Miri
Steamed bao buns and delicious egg tarts are perfect reasons to hunt out this neighbourhood bakery. A recommended combo is an iced coffee with a couple of…
Must-see restaurants in Malaysia
Cameron Highlands
Claypot roast pork, fried rice in kimchi, teriyaki burgers and sushi – KouGen prepares an impressive spread of Japanese and Korean fusion dishes from its…
Melaka City
The main reason to head to Portuguese Sq is the food that you can enjoy at outdoor tables with a sea view. This laid-back outlet to the rear of the…
Sarawak
A sprawling, open-air shed on stilts with a wide-plank floor and a tin roof, this classic Chinese-style seafood restaurant is in Kampung Buntal, a fishing…
Pulau Langkawi
The fragrant, rich, authentic KL-style nasi lemak (rice boiled in coconut milk, served with fried ikan bilis, peanuts and a curry dish) is made by a…
Kota Bharu
For a very local experience, pop into this old-school Chinese coffee shop for a tea or coffee while you’re exploring Kota Bharu’s museum precinct …
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
The cakes here are works of art – as beautiful to look at as they are delicious to eat. The patisserie shares its ultra-stylish space with designer…
Robson Heights Seafood Restaurant
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Folks drive from far and wide to feast on the tasty food served at this rickety hillside joint. While its specialities such as stir-fried pig intestines…
Kuala Terengganu
Keong Kee specialises in claypot dishes that come in three sizes and which feature pork, chicken, prawns or tofu in various tasty sauces. There are also…
Melaka City
Slurp-worthy laksa and decent Peranakan fare are served at this efficient and busy canteen. But the highlight is its cendol, which comes in a fabulous…
Kota Kinabalu
Expect brisk service at this bustling plastic-chair joint where tables are spread out onto the pavement and the chopsticks clack. The buffet counter…
Ipoh
Historic Concubine Lane, between Jln Bandar Timah and Jln Bijeh Timah, is elbow to elbow with visitors, but it's worth squeezing through for a bowl of tau…
Blue Boy Vegetarian Food Centre
Kuala Lumpur
Run by Chung Ching Thye and his son since the mid 1970s, this remarkable hawker-style cafe at the base of a backstreet apartment block serves only…
Kuala Lumpur
A key, fun feature of this restaurant dedicated to sausages is that you can enter it using a twisting slide (don't worry – there's also a lift here, too)…
Syarikat Kim Guan Huat Trading
Sarawak
Sharing signage with an electronics shop next door, this friendly Chinese-owned kopitiam (coffee shop) is Belaga's best place for breakfast before a…
Kuching
Run by the same folks who operate the Barber and the Junk, this stylish, bright restaurant produces light and spicy Thai fish cakes, tom yum goong (hot…
Sabah
This family-run joint on Bavang Jamal Beach is popular for its nasi goreng, fresh fish, chicken wings and barbecued food. Whatever's been caught finds its…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
It's worth coming early to Bunn Choon to sample their egg tarts warm from the oven. Fourth generation owner-baker Wong Kok Tong and his wife use the…
Kuala Lumpur
At lunch, pick from the steamed baskets of dim sum being wheeled in carts at this classy, old-fashioned Chinese joint. The extensive menu includes…
George Town
In a city with such amazing local food it feels wrong to recommend a Mexican restaurant, but the folks at Holy Guacamole are doing an admirable job…
Kuala Lumpur
Mohamed Zaini comes from a long line of satay-stall owners – his grandfather was known as the 'King of Satay' in the 1960s – and these days KLites…
Kuching
Six food stalls, run by members of the Teochew Chinese community, serve up an eclectic assortment of native bites, including rice porridge with pork (3am…
Perak
Specialising in mee kari (spicy noodles), this out-of-the-way food stall is in a verdant setting, 3.5km southeast of Gopeng town. It's friendly, and the…
Penang
Located at the top of Penang Hill, this restaurant has an open-air terrace that's probably the island's most atmospheric destination for colonial-style…
Johor Bahru
You can't go wrong with the yellow rice topped with spicy chicken curry at this clean, open-air, often-packed and long-standing curry joint that's open…
Kuala Lumpur
Stalls at this market kopitiam (coffee shop) include Sisters Crispy Popiah, famous for its delicious wraps. The eponymous vendor Ah Weng Koh sells kaya …
Miri
Come midmorning this atmospheric covered courtyard, known locally as Old Folks' St, is full of men of a certain vintage, who congregate to drink coffee,…
Green House Vegetarian Restaurant
Melaka City
This restaurant serves tasty vegetarian versions of traditional meat dishes such as Hong Kong roasted goose and char siew. If you don't fancy mock-meat…
Kuala Lumpur
A car park by day turns into a decent open-air hawker stall area by night. All the usual hawker favourites are here, as well as a stall selling fresh amra…
Pulau Perhentian
Awatif is a good, inexpensive choice for breakfast: juice, lassi, muesli, pancakes and eggs are available. Red umbrellas shade tables set right on the…
Kuala Lumpur
This family-friendly partially open-air cafe in a residential house serves all-day breakfasts, homemade pizzas, salads and homemade cakes to go with…
Kuala Lumpur
This long-standing Italian joint serves a range of solid appetisers, pastas, risottos and of course pizzas in a chic, partly open-air dining room.
Cameron Highlands
Steamboat is the quintessential Cameron Highland experience, and May Flower is one of the most reliable places to huddle around a steamy vat of broth…
Lahad Datu
We find that there are many reasons to like this branch of the internationally popular Malaysian chain: the very memory of its white-chocolate-and…
Kuala Lumpur
Lot 10 was the first mall to encourage top hawkers to open branches in its basement food court. Popular stalls include Soong Kee, which has served beef…
Kuala Lumpur
Self-taught French chef Nathalie has built a solid reputation over the years for her inventive, fusion and nouvelle cuisine dishes. Her cooking studio is…
Kuala Lumpur
You can see the fresh bread being taken out of the oven at this appealing bakery, cake shop and cafe in a quiet part of the city centre. The outdoor patio…
Kuala Lumpur
A popular operation from Singapore, Wild Honey's KL branch conjures up the kind of chic living room environment that is just made for leisurely all-day…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
A gathering point for Nepalis in KL, this pleasant restaurant serves authentic Nepalese cuisine including spicy buffalo (sukuti and chhoilla) dishes and…
Ipoh
Occasional visitors to Ipoh head to Lou Wong and other famous purveyors of chicken bean sprouts, but ask a local and they might just direct you to Cowan…
