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For Ideoli co-founders George and Chris, traveling the world is an important component of their jobs. It’s how they nurture relationships with partners and clients and stay connected, all while overseeing production runs and client installations. An added bonus: Experiencing different cultures never fails to get them inspired and invigorated by the places they visit and the people they meet.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is one of those places that have had a significant cultural impact on George and Chris.Centrally located in the Peninsular Malaysia, the city was founded in 1857 by 87 Chinese tin miners and became the state capital in 1880. Due to its rapid growth in industry and population, today, the city is a thriving metropolis. It is a melting pot of cultures and traditions; a perfect blend of old and new. Malays, Chinese and Indians are the three dominant ethnicities that make up the majority of the city’s population. Kuala Lumpur is a mix of modern and traditional architecture, including glass-and-concrete skyscrapers, ancient mosques, Chinese shop-houses (business on the ground floor; family’s living space above), huts and Malay stilt ‘kampungs’ or villages. The city’s commercial hub is known as the Golden Triangle and boasts two of the world’s tallest buildings: Petronas Twin Towers, designed by Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli and Kuala Lumpur Tower, a broadcasting and telecommunications site. Kuala Lumpur is the center of the peninsula’s transportation system, with major roads, rail lines and international airport. To help offset the city’s problem with traffic congestion, a public transit system was developed in 1996. Popular tourist attractions include the National Art Gallery, the National Library of Malaysia, the National Theatre, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the more contemporary National Mosque and the old Sultan’s Mosque. National parks, a zoo and an aquarium, as well as a number of sports arenas, are all found in this flourishing city.

Co-founders George and Chris were also happy to discover that finding delicious, ethnic food and drink in Kuala Lumpur is not very difficult. In fact, street food can be found on nearly every corner of the city. Here is their list of the top five things to eat and drink in Kuala Lumpur:

1. Nasi Lemak 

Considered the national dish of Malaysia, this fragrant rice dish is also a favorite for breakfast. Its translation is ‘fatty rice.’ The rice is steamed and cooked in coconut milk and served with fried anchovies, sambal (spicy sauce), slices of cucumber, boiled egg and fried ground nuts. The whole thing is then wrapped in a banana leaf, which makes it perfect for an on-the-go meal.

2. Roti Canai

Another breakfast favorite, this flatbread is twirled and then grilled. It’s usually served with curry and dhal for dipping; but this dish has many variations, including roti telur, which has an egg inside of it and aka roti pisang, which is made with bananas.

3. Brown Sugar

Appam Appam is a fermented rice batter pancake. You can have it plain with just coconut milk but why would you when you could have brown sugar appam? In this dish, coconut milk and brown sugar are mixed into the appam batter, which is then swirled in the pan as it cooks. The result is fluffy edges with sides that are brittle. The best part is the brown sugar is purposely left in chunks so a burst of sweetness melts in your mouth with every bite.

4. Rendang

This dish is a favorite of Malaysians and people around the world; it was voted by readers of CNN International as the number-one dish in World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods. The most popular version of this spicy, slow-cooked dish has beef as its main ingredient although chicken and mutton are also popular. Often served during religious festivals.

5. Teh Tarik

Made of black tea, sugar and condensed milk, Malaysia’s national drink is a favorite during breakfast and supper, but people will drink it at any time during the day. Created by Indian Muslim immigrants, Teh Tarik means ‘pulled tea,’ which refers to the process of pouring the mixture back and forth between two pitchers. This produces a thick, rich, foamy drink. The iced version is known as ‘teh ais,’ which simply means iced tea.

As they continue to visit cities and countries such as Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, George and Chris are continually inspired and invigorated by the people they meet and the unique cuisines and cultures they get to discover. Connecting with Ideoli’s partners and clients offers them unlimited opportunities to strengthen and build relationships.