WHAT TO EAT IN MALAYSIA: 15 DISHES TO TRY

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Malaysian Food at a Glance

If you only try a few things, make it nasi lemak, roti canai, satay, char kway teow and a teh tarik. These are the dishes you will see everywhere, and they show the three main cooking traditions in one trip.

Dish	What it is	Where I tried it
Nasi lemak	Coconut rice with sambal, peanuts, anchovies and egg	Kuala Lumpur
Roti canai	Flaky flatbread with curry	An Indian restaurant near Jalan Alor
Satay	Grilled skewers with peanut sauce	Jalan Alor
Char kway teow	Smoky stir-fried flat noodles	Jalan Alor
Grilled stingray	Stingray with spicy sambal	Jalan Alor
Hainanese pork chop	Fried pork chop in gravy	Yut Kee
Kaya roll	Bread roll with coconut jam	Yut Kee

HOW WE ATE

How We Ate in Kuala Lumpur

My twin sister and I travel with her little boy Noah, so we mixed street food with easy sit-down meals. We ate breakfast at cafés, had lunch at local restaurants like Yut Kee and spent our evenings at Jalan Alor, where we went back on my second trip.

Having lived in India helped: eating from a street stall does not scare either of us, and some of the best food I have had anywhere came from stalls like these. Prices are so low that it is easy to order too much, which we did every time.

RICE AND NOODLES

Rice and Noodle Dishes to Try in Malaysia

1. Nasi Lemak

Nasi lemak is the national dish: rice cooked in coconut milk, served with spicy sambal, fried anchovies, roasted peanuts, cucumber and a boiled or fried egg, often with fried chicken or rendang. It is eaten at any time of day. I tried it in KL but did not manage to film it, so you will have to take my word that it was delicious.

2. Char Kway Teow

Flat rice noodles stir-fried over a very hot wok with soy sauce, prawns, egg, bean sprouts and chives. The smoky flavour from the wok is the whole point. We had it at Jalan Alor, and it was one of the best things we ate.

3. Hainanese Chicken Rice

Poached or roasted chicken with fragrant rice cooked in chicken stock, chilli sauce and ginger. It is simple and comforting, and a safe choice if you are travelling with children.

4. Laksa

Laksa is a spicy noodle soup with many regional versions. Curry laksa, with a rich coconut broth, is common in Kuala Lumpur, while asam laksa from Penang is sour and fish-based. It is high on my list for my next trip.

5. Clay Pot Chicken Rice

Rice, chicken and Chinese sausage cooked together in a clay pot until the bottom turns crispy. Look for it at Jalan Alor and in Chinatown in the evening.

6. Hainanese Pork Chop and Roti Babi at Yut Kee

Yut Kee, a Hainanese restaurant that has been open for about 90 years, is famous for its pork chop in gravy and roti babi, a fried bread stuffed with pork. We paid RM14 and RM18, so roughly €3 each, and the food arrived about two minutes after we ordered. Mostly locals eat here, which is always a good sign.

STREET FOOD

Malaysian Street Food

7. Satay

Skewers of chicken or beef grilled over charcoal and served with peanut sauce, cucumber and rice cakes. You will smell them before you see them at Jalan Alor.

8. Grilled Stingray

Stingray grilled in banana leaf and covered with spicy sambal. I had never tried it before Jalan Alor. It tastes a bit like a softer, more buttery salmon with a slightly fishier flavour, and the sauce is very spicy.

9. Dumplings

On a slightly disappointing night at the Petaling Street market, a lovely older gentleman selling homemade dumplings saved the evening. They were delicious.

BREAKFAST

Malaysian Breakfast

10. Roti Canai

Roti canai is a flaky, buttery flatbread from Malaysia’s Indian community, served with dhal or curry for dipping. I had my first roti at a small Indian restaurant near Jalan Alor, with a fresh coconut, and paid about €3 for both. Look for a mamak, an Indian-Muslim restaurant, many of which are open late or around the clock.

11. Kaya Toast

Toast or bread spread with kaya, a sweet coconut and egg jam, and butter, usually served with soft-boiled eggs and coffee. At Yut Kee we had it as a kaya roll, which is what they are famous for.

SWEETS AND FRUIT

Sweets and Tropical Fruit

12. Cendol

Shaved ice with green pandan jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. It is the perfect thing to eat in the afternoon heat.

13. Coconut Ice Cream

At Jalan Alor we watched a stall flambé a coconut ice cream dessert in front of us, which was quite a show. Fresh coconuts are everywhere too, for a few ringgit.

14. Tropical Fruit

Mangosteen is my favourite fruit, and you will find it at fruit stalls around Jalan Alor when it is in season. Try rambutan too, and durian if you are brave: you will smell it long before you see it, and many hotels ban it.

DRINKS

What to Drink in Malaysia

15. Teh Tarik

Teh tarik, or pulled tea, is strong black tea with condensed milk, poured from a height between two cups until it is frothy. It is sweet, so ask for kurang manis if you want less sugar.

For coffee lovers, Kuala Lumpur also has a great café scene. My sister cannot function without good coffee, and VCR in Bukit Bintang had the best coffee of our trip. Many iced teas are very sweet, so I was delighted when Yut Kee served one that was not.

Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country and alcohol is heavily taxed, so drinks are the one thing that adds up. See my guide to the best rooftop bars in Kuala Lumpur if you want a cocktail with a view.

WHERE TO EAT

Where to Eat in Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Alor: my favourite place in the city. Quiet during the day, packed with stalls and open-air restaurants at night. Walk the whole street before choosing, and pick somewhere busy with locals.

Yut Kee: a classic Hainanese restaurant, best for lunch. Expect a queue.

Mamak restaurants: Indian-Muslim restaurants serving roti, curries and teh tarik, often late into the night.

Central Market food court: an easy, air-conditioned lunch stop when you are sightseeing in the old town.

Sao Nam: for a nicer night out, this Vietnamese restaurant was a highlight of my second trip.

Longjing: chinese restaurant in Bukit Bintang which serves delicious food even though it looks like a chain-restaurant.

My things to do in Kuala Lumpur guide shows where these places are, and the 4-day itinerary fits them into your days.

TIPS

Tips for Eating in Malaysia

Halal and pork: most Malay and mamak food is halal. Many Chinese restaurants serve pork, so check if that matters to you.

Spice: sambal can be very hot. Ask for it on the side, or say tak pedas for not spicy.

Eating: locals often eat with a spoon and fork, or with their right hand in Malay and Indian restaurants.

Paying: carry cash for street stalls. Restaurants usually accept cards and often add a service charge and tax to the bill. Tipping is not expected.

Food apps: Grab also delivers food, which is handy on a rainy evening or with a tired toddler.

💡 Car’s Tip: At Jalan Alor, order a few dishes to share and keep adding. It is the best way to try more things.