout and appearance and the quality of food and service was quite impressive.
The occasional ding of cutlery in the main hall, coupled with laughter and clapping of birthday celebrations reminded me of the same liveliness I experienced in my past visits to Bijan. The experience was particularly enjoyable after a long time of travelling back to Malaysia after COVID.
I decided to try my favourite vegetable and seafood dishes. Okra and Eggplant dishes are quite popular in Malay cuisine and can be cooked in so many different styles. The use of Sambal Belacan, a chilli-based condiment is very common in Malaysian cuisine. The use of Shrimp paste with chilli and calamansi juice creates a sauce with a kick and goes well with a number of vegetable and seafood dishes.
Sambal Belacan is used in cooking sambal asparagus which is one of my favourite dishes on the menu.
Strips of Eggplant were deep-fried and served with a spicy garnish. The Okra and prawn cooked with Sambal sauce were quite aromatic and hit the spot.
There is an impressive selection of desserts including coconut ice cream, mango cheesecake, durian dessert and a number of popular hawker-styled Malay desserts.
Address: 3 Jalan Ceylon, 502000 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
