KUALA LUMPUR: Did you know McDonald’s has some 300 outlets located throughout Malaysia? It’s actually a digestible truth, given how you can find the iconic Golden Arches almost anywhere in the country.
It might even be fair to say that McDonald’s – fondly known as McD’s or even Mekdi – is one of the pillars of local food culture.
McDonald’s landed on Malaysian shores in 1987, with its maiden restaurant located in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. It was also at this outlet that one man’s fascinating history project took root.
If you live in KL or Selangor, there’s a chance you might have seen Albert Ng munching on a burger the last time you paid a visit to McD’s.
After all, the 39-year-old is on a quest to eat at every outlet in the federal territory and state.
Ng, an Android phone programmer, has travelled far and wide within the Klang Valley, visiting McDonald’s restaurants even in the furthest reaches of Selangor just to strike another outlet off his list.
What pushed him to set off on such an extraordinary quest? As he explained to FMT, it all began with a simple, single receipt.
“I was eating at the Masjid Jamek branch when I happened to stare at my receipt. At the very top, I saw ‘#101’ printed. I was curious whether this was the branch number.”
Knowing that the Bukit Bintang outlet is the country’s oldest, he hopped on a train and confirmed for himself that the receipts there were issued with “#1”.
His curiosity piqued, he thus embarked on a quest to visit every outlet in the Klang Valley, just so he could see their branch numbers for himself.
In addition to chasing down numbers, Ng said visiting the restaurants has allowed him to understand historical trends.
“Bukit Bintang was relevant then, and a lot of businesses started here first. The next place they opened at was Yow Chuan Plaza. It was a ‘happening’ place back then, as the old folks will tell you.
“Then the third outlet opened on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. It has always been relevant. A&W and KFC both opened their first outlets there,” he said.
Ng gives credit to McDonald’s Malaysia for being aware of its history and putting in some effort to preserve it through the numbered receipts.
This is, he said, in contrast with McDonald’s Singapore, where outlet numbers are not printed and the first restaurant to open there no longer stands.
Despite the nature of his quest, you might be surprised to know Ng does not consider himself an avid fan of McDonald’s fare. But he does give the chain credit for being consistent with its food standards.
“Unlike other fast-food chains, the quality of McDonald’s has stayed the same throughout the decades,” he pointed out.
And he has, indeed, been going to McDonald’s for decades, with the one in Petaling Jaya’s Section 14 being his childhood hangout spot. “Going there was a weekend treat for me.”
Since August 2013, Ng has visited 168 McD’s restaurants throughout Selangor and KL, including some that no longer exist. He has seen a few run-of-the-mill outlets, as well as others that were more unique.
“I’ve been to the Sabak Bernam branch. It took a two-hour journey just to get there,” he recalled.
“The Genting Sempah branch was the one that impressed me the most. It is on a hill and it takes quite a climb to get to the restaurant.”
He also recalled visiting a McDonald’s in Sri Serdang, which has since closed down. “It has been replaced by a laundromat and hair salon, yet both places have kept the McDonald’s tiles.”
So, does Ng plan on visiting outlets in other parts of Malaysia? Funnily enough, he has a dislike of travel and is unlikely to do so.
However, should he visit other states, he is more than willing to visit the oldest outlet there, as he has already done in Melaka and Johor.
So, the next time you fancy a burger and some fries, keep an eye out for Ng, possibly Malaysia’s first and only McDonald’s historian.