KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 24 -- Belts may have tightened this year but with our handpicked eateries, the passion to create great food worthy of a long drive or even a short wait in a queue are still burning strong.

Here are the dishes that stuck in my mind and also found much favour with family and friends.

Gao Sang Bak Kut Teh

Making a trip down to Klang specifically for bak kut teh sounds like a mad idea but for those who appreciate authenticity will just dismiss the distance as worthy for the best bowls of bak kut teh, like this thick, herbal version found at the unassuming Gao Sang.

The style here isn't the soupy type; it's a collagen-sticky dark broth perfumed with their secret herbs and spices blend, slowly cooked over a charcoal fire ...