paradise - kuala lumpur, malaysia

Rating:  8 / 10

Situated along the main road from Bukit Bintang to Chinatown, this oft overlooked restaurant holds the keys to the kingdom of flavour. I'll say it right off the bat, if you're one of those people who eeks over oily food or runs from suspect buffets, then don't bother coming here.

This is authentic Pakistani home-cooking the way you eat it at family gatherings from Lahore to Karachi.

Grab your empty plate, walk slowly seeking acceptance from the large traypans filled with delicious curries, scoop the ones that speak to you, don't forget to grab a couple pieces of Tikka or Tandoori Chicken, sit back at your table and before tucking in a waiter will peer over your shoulder calculating the cost of your spoonings.

Next, sip some water, maintain an eating position and start shoveling greatness into your mouth, one spoonful at a time. The food is scintillating and spicy, moreish and addictive. 

Ignore the brutish facade and creep in away from the sunlight, enter the cave of Pakistani delights and be born again in ghee.

These recommendations are just personal opinions based on my palate, things change, chefs get fired or replaced, places open-close, relocate, so take it all with a pinch of MSG  and discover your own gems too. But please do try a few of these, they have been researched exhaustively.