It is no secret that Kuala Lumpur is one of the best places to be for foodies. You don’t even need to visit a high-end restaurant when there are just so many street foods in KL to savour. It helps that these are often priced reasonably for the everyday man!
But what if you, dear reader, are a foreign tourist who wants to know which street foods in KL should be at the top of your list? Well, luckily for you, we have a list of the 20 best street foods in KL right here for you:
Noodle Dishes
- Hakka-style beef noodles
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Whether thick or thin, these dry noodles will end up drenched in a savoury dark sauce before being served with beef slices and choy sum. In KL, Shin Kee and Soong Kee, are two Chinatown restaurants worth checking out for their beef noodles.
- Chilli Pan Mee
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Hard to believe as it is, KL is believed by some to be the birthplace of dry chilli pan mee. It was supposedly invented at Kin Kin, a Chow Kit eatery which still operates today. It is still worth checking out for the delicious wheat noodles served with anchovies, egg and lots of chilli flakes.
- Hokkien Mee
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Who says Penang is the only place for good Hokkien mee? You can get a culinary treasure in KL, specifically at Kim Lian Kee. Available almost all day, it is hard to beat these thick noodles in dark, lard-laced soy sauce with a smoky aroma.
- Maggi Goreng
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It doesn’t matter which brand of instant noodles you use; it’s still called maggi goreng. As long as there are some vegetables, especially chillies and onions, you are good to go. At mamak places like Jasima in TTDI, just ask for a fried chicken or egg as an extra.
Broths
- Bak kut teh
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Just because you’re not in Klang doesn’t mean there isn’t good BKT to be had. The herbal pork broth-based dish can be found throughout the city, with Hing Kee a good spot to check out. It is often served with either rice or noodles.
Rice
- Nasi lemak
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No list of street foods in KL will be complete without mentioning Malaysia’s national dish. There are so many good nasi lemak spots to check out. Still, for the first time, you can’t go wrong with Nasi Lemak Tanglin, which has been around since 1948!
- Nasi kandar
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Penang can claim to be the birthplace of nasi kandar, but does it still have the best? You have pretty good contenders in KL, after all. P Ramlee, himself a Penangite, was a frequent customer at Kudu Abdul, so surely it’s worth checking out!
- Banana leaf rice
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Malaysians from all walks of life love this South Indian delicacy. There’s just something special about having warm rice on a banana leaf drenched with curries and lined with side dishes. Mollagaa in central KL is a good spot to check out if you want to go home satisfied and stuffed.
- Chicken rice
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Steamed or roasted, chicken goes perfectly well with a plate of rice and maybe some pork. The best spot for chicken in KL is likely Loke Yun, famous for its tender kampung chicken. Be sure to enjoy it with a smattering of chilli-garlic paste!
Curries
- Fish head curry
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It is rather amazing that Malaysians can enjoy the Malay, Chinese and Indian versions of this spicy dish! One popular spot for fish head curry is Restoran ZK, a mamak shop which serves its fish head curry with lots of lady’s fingers and beancurd puffs.
Meat Treats
- BBQ chicken wings
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What makes or breaks a serving of BBQ chicken wings is the marinade it is prepared with. As it happens, the best marinade has to belong to Jalan Alor’s Wong Ah Wah. The resulting chicken is nothing short of smoky, sweet and spicy, especially when paired with chilli sauce.
- Hainanese chicken chop
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The classic kopitiam offering is best savoured at Yut Kee, one of KL’s oldest surviving eateries. The place has been around since 1928 and its chop is deep-fried and served with a plethora of vegetables, potatoes and a bath of savoury gravy.
- Char siew
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You can eat it with rice or on its own, and it will always be a guilty pleasure. For char siew in KL, it’s best to go poking around at Spring Golden. Here, the pork is so deliciously sweet and fatty that you will want seconds for sure.
- Ayam pongteh
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You’d expect ayam pongteh to be found only in Melaka or Penang, but KL has its fair share of Nyonya chefs. After all, no locals can resist the sweet, savoury chicken served with juicy potatoes. For the best ayam pongteh spot in the city, Limapulo is a strong contender.
Seafood
- Ikan bakar
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KL may be far from the sea, but this list of street foods in KL will not be perfect without mention of Kedai Kak Jat’s grilled fish. Grilled and marinated to perfection, this dish is best savoured with a dousing of air asam.
Breads & Snacks
- Roti canai
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Anywhere you look, you will find this staple of a flatbread at almost every Indian restaurant throughout the city. If you want the best, though, there are a few places you must check out. Even its plain roti canai offers enough flavor to be enjoyed on its own, making Valentine Roti a standout among them.
- Chapati
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For this Christmas, I want Santa to bring me delicious chapati. Not Santa Claus, but Santa, the restaurant on Jalan Tun HS Lee. The flatbread pairs comically well with almost anything, especially curry, showing off its remarkable versatility.
- Ramly burger
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The perfect supper, Ramly burgers taste heavenly when you are hungry. They are also everywhere, often operating late at night. There are many good Ramly burger spots, but Om Burger is a crowd favourite, oozing with both grease and sauce.
- Brown sugar apom
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A popular South Asian snack that resembles a crepe, there are many good places in KL to search for them. In Brickfields, Yarl, a Sri Lankan restaurant, is rather famous for theirs. Crispy on the sides and soft in the centre, the brown sugar gives the snack a sweet twist.
Desserts
- Cendol
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With how hot the weather is, this list of street foods in KL just has to include cendol. Thankfully, Baba Low’s in Bangsar is famous for its sweet, icy treat. It comes served with a sinful amount of gula melaka, santan and cendol jelly, perfect to beat any heat.
You should also check out: PJ and Subang may be foodie hotspots, but these 9 famous Puchong spots lowkey deserve more hype
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