We went to Klang this morning. A small impressively-named town that is the seat of the Selangor Sultan and now, basically, a suburb of KL. It was a short and pleasant visit amidst quiet streets sleepy because it was a holiday and no one spends their holiday in Klang. At one point a car stopped next to us and the driver called out to the Gentleman Friend, a visible foreigner, “you are in the wrong place, my friend.” There were some pretty, oldish shop fronts and aside from the flyovers one had a sense of what KL must have looked liked some decades ago. The river Klang ehere was broader and not contained in a concrete drain so it looked very SE Asian being fringed with greenery, though with the very large golden domed mosque to emphasise its position as the royal town. It seemed very suitable for hipsterification, I can imagine it occurring in some of the side streets.
We went first for bak kut teh for which Klang is famous. It was surprisingly light (the place we went to, Four Eyes Bak Kut Teh, is known for its herbal broth), much more so than the one we had in Johor Bahru a year or so ago and significantly nicer than the vegetarian travesty I had in Penang once. Then a short stroll, followed by a stopover at the best named and also just the best cafe in the greater Klang Valley, the Seraph Awaken. It is highly respected for its coffee which was very good – we tried one of their specialities, a sharp, light pourover with hibiscus ice cubes to add a touch of sweetness and emphasise the sharpness. They also had very good cake; we had the gula melaka crepe cake which was unusually fresh and light, with very good crepes. The place itself was lovely, shabby but seemingly unaffected, with quiet music and gentle but friendly staff. If I return to Klang it’ll be to buy saris (it’s supposed to be the best place for sari shopping) and a stop at the cafe.
Tomorrow morning we climb Bukit Tabur for the sunrise.