Food Tour: The Tastiest Places to Eat in KL

Kuala Lumpur is a bustling metropolis, and it’s easy to get lost in its many delicious flavours. With a vast range of local and international cuisine, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to decide where to eat.

The best way to explore all that KL has to offer is to take a food tour. You’ll get to experience the city’s unique array of top-notch restaurants, street-side food stalls and hole-in-the-wall eateries. This guide will take you on a journey around the tastiest places to eat in Kuala Lumpur.

1. Traditional Malay Cuisine

Experience the flavors of Malaysia’s traditional cuisine with a meal at a Malay restaurant. The ingredients used are unique and the recipes are rich with a range of spices. Popular dishes include nasi lemak, a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and served with a variety of sides; rendang, a spicy meat dish; and satay, skewers of grilled meat served with a peanut-based sauce.

For a truly authentic experience, head to a Malay kopitiam (coffee shop) and sample some traditional snacks. Try kuih lapis, a layer cake made from rice and coconut milk; or wajik, a sweet coconut and rice dessert. Wash it all down with a cup of freshly brewed kopi.

If you’re craving something savoury, a Malaysian version of a burger is the way to go. Try the nasi lemak burger, a fragrant combination of two worlds. It’s a delicious mix of savoury and sweet, and a must-try on any food tour of KL.

2. Chinese Cuisine

KL is home to a large Chinese population, and the city is full of tasty Chinese restaurants. From Cantonese restaurants to Chinese seafood joints and dim sum eateries, there’s something for everyone.

If you’re looking for a quick bite, try some hawker-style Chinese food. Popular items include char kway teow (stir-fried rice noodles), hokkien mee (stir-fried noodles) and loh mee (noodles in a thick gravy). For something a bit more upscale, head to a Chinese seafood restaurant and sample some of their signature dishes.

No Chinese food tour of KL is complete without trying some of the city’s famous dim sum. Head to a dim sum restaurant and sample a variety of steamed buns, dumplings and other bite-sized delicacies. Try the har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork dumplings) and char siu bao (steamed barbecue pork buns).

3. Indian Cuisine

Kuala Lumpur’s Indian restaurants are the perfect place to sample the flavors of India. From the fragrant spices of North Indian cuisine to the coconut-based dishes of the South, there’s something to suit all tastes.

No Indian food tour of KL is complete without trying some popular dishes. Start with some tandoori chicken, a spiced chicken dish cooked in a clay oven. Then move on to some murtabak, a roti-style wrap filled with minced meat and onions. Finish off with some biryani, a fragrant rice dish cooked with spices and served with a side of raita (yogurt-based sauce).

For something a bit more unusual, try some Indian-style Chinese food. A popular dish is the Indian-style Chinese fried noodles, a spicy and savoury dish with a kick. It’s a great way to experience two cultures in one meal.

4. Local Hawker Food

Kuala Lumpur is full of street-side food stalls, known locally as ‘hawkers’. This is the best place to sample local favourites such as mee goreng (fried noodles), roti canai (flatbread) and char kway teow (stir-fried rice noodles). Popular hawker centres include Jalan Alor, Lot 10 and Jalan Imbi.

If you’re feeling adventurous, try some of the more unusual dishes on offer. Look out for Apom Balik, a pancake-style snack filled with peanuts and sugar; Cendol, a sweet dessert made from coconut milk, pandan leaves and shaved ice; and the ever-popular satay, grilled meat skewers served with a peanut-based sauce.

For those with a sweet tooth, try some of the local desserts. Popular choices include ice kacang (shaved ice with fruit and syrup) and bubur cha cha (a sweet dessert made from tapioca, yam and sweet potato).

5. Japanese Cuisine

Kuala Lumpur is home to a variety of Japanese restaurants, ranging from high-end sushi restaurants to casual eateries. Popular dishes include sushi, ramen, tempura and teppanyaki. For a truly luxurious experience, head to the city’s top sushi restaurants and sample some of their signature dishes.

If you’re looking for something a bit more casual, head to a Japanese izakaya. This is a type of Japanese pub where you can sample a range of small dishes. Popular dishes include karaage (fried chicken), gyoza (dumplings) and yakitori (grilled skewers). Be sure to wash it all down with a cold beer or a glass of sake.

No Japanese food tour of KL is complete without trying some of the city’s famous ramen. There are a variety of ramen restaurants to choose from, each offering their own unique take on this classic dish. Try the tonkotsu ramen, a rich and creamy pork-based broth, or the shoyu ramen, a light and flavourful soy-based broth.

6. Korean Cuisine

Korean cuisine is becoming increasingly popular in Kuala Lumpur, and there are a variety of restaurants to choose from. Popular dishes include bibimbap (a rice dish served with a variety of toppings), kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage) and galbi (marinated grilled beef).

For a truly unique experience, head to a Korean barbecue restaurant. Here, you can cook your own food on a tabletop grill. Popular items include marinated beef, pork belly and kimchi. Be sure to try some of the side dishes such as kimchi stew and kimchi pancakes.

