Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur
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Jln Alor
KL's biggest collection of roadside restaurants sprawls along Jln Alor, just north of Jln Bukit Bintang. From around 17:00 till late every evening, the street transforms into a continuous open-air restaurant, with hundreds of plastic tables and chairs and rival caterers shouting out to passers-by to drum up business.
Most places serve alcohol and you can sample pretty much every Malay Chinese dish imaginable, from grilled fish and satay to kai-lan (Chinese greens) in oyster sauce and fried noodles with frogs' legs. The best way to experience the food street is to stroll along looking at the signs and the dishes on the tables to see what takes your fancy.
Stalls to look out…
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Kampung Baru Hawker Stalls
Saturday evening is the best time to eat in Kampung Baru, when dozens of hawker stalls set up around Jalan Raja Muda Musa for the weekly pasar malam, which rolls through till early Sunday morning. You can find all sorts of Malay specialities here, from ikan panggang (grilled skate) to rojak (spicy fruit-and-vegetable salad), and the night market positively crackles with energy.
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Little Penang Kafé
Set meals (RM13.50) let you sample several of the Nonya dishes that Penang is famous for, including lobak (deep-fried tofu-rolled chicken strips) and the spicy Siamese lemak laksa (using coconut milk), only available Friday to Sunday.
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Devi’s Corner
A pavement-cafe mood prevails at this food court facing the Bangsar Village II mall. The tray curries are excellent, with plenty of fish, prawns and other seafood. You can get dosa, biriyani and great satay here.
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Hawker Stalls in Chinatown
Chinatown has some of the best street food in KL. From late afternoon the pavements along Jln Sultan and Jln Tun HS Lee fill with plastic chairs and tables, and mobile kitchens are set up in the street, serving an astonishing array of Malay and Chinese dishes. Many of the food stalls stay open till midnight or later and you can get a filling meal of rice and spicy stir-fried beef with a cold beer for as little as around RM20.
Everything is prepared fresh so the food is almost always safe to eat, but stick to stalls with lots of customers.
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La Bodega
This popular, trendy place is four venues in one: an all-day deli cafe serving good sandwiches, a chilled-out tapas bar, a formal dining room, and a lively lounge bar. Good wine and authentic tapas and paella complete the Spanish mood. The new branch at Pavilion KL ([tel] 2148 8018; Level 3, Pavilion KL, 168 Jln Bukit Bintang; open 7am to 3am) is known for its great cooked breakfast.
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Food Stalls at Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman
The best time to visit Little India is during the Saturday pasar malam on Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the alley between Jln TAR and Jln Masjid India. From mid-afternoon, this narrow lane becomes crammed with food stalls serving excellent Malaysian Indian food, as well as favourite dishes of the Chinese and Indian communities.
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Kedai Kopi Lai Foong
Chinatown has a number of informal hawker-style restaurants, with various food stations serving classic Malay Chinese dishes. Almost all offer fried rice, fish curry, rice porridge, mee (thin noodles, fried or in soup) and tofu dishes - a meal should cost less than RM20. Kedai Kopi Lai Foong is recommended.
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Seri Angkasa
Watch KL pass by from this revolving restaurant atop Menara KL (KL Tower). The very decent lunch buffet (noon and 2.30pm) is RM66.70. Book for evening meals, especially for sunset dining. There’s a dress code, but the staff will provide men wearing shorts with a sarong (to cover the legs).
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Restoran Yusoof dan Zakhir
A huge banana-yellow and palm tree-green canteen opposite Central Market serving huge portions of delicious mamak food. Fresh coconuts are chopped open at the entrance to provide a refreshing natural accompaniment to the spicy dishes served inside.
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Restoran Oversea
An unpretentious banquet restaurant that should feel comfortingly familiar to anyone who has spent time in mainland China. Specialities include pork belly, fish (cooked in various styles) and streaky bacon cooked in a pot with dried chillies.
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Delicious
Stylish delicious cafes are popping up all over KL; this is one of the biggest branches, serving its trademark chunky sandwiches, big salads, pastas, scrumptious cakes and other desserts. The afternoon tea set (RM69 for two) is a good deal.
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Alexis Bistro
Asian favourites such as laksa mix it up with more European fare at Alexis, a Bangsar brand that’s spread its wings around the city; check the website for details of branches at Ampang’s Great Eastern Mall and the Gardens, Mid Valley.
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Old China Café
The old guild hall of the Selangor & Federal Territory Laundry Association is the atmospheric home for this fine cafe specialising in Nonya dishes from Melaka and Penang – its speciality is the spicy coconut-milk soup, laksa.
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Al Nafourah
The opulent Ottoman-style décor at this posh Levantine restaurant at the Mèridien is worth a visit all by itself. Happily, the food matches the ostentatious surroundings. There's even a resident belly dancer.
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Si Chuan Dou Hua
For a break from Cantonese seafood and dim sum, head to this sleek modern place in the Parkroyal hotel and try fiery Sichuan dishes from southwest China. Green tea flows freely from giant long-spouted teapots.
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Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
Avidly patronised chain that turn out excellent hand-cut noodles and dim sum (sweet and savoury mini dishes), with a photographic menu whose pictures actually resemble the delicious food you’re served.
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Tai Thong Grand Restaurant
A popular lunchtime stop for dim sum, this upmarket Chinese banquet house switches to a Cantonese à la carte menu in the evening. Locals come here for the filling set meals.
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Wong Ah Wah
At the southern end of the street, and justly famous for its seriously addictive chicken wings, this is an ideal spot for a late-night snack with a bottle of beer.
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Sagar in Bangsar Baru
The Bangsar branch of Sagar serves artfully-prepared North Indian food in convivial surroundings. There's a sister restaurant in the Hotel Istana.
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Annalakshmi
Eat as you wish, give as you feel is the mantra at this vegetarian Indian restaurant. There’s a dress code, probably to deter free-loaders.
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Asian Heritage Row
As well as trendy bars, Asian Heritage Row - aka Jln Doraisamy - is lined with upmarket restaurants, perfect for a pre-party feast.
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Jln Raja Muda Musa
Jln Raja Muda Musa is lined with hawker-style restaurants serving excellent Malay food to hordes of hungry city workers.
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Nasi Kandar Pelita in KLCC
This swish, fan-cooled pavilion near the KLCC is probably the flashiest of all the mamak canteens in KL.
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Nerovivo
Nerovivo is adept at turning out delicious, authentic Italian staples.
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