itinerary Ayer Itam breakfast crawl: 4 stops on foot
4 stops · 0.9km on foot
Air Itam wakes up around its market, and these four stalls sit close enough together that the whole crawl is a walk. The clock is what to plan around. 2828 Assam Laksa does not open until 10:00, while the koay chap at Wah Meng is done by 12:00, so turn up at ten and the two of them just about overlap. The nasi kandar has been going since 06:30 if you want something in you first.
1 10:00 to 17:00 · shut Wednesday
Photo: Vince Liam via Google Maps 2828 Assam Laksa is the newest of the Air Itam laksa stalls, and it picked up the regulars who lost the market corner stall. The broth runs heavy on fish umami, and the bowl arrives with slices of local mackerel laid over the noodles, which almost nobody else bothers with now. Add the cendol.
2 07:00 to 12:00 · 173m from the last stop · shut Monday
Photo: CK Tan via Google Maps Wah Meng Kopitiam (Air Itam Market Koay Chiap) pours a lighter, clearer broth than the dark soy version George Town goes in for, finished with fried garlic oil. Ask for the duck meat koay chiap. Nothing has confirmed the stall's condition since 2019, so it is worth a phone call before the trip.
3 07:30 to 13:00 · 31m from the last stop · shut Tuesday
Photo: Ken Wong via Google Maps There is no signboard at Air Itam Sisters Curry Mee, just two elderly sisters on low stools behind pots of curry and condiments. The soup is cooked over charcoal, light and sweet, with a dollop of chilli paste. Reviewers still rate it highly, though several note the bowl changed hands with the younger generation.
4 06:30 to 13:30 · 670m from the last stop
Photo: Kurniawan Handito via Google Maps Nasi Kandar Kampung Melayu does kuah banjir, gravy flooded over the rice until the plate is buried. The gravies run thick and creamy, and the ayam goreng comes out of the fryer juicy. For something past the standard plate, ask for telur ikan, the fish roe, with curry daging on top.