No Korean food tour of KL is complete without trying some of the city’s famous street food. Popular items include tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and gimbap (rice rolls filled with vegetables and meat). Be sure to wash it all down with a glass of soju, Korea’s famous rice-based spirit.

7. Thai Cuisine

Kuala Lumpur is home to a variety of Thai restaurants, ranging from high-end eateries to casual street-side stalls. Popular dishes include tom yum soup, phad thai (stir-fried noodles) and gaeng daeng (red curry). For a truly authentic experience, head to a Thai seafood restaurant and sample some of their signature dishes.

No Thai food tour of KL is complete without trying some of the city’s famous street food. Popular items include satay (grilled meat skewers), gai yang (grilled chicken) and kanom jeen (rice noodles). Be sure to try some of the delicious desserts on offer, such as kanom krok (coconut-based pancakes) and roti (flatbread).

If you’re feeling adventurous, try some of the more unusual Thai dishes. Look out for khanom jeen nam ngiao, a savoury noodle dish served with a spicy tomato-based sauce; or gaeng som, a sour and spicy soup made from tamarind and fish.

8. Middle Eastern Cuisine

Experience the flavors of the Middle East with a meal at a Middle Eastern restaurant. Popular dishes include hummus, falafel and shawarma. For a truly authentic experience, head to a Lebanese restaurant and sample some of their signature dishes.

No Middle Eastern food tour of KL is complete without trying some of the city’s famous street food. Popular items include falafel (deep-fried chickpea balls), shawarma (grilled meat wraps) and kufta (spiced minced meat). Be sure to try some of the delicious sides such as tabbouleh (salad made with parsley, tomatoes and bulgur wheat) and baba ganoush (smoky eggplant dip).

If you’re feeling adventurous, try some of the more unusual Middle Eastern dishes. Look out for msabaha (dip made from cooked chickpeas and tahini sauce) or shish barak (dumplings filled with spiced meat and served in a yoghurt-based sauce).

9. South-East Asian Cuisine

Kuala Lumpur is home to a variety of South-East Asian restaurants, including Vietnamese, Indonesian and Filipino. Popular dishes include pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) and adobo (Filipino stew).

For a truly unique experience, head to a street-side food stall and sample some of the local delicacies. Popular items include bakso (Indonesian meatballs), lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) and banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich). Be sure to wash it all down with a glass of iced tea or a coconut smoothie.

If you’re feeling adventurous, try some of the more unusual South-East Asian dishes. Look out for nasi ulam (Malaysian herb rice salad), soto ayam (Indonesian chicken soup) and khao soi (Thai coconut curry).

10. Western Cuisine

Kuala Lumpur is home to a variety of Western restaurants, ranging from high-end steakhouses to casual burger joints. Popular dishes include steak, pizza, burger and pasta. For a truly luxurious dining experience, head to one of the city’s top steakhouses and sample some of their signature dishes.

If you’re looking for something a bit more casual, head to a burger joint and sample some of their signature dishes. Popular items include the classic cheeseburger, the veggie burger and the ever-popular fried chicken burger. Be sure to wash it all down with a cold beer or a milkshake.

No Western food tour of KL is complete without trying some of the city’s famous pizzas. Head to one of the city’s top pizza joints and sample some of their signature creations. From classic margherita to gourmet creations, there’s something to suit all tastes.

11. Fusion Cuisine

Kuala Lumpur is home to a variety of fusion restaurants, where East meets West in exciting and unexpected ways. Popular dishes include Asian-style burgers, Korean-style tacos and Japanese-style sandwiches. If you’re feeling adventurous, head to a fusion restaurant and sample some of their signature dishes.

No fusion food tour of KL is complete without trying some of the city’s famous fusion desserts. Popular items include matcha-flavoured donuts, durian-flavoured macarons and pandan-flavoured ice cream. Be sure to wash it all down with a cup of bubble tea or a glass of taro milk tea.

If you’re feeling really adventurous, try some of the more unusual fusion dishes. Look out for ramen burgers, sushi burritos and Chinese-style nachos.

12. Vegetarian Cuisine

Kuala Lumpur is home to a variety of vegetarian restaurants, ranging from high-end eateries to casual cafes. Popular dishes include vegetarian rendang (a spicy vegetable dish), vegetarian nasi lemak (a fragrant rice dish) and vegetarian satay (grilled vegetable skewers).

If you’re looking for something a bit more casual, head to a vegetarian hawker stall and sample some of their signature dishes. Popular items include vegetarian mee goreng (fried noodles) and vegetarian roti canai (flatbread). Be sure to try some of the delicious sides such as fried tofu and vegetable spring rolls.

No vegetarian food tour of KL is complete without trying some of the city’s famous mock-meat dishes. Popular items include mock-meat burgers, mock-meat nuggets and mock-meat satay. These dishes are a great way to experience the flavours of meat without the actual meat.

Conclusion

Kuala Lumpur is a city full of delicious flavours, from the fragrant spices of Malay cuisine to the rich flavours of Indian food. With a vast range of local and international cuisine, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to decide where to eat. The best way to explore all that KL has to offer is to take a food tour. From traditional Malay cuisine to vegetarian-friendly dishes, there’s something for everyone. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and explore the delicious flavours of KL!