Central Market Kuala Lumpur sits in the middle of Chinatown Kuala Lumpur. It’s immediately clear that this is a place with history, though one that has recently been given a fresh coat of paint. It began in 1888 as a wet market selling fresh produce and fish. The Art Deco façade you see today dates back to 1937. Over time, the market fell into decline and was nearly demolished as part of urban redevelopment. Fortunately, it was saved. Today, it houses a mix of long-standing stalls layered alongside newer vendors. There’s food and trinkets everywhere, and right in the middle of it all, somewhat unexpectedly, is a hot chocolate.
Most visitors to Central Market likely have no idea they have the chance to experience Malaysian-grown cacao right here in the centre of the city. Few cities in the world have this, and it is truly exciting. The stall from Kakao Origin is one of the first you’ll see upon entering. The ordering process is structured. First, you choose your chocolate: white, milk, or one of several single-origin dark chocolates ranging from 71% to 82%. These are made from beans sourced from different regions across Malaysia, including Chemor, Semai, Triang, Pengkalan Hulu, and Kuala Lipis. On this visit, only one Chemor option was available.
Next, you choose your temperature (hot or cold) and size (small or large). The drinks are milk-based, with a choice of milk, and you can add a range of spices, some free, others for a small fee, such as black pepper, turmeric, pandan, vanilla, or banana. Unlike the carefully styled images on their Instagram, takeaway paper cups are the only option. There are a few seats where you can sit down and enjoy your drink. We found the drinks to be very weak, so it is hard to comment on the flavour or quality of the chocolate. They also didn’t have any of their chocolates open for tasting, so I can’t really comment on the chocolate itself.
The stall itself was calm, and we were keen for a chat, but the woman serving us stayed on her phone throughout and wasn’t up for a chat. A few bars were available for sale, but none of the plain single-origin varieties, which was disappointing, as we were ready to buy. If you are a tourist and are looking to bring home some Malaysian flavours, their bars that mix Malaysian cacao with Malaysian flavours such as panda and durian would be a great present, for yourself or someone else. It feels like a story worth telling, with a captive audience right there. They could do so much with this space!
After your drink, you are not short on things to do in the area. After exploring Central Market, walk straight through to the other side and directly in front of the exit outside is a place where you can try your hand at batiq painting. Turn left and you will reach the River of Life where the Klang River and Gombak River meet.
Kakao Origin
Central Market, Kuala Lumpur
Daily: 10:00am – 10:00pm https://www.kakaorigin.com
