KL is pretty ‘navigable’ nowadays, with its MRT (subway) and LRT (light rail) system.
TIP: Avoid its taxis like a plague - the drivers there are a nightmare!
Instead, download GRAB - the local equivalent of UBER - it’s a lifesaver, and is perhaps the best option to move around KL. Drivers are dependable as the system determines the cost of the journey beforehand, and tracks your trip throughout. The cost per ride is very, very low.
That said, KL has a couple of areas I’d recommend staying at. One is near Chinatown.
A good option is Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur. It’s right next to Jalan Sultan, with its Chinese eateries and a bustling night market.
Ho Kow Hai Nam Kopitiam you can see on the map across the road from the hotel is a must-visit for Hainanese-style breakfasts of kaya-butter toast, soft-boiled eggs, or curried chicken with bread or noodles.
.
A cheaper alternative in that area is Travelodge City Centre. Clean rooms, and very walkable to Chinatown.
Swiss Garden Residence is a good choice, as it’s a short walk from Jalan Alor, KL’s premier night street food market. There’s nowhere else in KL like it.
Some of my personal favourites when in KL:
-
Oversea Restaurant Imbi for Cantonese fine dining, including very good seafood.
https://www.eatdrinkkl.com/posts/featured/oversea-imbi-a-marvellous-makeover-plus-a-masterful-mid-autumn-2022-menu-with-mooncakes -
Elegant Inn is a personal favourite of many of my KL Cantonese friends.
https://www.tatlerasia.com/dining/elegant-inn-hong-kong-cuisine -
Madam Kwan for her iconic Nasi Lemak, Nasi Bojari, and a whole host of other Malaysian eats. It’s grown into a chain now, but its flagship outlet at Suria KLCC mall is a must-visit for most visitors to KL. Go early and avoid peak meal times.
https://madamkwans.com.my/ -
For very good modern-Malay, there is no beating Adu Sugar’s offerings. Also, explore nearby Bangsar Village and its surroundings, a veritable goldmine of eateries and shops.
[Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia] Modern-Malay cuisine from Adu Sugar, Lucky Gardens -
For a taste of KL-style wantan noodles, and if you’re feeling quite adventurous - go to Kei Suk in Pudu:
[Kuala Lumpur] Uncle Kei's Wantan Noodles at Restoran Good Friend, Pudu -
Unique Seafood PJ23 is a good place for a wide selection of seafood dishes. A KL cousin of mine even held his wedding day luncheon there!
https://unique-seafood.com.my/ -
Mavalli Tiffin Rooms in Brickfields for good South Indian vegetarian breakfast.
[Kuala Lumpur] Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR) on Thambipillay Road, Brickfields -
Fierce Curry House is my go-to spot for a good South Indian banana leaf rice meal.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/food/2021/11/30/bangsar-eatery-serves-up-a-fierce-banana-leaf-meal/
I actually used to go to the very popular Devi’s Corner in Bangsar Village regularly when I was living in KL 2011 to 2016 - it costed me an average of RM15 (US$3.35) for a banana leaf meal there each time. Then, one day, back in 2016, a group of 9 visiting British colleagues from London went there for their dinner. I found out later that they were charged an outrageous MYR450 for their meal, which worked out to MYR50 (US$11.10) per head!! I’d not gone back there ever since.
-
You’ll find nasi lemak at every corner in Malaysia. But the best I’d had was from Nasi Lemak Tanglin:
[Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia] 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗶 𝗟𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻 - KL's top nasi lemak spot -
Another of my personal favourite dining experience in KL: curry noodles at Madras Lane in Chinatown:
[Kuala Lumpur] Curry Laksa at Madras Lane
KL offers good dining experience wherever you turn. Just make the best of where you are, and what’s in the neighbourhood. I moved from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur back in 2011 - I felt like fish out of water at first. Then, I started exploring the city. It was amazingly gritty and grimy at first glance but, when you get used to it, the place really grows on you. I was a Chowhound back then - I made over 1,300 food posts of KL dining places over the next 6 years! I still mourn the death of Chowhound and, with it, my entire collection of KL dining experiences there.
Let me know if you need any tips when you are in KL!
